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Chapter Text

The next mission Tanjirou had been sent on was an unusual one. Not only was it unusual, but particularly dangerous. According to the briefing he'd received from his kasugai crow beforehand, a number of low-level demons had been going into a sudden crazed rampage near a certain small mountain village, and had caused a massacre.

"Do not bring your younger sister with you! Squawk. So I have been told to instruct you!"

"Leave Nezuko? Why?" Tanjirou asked. "I couldn't possibly do that. Without Nezuko, I..."

"It's likely there is a Demon Corpse-Lily in the area! That is why."

The Demon Corpse-Lily, he was told, was a plant that smelled like decaying flesh. Unlike carrion-flowers, however, only demons could pick up their scent. To the nose of a human, it had none at all. Without fail, demons would be attracted to the plant, and if they got close enough to be exposed to its parasitic spores, their appetite and aggression would be sent into a frenzy – enough that they would emerge in the daytime and burn in the sun without a second thought, driven by desperation.

When Tanjirou had stopped at the Butterfly Estate to leave Nezuko behind, however, Aoi-san had turned him away. She said that because a certain guest--that aggressive boy from the Final Selection who had bumped into Tanjirou once before--was currently staying there, Nezuko wouldn't be safe. And so, though aware of the danger, he'd been forced to bring her with him regardless, warning her to stay inside the box at all costs.

There had been more than he expected. Three demons, and though their erratic movements had thrown him off, their strength was still weak. But after he had cut their necks with his sword, a fourth had emerged while his back was turned. The thick odour of blood surrounding every corner of the village had disguised its scent, made its location hard to pinpoint, and when Tanjirou had turned to deflect its attack, he was too slow by a second. Before he could realise what had happened, the weight on his back had lightened.

"Nezuko! No!" Tanjirou called out, reaching behind his back, but it was too late-

Nezuko had escaped, and shielded him from a swipe that might have ripped his head from his shoulders. But before Tanjirou could think, he had already cut the demon down before it could make its next attempt.

That was when it happened. In the moment its blood had been shed, a drop had splashed on Nezuko's exposed neck, and immediately, her pupils had contracted, her pink eyes pulsing red.

"Nezuko! Are you..."

The next thing Tanjirou knew, she lunged at him, and he was left with no choice but to knock her out. Dizzied from the blow, Nezuko had quickly grown smaller in size again, seemingly struggling to breathe, before finally closing her eyes and collapsing into his arms.

–

"There is nothing I can do for her."

That was what Shinobu-san told him at the Butterfly Mansion, but the words barely registered to Tanjirou's ears when he heard them.

"That... That can't be..."

Everywhere that single drop of blood had touched, dark purple veins were sprouting, spreading over Nezuko's pale skin. Her eyes were still shut as she laid on the table.

"It's comparable to a poison," Shinobu-san continued. "Because that demon had been infected by the Corpse-Lily, its blood must have contained a concentration of the toxin. She has managed to shut down and slow the spread of it by sleeping, but it's bound to take effect soon. While I am capable of curing humans... I'm afraid demons are quite another matter."

Though Tanjirou opened his mouth uselessly, his eyes wouldn't leave Nezuko. His body was beginning to shake in disbelief. This couldn't be right. This couldn't be happening. This couldn't be...

"...I expect it would be two to three days at most before the spread is complete. By the time she awakens, she will no doubt have become as mindless as any other demon. I hope you can say your goodbyes, Tanjirou-kun."

–

"Please... If there's no cure, I'll find one! Three days is enough! I can do it! I have to!"

With his forehead planted firmly to the ground, Tanjirou willed his limbs with all he had to remain steady, to hold himself upright.

"That isn't a promise you are capable of making, Tanjirou," the mellow, steady tone of Oyakata-sama's voice returned. "Once your younger sister succumbs to the toxin, there will be no choice but to slay her. Moreover, if she harms a human, you are well aware of what the fates of both you and your benefactors will be."

It was no good. His arms were beginning to tremble, ready to collapse underneath him. Second by second, Tanjirou could feel himself losing his strength, his hope. No–he couldn't let this happen. He couldn't give up here. He had to—he had to—

"That's why I have to..." Desperate, Tanjirou raised his head and cried out, "Please—Tamayo-san! She might know something! Please, at least let me see her!"

There was a short pause. Enough for Tanjirou's heart to swell, enough for him to pray that—

But Oyakata-sama only shook his head. "Tanjirou... I understand your feelings. Nonetheless, I must be firm. Please," he motioned to the Kakushi, "take him away."

–

You will remain here until Oyakata-sama finishes further deliberating, he had been told. Tanjirou had been granted the remainder of Nezuko's time until she awoke to spend together with her, but had been confined to a room in the Butterfly Mansion to prevent escape in the meantime.

"Nezuko... I'm sorry—your big brother's sorry! I couldn't stop this from happening... I couldn't protect you, and now you have to die like this... I, I don't want to see you lose your mind, Nezuko..."

Tanjirou had laid Nezuko to rest on the single bed in the room under a blanket of his haori. One after the other, his tears were steadily pockmarking the checkered pattern. The only thing he could do now was hold her closely, watching as the dark veins continued to steadily, slowly stretch over her skin.

If only he could see Tamayo-san. She was a demon— if anyone knew how to cure another demon of something like this, it would be her! If Oyakata-sama knew that, then why would he not allow it?

But even if he were to have done so, remembering that she and Yushiro must have already left Tokyo by now, how would Tanjirou find them on such short notice? Oyakata-sama may have realised the same thing, too. Still — maybe he could. If he were to somehow escape... If that was possible, then...

That was when a noise interrupted his thoughts.

"Mrow."

Tanjirou turned his head. That sound — he would know it anywhere. It was the meow of Tamayo-san's calico cat familiar, Chachamaru! Had she been there with him?

The answer was quick to come, because sure enough, Chachamaru was sitting in the cell, leisurely grooming one of her ears. She hopped onto the bed beside Nezuko and slowly blinked at him.

"Please, could you bring me some paper and ink?!" Tanjirou said, hoping the cat could understand. "I need to send a message to Tamayo-san!"

Meowing again, Chachamaru vanished, reappearing a minute later with the items he had asked for inside the box on her back.

"Thank you!" Tanjirou cried, fluffing the fur around the cat's neck and ears in gratitude as she purred. "Good girl, Chachamaru!"

Not only did he need to ask where he could find Tamayo-san, but whether or not she would be able to cure the Corpse-Lily's toxin from Nezuko. After hastily writing his letter, he folded it into the box again. With a hop, Chachamaru left, leaving Tanjirou to anxiously await a reply.

Squeezing his eyes shut, he didn't open them again until he heard another meow. Tanjirou swallowed all his nerves as he retrieved Tamayo-san's reply, pulse pounding in his ears as he read the words written on the paper in her neat, elegant hand.

Please bring Nezuko to me so I may examine her. I believe I should be able to do something, it read, along with a location.

That was all, no more, and no less... It wasn't a full answer to his fears, but it was something. It was a hope. It was what he needed in this desperate situation — he could already feel his strength returning! But what good was it, trapped in this place? What would he do now? If there was no other choice but to escape, Tanjirou's best bet was waiting until someone came to check on or retrieve him, but that would mean wasting too much time.

Wait—the letter! Would that work?

Thinking quickly, Tanjirou folded Tamayo's letter up. Carefully tearing away the part disclosing her location and tucking it into his pocket, he wrote on the blank side and then slid it underneath the doors to the room, hoping for the best. He had added a quick message instructing the letter to be shown to Oyakata-sama.

It was as good a try as any. Hopefully, if there was anyone guarding his room, or at least a person coming to check on him soon, someone would notice it right away. He listened carefully, and when he heard movement and voices, his heart started pounding wildly.

Then, Tanjirou waited. He waited and waited. He chatted to the unconscious Nezuko, he paced around the room, he did exercises, he laid down. After enough time had passed, his belly rumbled, and he stared at the covered plate of manju that had been left in the room for him beforehand. Even if he was hungry, he hardly felt like he could eat at a time like this. But at the same time, he knew that it could only have been made by Aoi-san or the younger three girls, and letting the food they had prepared for him go to waste would be equally unthinkable!

Though it pained him, Tanjirou tried to tough it out for a while, meditating in a cross-legged position on the floor, but the delicious smell of the manju only got stronger as the growling got louder, and in the end he gave in enough to eat one. His nerves made getting each bite down a challenge and the taste impossible to enjoy, but if it was for Aoi-san, Sumi, Naho, and Kiyo, he could do it! Even if he immediately felt too sick to manage another!

With his hunger temporarily quieted, Tanjirou's back slumped against the bed, and before he realised it his vision had blurred and his head had nodded into sleep.

When his eyes opened in the early morning light, it was to the sound of the door swinging open.

Chapter Text

When he realised what he had heard, Tanjirou woke as quickly as if he'd been doused in a bucket of water, the hope from before welling back up in his chest with a suffocating force.

"Kamado Tanjirou," a familiar voice said.

Standing outside the doorway was one of Oyakata-sama's young attendants, holding a lantern that cast a warm glow into the dimly lit room. Had he finished deciding already? Could it be that he had changed his mind? "T-The letter," Tanjirou started, but the white-haired girl cut him off.

"It has been decided," she said flatly, "that you may leave."

Tanjirou's mouth went dry. You may leave. You may leave. The words seemed to echo in his head. Had he heard them correctly? Was he still dreaming after all?

"From here on," the girl continued, "should you not return within three days, you will be considered to have deserted the Demon Slayer Corps and, of course, hunted down. However, our master has given you a chance that you mustn't squander. Run, Kamado Tanjirou... and find a cure for your sister."

Every inch of him trembling in disbelief, Tanjirou doubled over onto the floor. Tears blurred the view of Nezuko on the bed above him. He couldn't believe it. That after all, he had been given a chance...

"...Thank you," Tanjirou sniffed, wiping his eyes and lowering his head in a bow. "Please... Please give Oyakata-sama my thanks!"

"There is one more thing. Two others have come to meet you. They are waiting for you outside the mansion."

"...Huh?" Two others? Eyes widening, Tanjirou looked back up. Could they be...

"...Be aware that should you fail," the girl added, "the consequences extend to those who have chosen to help you." With that, she gave a nod. "That is the end of Oyakata-sama's message."

Bidding him farewell, the white-haired girl left.

There was no more time to waste. It had been the late evening of the previous day when Nezuko was infected, and now, it was just after dawn. In total, a loss of less than nine hours. Tanjirou prepared for the journey as quickly as possible, scarfing down the remaining two manju with renewed appetite, sliding his sword back into place on his belt, and finally hefting the box onto his back. Once everything was ready, he stepped through the gates of the Butterfly Mansion—and immediately smacked into something. Or, someone.

"Tanjirooou! I, I was so worried they wouldn't let you out!"

"...Ze, Zenitsu? Inosuke?"

Zenitsu, who had barrelled straight into him, was now rubbing his forehead where he'd smacked into Tanjirou's, his skin already showing a reddish bruise. Inosuke, standing further back, was stamping his feet on the ground in a fit over something. "Monjiro! You took so long I was gonna bust back in there and drag you out!"

"Ow, ow... Your head is stupid hard..." Zenitsu winced, still rubbing the bruise, before turning back to Tanjirou with a sheepish look. "I... I was staying in the Butterfly Mansion after a mission, and I heard what happened. ...You could kinda call it eavesdropping, I guess, but it's never my fault! I swear! Sumi-chan was crying about it, and I can't ignore a girl's tears! Uh, anyway, later I heard you talking through the wall of that room, and..."

Inosuke butted in, elbowing Zenitsu in the cheek, who started swiping at his arm in annoyance, "I was there too, and he was listening through the door, all creepy. I told him we should just bust you out, but he was scared of getting caught. I woulda done it if they didn't let you out already, though! I was ready, you better believe me! That door was an enemy only I could defeat! ...That's what Monitsu said!"

Taking everything in, Tanjirou finally blinked, looking between the two. Zenitsu was clearing his throat awkwardly.

"Inosuke... Zenitsu... You really...? Both of you..."

Zenitsu's eyes darted as he fidgeted with the opening of his sleeve. "Look, I can't let something like that happen to Nezuko. Or you. So I... I'll come with you, Tanjirou."

"Monitsu got on his knees and begged me, the King of the Mountain, to come with him and help you, and his face was all snotty. It was gross! So I stomped on him, but he wouldn't stop clinging to my leg and got snot all over me—"

"S-Shut up about that! T-That didn't happen! It definitely wasn't like that, Tanjirou—"

"Anyway, I only agreed to bust the door. If you want me to come with you again," Inosuke demanded, pointing a finger at Tanjirou, "then you'll need to bow to me and beg like Monitsu did—"

Faster than he could even say the word 'bow', however, Tanjirou had already hit the ground in flawless form. "Please, Inosuke! Your help would be invaluable!"

"H-Hah?" Not having expected Tanjirou to actually do it, let alone so quickly, Inosuke was stupefied, his face hot under his mask. "S...So you finally admit how awesome I am!" Managing to recover, he folded his arms and huffed. "Fine! We still have a score to settle, so I'll come too! You'll need me much more than this loser here! This time I'll prove I'm the best! Gahahaha!"

"Thank you, Inosuke." Tanjirou bowed his head in thanks once more before getting up and dusting himself off. "Both of you... Thank you," he said again with a smile, eyes shining with sincere gratitude.

"Everyone... Nezuko... Let's go."

–

The journey to Tamayo-san's new clinic had taken just over half a day. Upon arriving, Tanjirou was already restless enough to forget almost all of his manners for once. He hadn't even managed a greeting to Yushiro-san, who was both baffled and offended as he busied his way past him. He only barely remembered to introduce Inosuke and Zenitsu, both of whom Yushiro took an immediate dislike to.

That immediate dislike, naturally, escalated to violence at Zenitsu's lovestruck expression the moment Tamayo-san appeared. Inosuke, meanwhile, cautiously inspected the two demons, sniffing them and circling them like a dog, appearing to be confused.

"Hah? They're demons, but they're like humans."

"What are you doing?!" Yushiro jumped at him. "Don't get close to Tamayo-sama, you disgusting... you... strange boar creature!"

"You picking a fight, hah?! You'll regret it!"

"Please stop that." As the two hotheads tussled on the floor, Tamayo politely coughed into her hand. "I'm afraid there's no time for me to give your... friends an explanation, Tanjirou. Please, you must tell me the details of what happened to Nezuko now. Yushiro, would you please attend to those two?"

While Yushiro hauled Zenitsu and Inosuke out of the room with extreme prejudice, Tamayo led Tanjirou to sit down.

"Don't try anything funny while you're alone with Tamayo-sama," Yushiro grumbled, but shrunk back at the look she shot at him in response.

After Tanjirou had done his best to explain everything fully from the beginning, Tamayo-san bowed her head lightly. "...I see," was her response. "So that is what happened."

Tanjirou's back was ramrod straight, his hands folded in his lap as he sat across from her. "Please, Tamayo-san... Can you cure her? Can you cure Nezuko?"

"I will do what I can," she said. "Please wait while I examine her."

–

When Tamayo-san returned, her expression was unreadable. Tanjirou attempted to brace himself, but his heart was pounding wildly just like in the cell before.

"To properly study the Corpse-Lily itself is impossible even for me, because of the risk of exposure. That is why I have not done so before. Additionally, those who are affected are more often than not dead by the following morning. In this case, however, the toxin was spread by a single drop of blood. If I had more of the blood of the original demon that produced it, perhaps I could have made a cure. That is to say..."

Tanjirou's hands trembled, clenching his uniform hakama. "You... You mean..."

Tamayo shook her head. "I'm afraid... No. I cannot cure Nezuko myself. However—"

"What? What is it? Please, tell me she won't have to die like this!"

"Please listen carefully to me," Tamayo said. "First of all, there is something I can do. With the amount of blood in her circulation, I was able to produce an anti-toxin. In her current dormant state, it should extend her remaining time to about four days. That should give you the chance to save your sister... If you are willing to put everything at risk."

Tanjirou's eyes immediately lit up again. "There's a way? I can save Nezuko?!"

"...There may," Tamayo said. "If the situation weren't so desperate I would not speak of it. But there is indeed a cure that I know of. However... I have had the good fortune to encounter it only once."

–

"Many years ago, while travelling I came across a kannagi in trouble. A fox sacred to the shrine this kannagi served had become gravely ill, and no cure seemed to bring promise. The fox was said to be the spirit enshrined in that place, near the base of distant Mt. Hyousetsu.

"Its power was thought to keep the snow on the mountain clean and pure. However... A demon had once appeared on the mountain, and when its blood touched the snow after it had been slain... the fox had taken ill. The snow was beginning to melt, and the vegetation to wither.

"Though I offered my help, the kannagi was initially hostile to me, recognising that I too was a demon. However, I was eventually allowed to attempt to recover the fox's health, and succeeded. Out of gratitude, the kannagi then presented me with a gourd of water from the spring on the peak of the mountain. Supposedly it could once cure any sickness from a person, but since the demon had appeared, that had changed. Nevertheless, they foretold that it would become necessary to me in the future.

"Soon after, I encountered a patient that had been infected by the Corpse-Lily. When I had reached my wits' end, it was that water from the mountain spring that cured them of the ailment before they had eaten a single person."

With his head bowed, Tanjirou said nothing at first after listening to the story, his hands beginning to shake. Before he knew it, he was shaking all over, tears streaming down his cheeks. That was when the doors slammed open and Zenitsu hurried in, alarmed.

"...Tanjirou? Tanjirou! What happened? Don't, don't tell me..."

"I'm sorry... I..." Though he was crying, Tanjirou was smiling through his tears. "I can't believe... there might still be a chance. I thought it was all over. I thought there would be nothing left. I... thought I would have to take Nezuko's life with my own hands! No matter... No matter how hard it is, if there's a chance, I'll take it. I'll go anywhere. I have to. Tamayo-san, please accept my gratitude again..."

"...Eh? So it's all alright? When I heard you crying, I thought maybe..."

Tanjirou shook his head at Zenitsu. "No. It was the opposite. It was because I was so happy that I—" Without warning, Zenitsu practically tackled him to the floor in a hug. "Wahh! Thank God! Thank Buddha! There's mercy in the world! I... was so worried, too. Tanjirou..." Zenitsu blubbered. "I couldn't say goodbye to the two of you like this."

"Zenitsu..."

Hearing the commotion, Inosuke was next to poke his head in the room, still in the middle of munching on refreshments while Yushiro glared at him in the background. "Come on, Tontarou. I don't really get it, but we've got to find some fox on a mountain and beat it up, right? You can leave it to me!"

Tanjirou blinked. "Ah, that's not..."

"It's true that you are likely to face hostility," Tamayo said. "That person has a keen sense for any sort of impurity, both physical and mental. I cannot say whether the kannagi will aid you. After all, my debt has been repaid already."

"I see..." Tanjirou thought carefully, taking a deep breath. A chance that Nezuko may be refused help. But it didn't matter—he couldn't give up on this only opportunity. Facing Inosuke and Zenitsu with a more serious look, he asked, "You'll both really come with me? Even if it's dangerous? Even if you'll be punished for helping me?"

Zenitsu's face and trembling hands said it all, but he shook his head nonetheless. "Even... Even if I'm scared, I can't let Nezuko-chan down. Right? And of course... I can't let you down either, Tanjirou. And... if it comes to it, s-s-slitting my stomach open... is better than having a demon eat my guts!"

Inosuke wasn't shaken, though. "How scary can it be?" he bragged. "I'm the King of the Mountain. This one's no different."

With everyone in agreement, there was no more time for conversation. After Tamayo gave some final advice, the directions to the mountain, and saw the group of them off, it was time to leave.

Standing side-by-side with two others, Tanjirou thought that the journey would be easier. If Zenitsu and Inosuke hadn't been there, if he had set out alone, who knew how much more difficult the pressure, that weight on his back that could never let him forget his worries, would have been to bear?

Nezuko... Tanjirou declared in his heart as they finally set out, I'll find your cure. I promise!

–

"Kamado Tanjrou has not returned within three days."

Three days ago, that boy had been given a chance.

The normally-calm face of the Demon Slayer Corps' master was grim at the announcement he received from his crow. Having been sent to tail the young Tanjirou, it had determined that he had fled in search of a cure with his demon-turned sister. And when Ubuyashiki asked for the name of the location, he wasn’t any more reassured.

Mt Hyousetsu, the frozen mountain further north. As it had been in their records since before his lifetime when a pair from the Corps had been sent there, he was aware of it. There was a greater reason, however, for his familiarity. That place had once been known for a shrine whose cold spring was said to cure any ailment from people—and consequently, one of his ancestors had learned of it and visited it himself. Whether the claims about that place were founded in any reality, however, there was no way of knowing—for one simple reason, which that ancestor of his had found upon his arrival.

And for that reason, he already knew Tanjirou had more than likely set out on a lost cause.

"...I see," Ubuyashiki replied evenly. "Then I'll be summoning them."

The crow flew from his hand again.

After the command had been sent out, four of his valued Pillars were soon assembled in the courtyard. They were those he had chosen beforehand in the event of this situation: The Flame Pillar, Rengoku Kyoujurou. The Stone Pillar, Himejima Gyoumei. The Insect Pillar, Kochou Shinobu.

And lastly, the Water Pillar, Tomioka Giyuu.

Ubuyashiki made his explanation clear. "It is regrettable, but your mission is to find and cut down the demon Kamado Nezuko, who has likely succumbed to the effects of the Demon Corpse-Lily, and restrain and return alive Kamado Tanjirou and any of his allies. Defection from these orders will be punished accordingly. That is all."

After the joined assent from the four present following the speech, he gave a final nod—and then, a momentary pause.

"...Giyuu," he continued. "You are aware of your responsibility for those two. I chose you for that reason."

Another short silence. Ubuyashiki's ears caught the sound of a faint shift in movement.

"...Yes," the rarely-heard voice of his Water Pillar then responded, "I understand."

"My apologies that it has turned out this way," Ubuyashiki offered.

There was, after all, little more he could say.

When no further reply came, he addressed everyone once more. "Please, you may take your leave."

With that, the group of four Pillars retreated together, leaving their master's residence behind. Among the four, one stood a distance apart from the rest, cool expression as unreadable as ever to his peers.

"Tomioka-san." Kochou Shinobu's smile held all the friendliness of a needle's sting. "You're looking awfully calm for someone who's going to leave this world." When he didn't react, she laughed to herself. “I'm only joking, of course.”

"How truly miserable... Tomioka, I will pray for all of you." Himejima promised, clasping his beads.

The blunt Rengoku, however, unaffected by the chilly atmosphere, clapped a firm hand on the red half of the Water Pillar's shoulders.

"Don't sweat it! We'll handle it in time!" he barked, loud enough to make Tomioka's hair stand on end. "Alright! We'll be heading out soon. It shouldn't be tough for me—I'm good with the cold!"

Chapter Text

Their group of three-- and Nezuko-- had been travelling for almost two days now. Following the directions Tamayo-san had given, they gradually left behind towns and villages as they headed north. They crossed fields, valleys, hills, woodlands, until at last they could see the peak of their destination looming in the distant horizon. Ahead now was a forest at the base of the mountain range, and patches of snow could be seen on the ground and trees, an unmistakable chill beginning to creep into the air.

"Hey, look at this."

Hearing Zenitsu's comment, Tanjirou stopped in place and looked at where he was pointing. There were two small stone statues in the shape of foxes on either side of the forest path's entrance, carved on the base with characters too old and weathered to properly read. Worn-out sacred rope was hung around both their necks.

"Oh! this must be..." Tanjirou's chest swelled a little. "Tamayo-san told me about this. This means we're going the right way."

It was sunrise now, and a good time to take a break after walking all day. With Nezuko so close by it was hard for Tanjirou to force himself to rest, to justify sparing even a moment not advancing further, but his tired body certainly could when his spirit was being stubborn. He almost collapsed on the ground under the weight of the box, heaving a deep breath, but managed to stay standing with his sword for support. Zenitsu and Inosuke weren't much better off themselves, if the former's exaggerated wheezing was anything to go by.

"Nezuko-chan..." Zenitsu dragged his feet. "Hah... Nezuko-chan... We're almost there... Promise...!"

"Shut up. The two of you are weaklings. I'm still... Guh." Inosuke dropped his back against a tree as Zenitsu bent over to catch his breath.

"Hah... Hu...Huh?" Zenitsu stopped panting, suddenly looking up at the sky. "Tanjirou. Just now, I thought I heard..."

"...What?" Tanjirou turned around, straightening back up. "What is it, Zenitsu?"

Zenitsu's usual nervous expression was somewhat heavier than usual. "I just thought I noticed..." he murmured, fidgeting with the edges of his haori's sleeves as he spoke, "While we were travelling, I... kept hearing... the flap of crows' wings. I even thought I saw one, in the trees..."

Seeing an opportunity to brag, Inosuke was half-revived. "Hah? I knew they were following us the whole time. Gonpachiro, you didn't know?"

Now mostly recovered, Tanjirou turned around to face the other two fully. "...I knew too," he replied. "I could tell from the faint smell... The kasugai-garasu smell different from normal crows. They're watching us. I already knew from the moment I left... I was told before that if I didn't return, I'd be hunted down for deserting."

"Wait a sec, wait a sec!" Now panicking, Zenitsu flailed his arms, yelling, "H-Hunted down? You didn't tell me that! By who? Others of our rank? Higher?" he paled. "They wouldn't... They wouldn't send those scary Pillars, would they?!"

Tanjirou only blinked at him, before slowly shaking his head. "I don't know. But they must be too important to send after low-ranked slayers like us..."

"Pillars?" Now fully revived, Inosuke puffed himself up and struck a pose. "Bring it on! I'll take 'em like I took that Half-Haori guy!"

'Half-haori'...? One of the Pillars?

When it hit him, Tanjirou's jaw dropped in disbelief. Did that mean...? "Inosuke, you... challenged Tomioka-san?!"

"Hah? Who?"

The Pillars, or Hashira- the few, highest-ranking members of the demon-slaying corps. That was right- Tomioka-san was one of them. If, on the unlikely chance they had been sent, there was a possibility that he could be the one chosen. Tomioka-san, who would have to pay with his own life together with Tanjirou if Nezuko were to harm somebody...

Would Oyakata-sama do such a thing? Would he have Tanjirou face his benefactor?

Shaking his head, Tanjirou tried to ignore the thought. There was no use in adding to his worries at a time like this. Partly as a distraction, he soon set about gathering branches to make a small fire as the other two fought over their food supplies. Eventually, Inosuke curled up to nap by the flames under the fur cloak he'd made from a bear's pelt when it started getting cold (though their breathing and uniforms kept them warm in cold weather, there were limits when you went around bare-chested!), and Zenitsu had nodded off beside him not long after. After the exhausting pace of their journey so far, it was only natural. There hadn't been much time to rest, let alone to sleep.

Now being the only one left awake, Tanjirou sat beside Nezuko's box and opened the doors with some hesitation. No matter how much he braced himself, however, he could never have been fully prepared for the sight inside.

The dark purple veins were continuing their spread from Nezuko's neck, now stretching up to her face, the center a pulsing red that grew in intensity as the toxin progressed. She seemed to be struggling against it even whilst she slept, her forehead wrinkled, skin faintly shining with a thin sheen of sweat.

Frowning, Tanjirou placed his hand on her forehead, as if she had a fever and he was taking care of her like when she was small. Just like a fever, the skin was hot to the touch – more than abnormally so, in fact. It must have been just one of the many ways that demons were different to humans, but no less concerning.

"I promise, Nezuko. Your big brother will help you get better soon... like all those times before."

–

"I see. So they aren't far by now." Kochou's mood was unknowable from her usual smile as she received the news from her crow. "Without their kasugai-garasu serving them, they won't be finding shortcuts in advance- while we can. With that advantage, in addition to their inexperience, we should be catching up quite soon, I believe."

"That's good to hear! We'll keep pushing on!" Rengoku was about to set out, but stopped mid-stride and looked around, noticing something amiss. "Hm? By the way, where's Tomioka?"

They were safe. Hidden behind a nearby tree, Giyuu breathed a small sigh of relief as he received his own crow, patting its feathers in thanks and letting it tuck itself back into the warmth of his sleeve. He shortly returned to where the others were waiting, cool expression betraying none of his previous actions.

"Oh, Tomioka-san!" Kochou called out as he showed himself. "Good of you to join us again."

"Mn! When nature calls, you've got to answer!"

"My, Rengoku-san, do be more polite."

"Hahaha! My apologies! Come on now, let's get going! Wait, has Himejima dozed off while chanting again...?"

Neglecting to reply or even nod in acknowledgement to his two fellow Pillars, Giyuu only turned his back, sat down, and tried to empty his mind.

–

From the place with the statues, the trail continued on deeper into the forest. Every now and again, they would pass by more of the stone foxes, each identical in style. According to what Tamayo-san had said, following the statues would lead them to the lower part of the shrine at the base of the mountain. The further they walked, the denser the snow became on the ground, and the trees so thick with clumps of frost that they appeared to be entirely white.

As the wind howled in the distance, Tanjirou feared that the weather would not be kind to the three of them much longer. A snowstorm could be brewing soon. He was no stranger to braving the cold, but the other two weren't faring quite as well. Zenitsu was suffering a runny nose while walking, murmuring 'I hate the cold, I really hate the cold', under his breath, with his hands tucked into his haori sleeves, and Inosuke had added some extra padding to his makeshift fur cloak, though naturally, wasn't willing to admit to the reason for doing so.

"Haha. I~diot," Zenitsu teased."Bet you're wishing you kept your uniform in one piece now, huh?"

"Shut up, do you wanna be in pieces!?" Inosuke shot back.

Tanjirou only smiled at their bickering. "Inosuke, why don't you share your cloak with Zenitsu?" he suggested. "Then you'll both be warmer."

"No way! I'd rather freeze before..." Zenitsu startled, whirling around on the spot. "Wait, was that..."

Tanjirou's hand flew to the hilt of his sword. "Did you hear something?"

"I, ah..." Blinking, Zenitsu turned back around and shook his head. "Never mind. Let's just keep going..."

"Be cautious, Tanjirou. Even in the most desolate of places, demons still live."

Tanjirou remembered the words of warning Tamayo-san had given him beforehand. They weren't yet in the deepest part of the forest, but a hint of that unmistakable stench was beginning to float in the air. Zenitsu and Inosuke seemed to be sensing it, too. Now that the sun was setting, they would have to be cautious.

...But there was another faint scent, too. A more familiar one, like a calm lake, the damp after rainfall, and that of an animal-

Tanjirou turned his head to the retreating flap of wings.

Chapter Text

The snow was beginning to blow harder, fall thicker as they followed the trail. Even with a good sense of direction, it would be easy to lose your way along the winding paths, and it had been a while since the last time they'd passed a statue. Thanks to Tanjirou's nose, however, he was sure they had to be going the right way. The delicate falling snowflakes might have been a beautiful sight to enjoy from indoors by the charcoal fire, but buried under the snow in this forest was another, fainter scent — of something that couldn't be hidden just by the blanket of white.

The smell of blood.

"Gah! I stepped on something!"

When Zenitsu piped up, Tanjirou stopped and turned his head. "What is it?"

"I really hope it's not a dead body under the snow..."

"Huh? Don't worry, Zenitsu, I'm sure it isn't." Tanjirou walked over to have a look as Zenitsu brushed the snow away from the the ground with the end of his sword, uncovering what he had found beneath it.

"Hiiii...! It's a dead body under the snow!" Zenitsu shrieked, dropping his sword and falling onto his back. But if he hadn't fallen, the claws of the demon that leapt out behind him would have pierced his neck!

In a flash, Tanjirou had his own blade at the ready. "Zenitsu! Watch out!"

Unfortunately, since Zenitsu had actually fainted before he hit the ground, that wasn't possible, leaving Tanjirou with no choice but to jump in front of him before the demon could make for the weaker target.

The demon stepped back, staring Tanjirou down from the end of his sword's length. Horns like icicles protruded from its head, matching the shape of its sharp teeth. Its body was clear and pale like ice, black at the extremities with vein-like trails fading up through its limbs. Glowing yellow eyes bulged from sunken sockets.

There was something odd about this demon. Unlike the frozen body they'd unearthed before, it didn't smell of blood. In fact, it almost seemed to have no smell at all. But before Tanjirou could think on it, Inosuke burst through and cut the demon's neck in one swift leap. Its body fractured and dispersed like powder in the air.

"Where'd that guy come from?" he griped. "I didn't feel anything hiding. It's like he came from nowhere! That pisses me off!"

Tanjirou tensed. "Came from nowhere...?"

Just as he'd thought it, five more demons identical to the last appeared, as if formed from the swirling snow.

Inosuke launched himself after them next, smashing the horns from one demon's head as he flew past. He'd landed in a corner against the trees, though, and left himself open for two of the ice demons to crowd in on him.

Tanjirou managed to dodge another swipe, but when a demon's claws caught his leg mid-jump, he lost his balance and tumbled flat onto his front. Ice was creeping up his leg, weighing it down.

Their bodies must be fragile, Tanjirou realised, remembering how the horn broke so easily.

Water Breathing, fourth form... Striking Tide!

With a few slashes, he was able to break the limbs off two of the three ice demons' bodies and behead them before their claws could touch him.

When he looked around to get his bearings afterwards, however, he found the snow had hidden his surroundings in a curtain of white, making it impossible to see, hear, or smell out the other two.

Meanwhile, separated from Tanjirou, Inosuke was busy fighting off the demons from before. Ice had frozen his foot to the spot, making it difficult to turn around. There were two things he hadn't realised yet — one: while he was distracted, three more ice demons were stalking towards his back, and two: the still-unconscious Zenitsu was lying right behind him. He didn't hear a sword slowly unsheathing over the sound of the snowstorm.

"Thunder breathing, first form..."

Crack!

Tanjirou sliced the third ice demon's head from its shoulders. Once again, not a single drop of blood seemed to be shed, and its body dissolved into the snow. He looked around, but after a minute had passed, no more seemed to be coming, and he finally lowered his guard. Had that been the last of them?

"Zenitsu? Inosuke?"

Tanjirou called out, but didn't hear anything back.

The wind had picked up into a howling blizzard, obscuring his surroundings even further. Holding Nezuko's box in front of him to block the wind's direction, he tried to call again, bearing down against the force as he trudged through the snow.

"Tanjirou!"

The voice was muffled by the blizzard and Tanjirou startled as a familiar frame crashed into him, grabbing his arm and rubbing his face into his shoulder. "There you are! I thought I'd lost you, but I managed to hear you! I'm so glad, I thought a demon or something might pop out..."

Reaching out to pet Zenitsu's golden mop of hair, Tanjirou smiled until he realised the other was wiping his running nose on his checkered sleeve. "Hey, Zenitsu! Don't do that! Here, use this handkerchief at least!"

"Wahhh... Tanjirou... You're putting up with me even like this... I... I'm sorry I've been completely useless. I promise I'll help somehow... I promise."

"Zenitsu..."

"Oh! I hear him! That has to be Inosuke! You can't mistake that angry stomping! This way, Tanjirou!" Zenitsu tugged Tanjirou's sleeve, leading him. He couldn't help but grin— even if Zenitsu couldn't fight, just being here with him made moving forward easier, and helped to distract the fear gnawing his heart over Nezuko's fate. Even if he'd thought it before, Tanjirou was no less grateful for that now.

But before he could open his mouth to share his thoughts, something like a bear had already come running and knocked him onto his back in the snow—that something being, of course, Inosuke.

"Keh, it was you, Monjirou?!"

"Y...Yes. I'm not a demon! Could... you please get off me? You... I'm a little winded..." Luckily Zenitsu was there to do it for him, yanking Inosuke off of Tanjirou and scolding him. But Tanjirou only smiled again. He was grateful Inosuke was here, too. Inosuke was right to call himself amazing — Tanjirou could never stay in low spirits for long with him around, and his instincts were unlike anyone else! Unfortunately, it was too difficult to tell him any of that with the wind knocked out of his chest.

"Oh. The snow's clearing..."

As Tanjirou got back to his feet, he looked around, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings. While wandering aimlessly during the blizzard, they'd ended up in a different part of the forest. Who knew where they were now? Sudden panic ran through him. Getting lost meant spending time he couldn't afford on getting their bearings—and possibly even winding up closer to the trail of their unknown pursuers.

They were close to the bottom of a cliff at the forest's edge, where an alcove blocked them from the oncoming wind. He noticed that the peak of Mt. Hyousetsu was actually closer in sight than before, which eased his mind somewhat. Waiting some time for the weather to calm some more was probably a good idea, or at least to rest from it a while.

With the wind now blowing less harshly, Tanjirou paused to carefully sniff the air as he caught a new scent. It took a moment before he realised it was the one he had been hoping for, and his eyes lit up. "Ah! A statue! I think there must be one nearby! Over here!"

Running off to follow the scent, Tanjirou soon found he had been right—it was another one of the fox statues, its base half-hidden in the snow. This was good! So long as they followed the statues, they were back on the trail—and they seemed to be closer to the mountain than before. Perhaps there was nothing to worry about.

Before he could get going, however, he felt another tug on his sleeve. "...Tanjirou, I think we should go the other way," Zenitsu told him.

"What? Why?" Tanjirou hesitated. "Don't tell me..."

"I heard footsteps. Not a demon's. We have to get out of here!"

–

No matter their pace, no matter where they ran, it seemed to be hopeless. Before long, it was when they'd reached a dead end that they knew they must have been closed in on. Even Tanjirou could hear the faint crunch of footsteps in the snow under the howling wind.

"Wait, that can't be right... It seems like..." Zenitsu murmured. "'Only... one person?"

A figure appeared behind the swirling haze of flakes on a ledge above them, bearing the distinctive shape of a drawn sword, of a Demon Slayer Corps uniform. Green and gold gleamed through the snow. As the figure slowly walked into view, a familiar scent drifted on the wind.

It was that same one Tanjirou learned for the first time in the midst of this same snow on that winter day he would never forget for the rest of his life; that he'd last encountered again on Mt. Natagumo just months prior. The clean and unyielding scent like a flowing river that belonged to his senior disciple and former benefactor, the Water Pillar Tomioka Giyuu.

The very person he had hoped wouldn't be the one hunting him down.

As he stared down from the ledge, the look in his eyes was no less cold and empty as on the day he prepared to cut the neck of Tanjirou's little sister in front of him.

"To... Tomioka-san? Why..."

"Half-Haori! I'll show you what I'm made of this time! Just you try something!"

"A... P-P-P-Pillar?!"

The mask-like expression of his ani-deshi showed no reaction, remaining focused only on Tanjirou.

Acting on instinct, Tanjirou drew his own blade, taking a fighting stance despite the opponent who stood before him. At the very least, he knew he couldn't show weakness. He couldn't show fear. Tomioka-san wouldn't let him—not if Urokodaki-san had trained him the same.

Facing no response, Tanjirou first gathered his courage, drawing in a slow, deep breath. Then, he cried out, "I... I'll fight you if there's no other choice! For Nezuko's sake! Please forgive me, Tomioka-san!"

"Fight him?!" Zenitsu's eyes were practically bulging out of his head. "We'll die! We won't even last a minute! Just run!"

However, Tanjirou only shook his head and smiled, hopeless and resigned, but no less resolute. "I'm sorry, Zenitsu. I won't run."

Eyes narrowing the barest fraction, Tomioka looked away for a moment as he raised his arm to sheathe his sword, the white snow glinting off it with the movement. Then, he finally spoke:

"Save your energy."

Tanjirou's grip on his own sword faltered, and he wavered, before gradually lowering it.

"I only came to warn you," his senior continued, calm and even. "Three more Pillars are in your pursuit. Take caution: they are close. If your sister awakens and succumbs, we will kill her on sight with no exception." With that, he turned around. "That's all."

"Wait! Tomioka-san—"

But he was gone long before Tanjirou could get the words out, leaving him standing there stunned, giddiness soon replacing the fear that had taken hold of his body. He collapsed to his knees, gasping and holding the box to his chest.

"Nezuko... I thought it would be over..."

The Pillars were hunting them. Tomioka-san was hunting them, but he had given them another chance despite his orders. He had helped the two of them once again. Hot tears were welling up in his eyes.

"Three... Three other Pillars..." Zenitsu was mumbling, still in shock. "W-Wait, what was that?!" he yelped. "He let us go?! We're still alive?! Th... This isn't some kind of trap, is it?! Tanjirou, we'd better take this chance to run!"

Inosuke was stomping around in a rage, huffing and puffing. "Tch, I could've taken him! I won't let that guy get away next time!" he growled. "I'll fight the rest of 'em, too! They can bring it on, I'm no wimp!"

Slowly, Tanjirou rose back to his feet, wiping his face with his sleeve and brushing the snow from his knees before securing Nezuko safely on his back again, finally letting out a deep sigh of relief. With his composure regained, he turned to the other two. "...He said they're close. We'd better be careful."

–

"Oh my, back again. We were starting to wonder if you'd gotten lost," Kochou sing-songed.

"...From now on," Tomioka said, "it's better if I search alone. The one responsible for those two is me."

"Is that so?" Kochou questioned, tilting her head. "My. It couldn't be that you want to keep trying to protect them like back then, could it? I haven't forgotten about that, Tomioka-san."

Only turning his head to the side, Tomioka didn't respond.

"That's right," Rengoku added. There was a spark of iron in his unblinking eyes. "If you tried to help them, you'd be a traitor! So we've got to keep an eye on you. Don't take it personally!"

Shuddering, Himejima shook his head, clasping his hands together in prayer again. In this forest, his intimidating height nearly rivalled some of the trees. "Nothing should come to pass such as that under heaven, Amitabha..."

Kochou's disarming smile remained as she took a deliberate step closer. "Oyakata-sama assigned us all to work together, didn't he? It's best if everyone gets along and cooperates nicely."

Tomioka lowered his gaze. "This time, their situation is truly hopeless. It's all I can do to end it myself. I don't need anyone getting in my way."

With that, he left.

"Hmm...? I wonder," the Insect Pillar hummed.

–

"Three... W-We've seriously got three of those Pillars after us..." Zenitsu despaired as the three of them continued back on their previous path. "Our lives are over... Ah, wait! No! Four, counting that guy! Damn it!"

"Quit whining!" Inosuke snapped. "I told you I can take 'em all without breaking a sweat!"

"Tanjirou..." Zenitsu turned around, now with a more puzzled look. "Why did he help us back then? Isn't he... well, y'know..."

Tanjirou shook his head at the question. Before responding, he took a deep breath, thinking back to the past. "It's a long story, but..."

He tried his best to explain everything from the beginning—that day in the snow. His family, his encounter with Tomioka-san, leading to his training with Urokodaki-san.

"...That's why," Tanjirou finally concluded.

Rarely for him, Zenitsu was quiet for a moment afterwards, still seeming to process everything he'd heard, but eventually opened his mouth again. "...Even if he helped you before... Even if he spared Nezuko-chan... He's still gonna kill us, right? I never mistake the sound of killing intent! He was ready! I swear!"

"I..." Tanjirou sighed, releasing a white puff of breath in the cold air. "I felt the same," he admitted. "But... he may not have a choice." When Zenitsu gave him a look, Tanjirou explained, "He and our master Urokodaki-san will both lose their lives if Nezuko harms a person."

At that, Zenitsu immediately gawked at him, but he continued.

"If it was anyone else, I would have run. But Tomioka-san... Nezuko and I are indebted to him. " Shaking his head, Tanjirou hesitated. "No, more than that, the real reason was..."

Remembering the Lower Moon demon Rui's final moments again, the flawless technique that his ani-deshi used, a chill crawled up his spine.

"...It was that I knew I wouldn't be able to escape him. It's as simple as that. I've... seen him fight. Pillars are really... on a completely different level to the three of us."

"Tanjirou..."

A pause.

"He's that scary...? He's really that scary?" But before Tanjirou could think of a way to reply, Zenitsu was screaming. "Gyahhh—!"

Out of nowhere, Inosuke had come barrelling into him and knocked him out of the way just as the snow on a cliff loosened and fell where he had been standing seconds before.

"You were spacing out and didn't notice there was gonna be an avalanche, idiot! I saved your skin, so at least praise me!"

"Alright! Thanks!" Zenitsu yelled. "Now get off me, you seriously stink!"

"Hmph." Inosuke snorted. "Next time you'll be on your own if you don't hear it!"

"Zenitsu, Inosuke is right," Tanjirou pointed out, folding his arms seriously. "He saved you, so you should thank him more sincerely!"

"For once, I agree with Gonpachirou!"

Though annoyed at Inosuke's smugness, Zenitsu eventually gave in, his face reddening like Takeo used to when Tanjirou had told him off.

"...Thank you, Inosuke."

Between Tanjirou's glowing pride and Inosuke's smug cackling, Zenitsu could barely look either of the two in the eyes without feeling a vein starting to pop on his temple as he pulled himself to his feet.

Chapter Text

"My... It seems this path is blocked. We may need to take the long way." Kochou placed a curious finger to her lips. "How strange that we didn't hear anything about it before."

Rengoku cocked his head, owl-like, at the fallen wall of snow and rock blocking the way ahead. To say getting past it would be quite the challenge was an understatement. "Hm, you're right. Strange indeed. I thought my crow told me they took this route! Well, no use complaining!"

"There must have been an avalanche of some sort," Himejima suggested.

"I'd say that's obvious!"

"Hmm. A very convenient one, too," Kochou hummed.

"However," the Stone Pillar then stepped forward, brandishing the end of his flail in his hands, "this will not be a problem for me. Once I break it down, we may climb over the top. Please stand back."

-

Hidden amongst the trees, a pair of sharp eyes were watching as the group of three Pillars, recently reduced in numbers by one, passed the blockade that had hindered their progress.

Four more have trespassed upon this forest. How long has it been... since those bearing unsightly weapons steeped with bloodshed have visited this desolate mountain and sullied this pure snow...

One of them, the one who was more oni than man with the size of his body, despite his evident blindness, appeared to have noticed something and was turning towards the trees.

The senses of these ones were especially keen. Compared to the younger three before, the hostile aura of these others was palpable, rolling off them in waves. Therefore, it was necessary to be more cautious.

-

The forest trail was gradually becoming more and more like a maze. In many places the path was hidden between the trees or buried in the snow, even sometimes with fake dead ends, and with all their surroundings painted white by frost and snow, it could be hard to notice. This trail seemed, by all means, intentionally designed to mislead anyone from reaching their destination. By now, though, Tanjirou was confident in tracking the statues by scent. However, just when he had thought they were steadily progressing, something strange had happened.

"These two statues..." Tanjirou stopped walking for a moment, turning to Zenitsu, "is it my imagination, or have we seen them before?"

"Hmm? Now that you mention it..."

"Look," Tanjirou pointed at the path beyond the statues, "aren't those our footprints in the snow from before?"

"...Huh?! What?! So we're going in circles? Some demon must be behind this!" Zenitsu looked side to side. "But I honestly don't hear anything!"

Bending down beside one of the statues, Tanjirou carefully sniffed the stone, and then the air. "Before, I thought those strange ice demons didn't have a scent." He paused. "But... I think I was wrong. Now that I realise it... it was faint, but their scent was similar to that of these statues."

"Well, that just tells us what we already know. Some demon is playing a prank on us," Zenitsu pointed out.

"Yes, but... why these shrine statues? Could the ones we've been following have been fakes?" Tanjirou wondered, a feeling of unease settling in his stomach.

Inosuke laughed at them. "You idiots, wandering around clueless like that."

"I don't see you helping, jerk-face," Zenitsu grumbled.

Haughty as always, Inosuke raised his chin— or his mask's chin, anyway. "That's 'cause I already know you're both idiots who haven't figured it out. We just need to find that white fox."

"White fox? I don't remember seeing one," Tanjirou got up from the statue. "But if it was white, maybe it blended into the snow. If I smelled an animal before, I probably just ignored it..."

Inosuke walked further up the path, just past the statues. "It's here where the path starts repeating, right?" he explained, pointing to a spot on the path with the tip of one of his swords. "I saw that fox ran off past this point and nothing happened to it. There's no fox prints at the start of the trail."

"I see. So if the fox was able to pass the trail, then maybe..."

Zenitsu perked up. "Hold on... Now that I remember, I did hear something like a fox running away... somewhere around that direction." He gestured to an area between the trees off the trail.

"Are you sure? It doesn't look like there's any prints left behind." Tanjirou sniffed the air again. It was buried, but he picked it up. A faint scent he recognised! Because it was so faint, however, it wasn't easy to pinpoint the location. "I think I can still smell it... but it's too faint to track."

"That's why you've got to leave it to me," Inosuke boasted. "Beast Breathing, seventh fang! Spatial awareness!"

Just like before on Mt. Natagumo, he crouched down and splayed his arms out, carefully sensing the air for vibrations.

"It's not gone yet. This way! Just follow me, the boss!"

Once they were closer, it was much easier for Tanjirou to pinpoint the scent, and thanks to their combined effort, the three of them found a small, easily-overlooked mound in the snow off to the side of the trail. And hidden under it was another fox statue!

However, it was different from the others. Unlike the plain stone statues they'd seen so far, this one was painted white, almost the same hue as the snow. Around its neck was a bronze suzu bell tied with a red and white rope. The statue's eyes almost seemed to faintly glow — and it had a slightly different smell from the others.

Tanjirou nodded. "This must be it."

"But what do we do now?" Zenitsu scratched his neck. "I mean, are we meant to smash it or..."

"Hah! Leave that to me!"

Inosuke, naturally, smashed it on the ground a second later, making Zenitsu jump into the air.

The glowing eyes of the smashed statue dimmed, and the broken pieces melted into the snow, almost exactly like the way the ice demons had done so before. The rope-tied suzu bell remained behind, before dissolving similarly.

Tanjirou paid close attention as he watched the dissolving statue. When a demon used a spell created by a Blood Demon Art, the things it had created would usually melt into blood. However, he was still inexperienced as a Demon Slayer. He knew there could still be all sorts of strange techniques he wasn't familiar with yet.

"Inosuke!" Tanjirou beamed. "You did it! You're amazing!"

Inosuke paused for a second to bask in the praise, then yelled back, "Of course I am!"

"Eh? Give me some credit too, Tanjirou!" Zenitsu whined.

As they continued down the path, a fox's eyes watched them from the trees.

-

"We've repeated our path," Kochou said. "This forest has a trick to it."

"Just when it seemed we were close..." Rengoku frowned, furrowing his brow. "Could it be that whatever demon is behind this trick is trying to keep us from them?"

"Who knows. In any case, we certainly won't be held back very long. This won't be difficult to work out."

-

At last, it seemed there was no further to go. It had grown dark by the time the end of the forest was within sight. They'd be out soon— if they could pass, of course. Tanjirou hadn't forgotten Tamayo-san's warnings. The ice demons from before that shed no blood could only have been created by another, more powerful demon— and their scent was growing even stronger with every step he took.

There was a worn, old stone torii gate marking the end of the trail. On the other side, a tall flight of stone steps stretched up to a plateau on top of a cliff.

When they approached the gate, however, a strange voice sounded from somewhere, stopping them in their tracks before they could cross.

"Past this gate are the sacred grounds of the mountain," it said. "Those who bring impurity must not pass this point." The voice was soft, with an almost inhuman quality to it.

Though he tried, Tanjirou didn't pick up any smell. Zenitsu looked around, but couldn't seem to find the direction of the voice.

"Impurity?" Tanjirou questioned, unsure which way to face as he spoke.

"Those things you are carrying," the voice replied. "Those swords, stained with the blood of impure things. And that thing resting upon your back— a demon."

At that, Tanjirou looked like he'd been smacked in the face. "Nezuko's not something impure! I promise you!" he argued.

"How dare you slander Nezuko-chan like that! There's no way she's lost her purity yet—"

"Zenitsu!" Tanjirou shot him a scary look.

The voice, if it was still listening, didn't bother answering them.

"Who are you, anyway?" Inosuke demanded, pointing his swords at the sky. "Too scared of the King of the Mountain to show yourself, huh?"

"One who watches over this mountain," the voice replied. Then, its tone became more threatening. "I will ask you once more to leave this forest."

Tanjirou shook his head resolutely. "We won't."

"I see," said the voice. "I already knew that you are resolved to continue ahead. However, know that from here you will face a far greater danger..."

"Danger...?" Zenitsu was already sweating. "Ah, don't worry, I'm sure i-it'll be fine with you two here…"

For a moment, Tanjirou thought of his failure to cut Rui's neck back on Mt. Natagumo. He thought of his failure to react in time to the demon who infected Nezuko. As he drew his sword from his belt, steeling his nerves, he thought of how it had already shattered once before. However, none of that mattered to him now. No matter what, he had to move forward— for the sake of Nezuko. Whatever he would encounter, he wouldn't let it stand between him and her cure.

They crossed the torii, ascending the steps leading up to a large clearing above the trees. The ground was covered in a thick layer of ice that would be easy to slip on if you didn't watch your step.

"There's something here," Tanjirou readied his sword. "Come out!"

A bright light lit up the icy ground underneath them, stunning his eyes momentarily. The smell of blood and frost erupted from a point he couldn't see.

"Trespassers…" a voice boomed. "Get out of my forest..."

Tremors shook the ground in the rhythm of slow, heavy footsteps, one after the other.

"Everyone here wants us to leave," Zenitsu griped.

Hail began to fall, and mist began to spread. Then, there was another flash, and a demon appeared.

Though he was twice the size of the ice demons from before, his limbs were skinny, starved-looking, his thin body clad in a deep blue hanpi. The demon's appearance was otherwise similar to the others, but it had more horns, with spiky, icicle-like hair, and a clearly disgruntled expression. Though Tanjirou had smelled blood, he realised it strangely didn't seem to be near the demon.

Immediately, the demon pointed a black-tipped claw at Zenitsu. "Use your brain, kid. I wouldn't be living out here in the middle of nowhere if I wanted to be anywhere near people," he snapped.

"What about that creepy dead body, then? Where are you getting your food from? You still need to eat, don't you, you stupid demon!" Zenitsu shot back, though he was shaking from head to toe.

"I get 'em from the village on the other side of the mountain, you little brat!" the demon roared, more than a little bit offended. "I don't need to eat often so it's only once every few years, and it's easy to keep them fresh under the snow!" The demon's yellow eyes glared. "I hoped those others I created would get rid of you first and bring you for my dinner… And now, not only you, but those other annoying ones have come and trod all over my nice, quiet forest... so die!"

Another flash blinded the scene, lighting up the ice they stood on. Though the bright ice was straining Tanjirou's eyes, there was no time for him to shield them from the light as falling hailstones sharpened into pointed icicles and darted at him.

Too bright! It was too bright to see, and he could barely even keep his eyes open with the hail! He could barely dodge the icicles, let alone move forward! To make matters worse, the dense mist also hid his surroundings! This demon wasn't as strong as the Lower Moon he fought before, Rui. Tanjirou could tell that much. However, the hazards it created made it difficult to even attack in the first place!

Water Breathing, sixth form: Whirlpool!

Using the whirlpool technique to spin his sword in the air, Tanjirou managed to deflect the icicles away from him. However, the icicles that hit the ground quickly transformed into more of the ice demons from before, shambling towards the three of them.

"Hii!"

Zenitsu, meanwhile, was if nothing, good at dodging. As he deflected the icicles with his sword, Inosuke charged forward and jumped off his back, leaping down through the air.

"At least be useful as a stepping-stone!"

Ignoring the icicles, he launched straight at the icicle demons, slashing them all to bits. Their creator growled in annoyance.

Thanks to his recklessness, Inosuke's cloak was peppered with thin icicles all over, and he soon tossed it off, taking most of them with it. A few had pierced his skin, but he paid them no mind, only seeming to get more fired up. Thanks to his mask, the hail and icicles didn't bother his eyes, making it easy for him to ignore them and charge at the tall demon. He honestly didn't put up much resistance-- his body was just as fragile as the rest of the ice demons.

However, as soon as Inosuke had hacked the ice demon's brittle body to pieces, it put itself back together again –- even though his neck had been severed.

"Hah?! What's with this demon?!"

"This is why I hide out here!" the ice demon complained. "Dealing with all this is so tiresome! Doing the fighting myself is tiresome, too!"

Inosuke was about to fall back for another attack, but the icicles that had hit him were making ice creep up his body, far quicker than before, until he was nearly frozen in a block of ice. Zenitsu, for his part, was still trying his best to dodge.

"Inosuke!" Tanjirou called out, noticing his predicament. However, the demon was approaching him now, forcing him to back away. If he tried to attack like Inosuke, the same thing would probably happen to him. What would he do now?

That was when, blowing on the wind, Tanjirou recognised a faint, familiar scent. So that must be it!

"This demon must be fake too! We have to find--"

Another flash of light stunned his eyes, disorienting him. In that moment, he felt an icicle pierce his upper arm, and another his lower leg. Ice was creeping over the hilt of his sword.

Flash.

The demon's claws, inches from his eyes.

Flash.

Something—somebody shoved him away, hard, and he landed on the ice.

In that flash of light, Tanjirou thought he saw the glint of green and gold.

Flash.

In front of his eyes, a blade moved like flowing water. With a slicing sound, the light burst.

The figure he had seen was gone— and so was the ice demon. In its place was a white fox statue, the bell cord around its neck sliced in two. Had it all just been an illusion?

No—it hadn't been an illusion. Tanjirou had seen it—he had felt it. There was only one person with those graceful movements. It was Tomioka-san who had protected him.

"Tanjirou!"

"Monjiro!"

When he opened his eyes again, Zenitsu was helping him up. The icicles had dissolved into powder, leaving the places he had been pierced bleeding. "Take it easy. You're injured..."

"Inosuke, you too!"

"What, these? I'm fine!"

"I'll be fine," Tanjirou said. "The wounds aren't deep." He then hesitated. "But, just then... Tomioka-san... Did he..."

"Don't worry about that, we have to get going before those Pillars catch up!" Zenitsu turned his head. "I heard something nearby in the trees just now..."

At the end of the clearing was another torii gate leading to the shrine at the base of the mountain that Tamayo-san had mentioned before. Two fox statues and a number of stone lanterns led to a small honden, its roof flecked with snow, decorated with worn shimonawa rope. Mt. Hyousetsu now loomed directly ahead.

After a final torii was the beginning of the stone steps leading up the mountain. Tanjirou's goal was in sight — Nezuko's cure was in sight. He wouldn't let a few injuries slow him down.

-

Once he'd stepped back into the trees, Tomioka Giyuu had barely sheathed his sword before he felt their presence. Three figures closed in on him. One from the front, two from the back.

"We know everything, Tomioka-san," Kochou's voice said from behind him. "Perhaps protecting them from the demon would be excusable, but allowing them to get away is not. It's no different from that time before, is it? I understand your reasons, but you know just as well as the rest of us where our loyalty is meant to lie."

Calmly, Giyuu looked around. Running would be difficult in this situation. Then, there would be no choice but to fight his way out. But before his hand could reach the hilt of his sword again, his arms were trapped as Himejima's flail shot out, encircling his body with its chain. Though he struggled, he couldn't outmatch the Stone Pillar's monstrous strength.

"Please forgive us! It wasn't our intention to allow any harm to come to you."

"Fighting is, of course, forbidden amongst us, but you've become a traitor now... Tomioka-san." Behind him, Kochou's light footsteps were approaching.

In front, meanwhile, Rengoku's heavier ones followed. His mask-like smile remained frozen in place as he unsheathed his sword. "Sorry for this, Tomioka. No hard feelings!"

Himejima, true to his words, had taken care not to let the spiked mace of his flail harm his colleague with his attack. The other two, however, weren't so merciful. Their blades pierced the Water Pillar in tandem; the needle-like tip of Kochou's in the back of his heel, and Rengoku's through the shoulder of his sword arm. A tingling sensation rapidly spread up his leg and brought him down to one knee, gritting his teeth at the bleeding wound.

"It's a numbing poison," he heard Kochou explaining. "You won't be able to move for a few hours once it spreads throughout the body. Naturally, your fate is still for Oyakata-sama to decide. We'll have caught up to them by the time you can move again."

With that, the chain unravelled, leaving Giyuu doubled over in the snow as the three other Pillars deserted him, Himejima's apologetic chanting ringing in his ears.

Red stained the snow as he panted, clutching his shoulder. Even if he couldn't move, even in this bleak situation, there was one thing he could do to warn them.

Chapter Text

Finally out of the forest, the mountain path was snowy and desolate, but a welcome change of scenery. The trail of grey stone steps that stretched up into the mountains seemed endless, but no matter how endless they seemed, now that they had begun to climb the mountain it was only a matter of keeping up their current pace.

Risky as it was, however, the group eventually took a moment to rest. The three had pushed themselves to get this far out of concern for their pursuers, but everyone was still drained after the battle from before. They'd chosen a spot that should be hidden from view, but if they sensed anything they had to be prepared to run for it.

Zenitsu and Inosuke had gone to refill their water tubes in a stream since Inosuke had rudely chugged the rest of Zenitsu's when he got thirsty, but Tanjirou decided to stay behind and keep watch.

It was when he had been left alone that he heard the flap of wings, turning his head towards the sound.

To Tanjirou's surprise, a crow ducked low in the air and landed down in front of him, finding a perch on the branch of a nearby tree. At first, he was cautious, but lowered his guard as soon as he recognised its smell. It was unmistakable as always. The scent of a calm lake. This crow belonged to...

It seemed to be shivering, puffing up its feathers as if to keep itself warm. The texture of its coat looked rougher than Tanjirou remembered his own crow's being. Perhaps it was older than Tennoji.

"Kamado Tanjirou," it cawed, "Tomioka Giyuu has sent me to warn you of danger. The other Pillars are closing in, and he will be unable to act should anything happen."

There was another thread to that scent. It was one Tanjirou knew all too well, though faint — the smell of blood. But the crow didn't seem to be injured.

Tanjirou approached the branch carefully. "It must have been a difficult journey for you to get here. Were you hurt?"

The crow tilted its head. "The cold is quite harsh. But, I am unharmed."

"Then..." his eyes widened. "Did... anything happen to Tomioka-san?"

The crow didn't reply, only leaving in the blink of an eye, returning to its owner.

A sinking feeling stirred through Tanjirou.

-

"Hmm. Do you think we might be unwelcome here?" Kochou suggested, lying spread out on her back in a pit of snow at the bottom of the mountain.

The other two Pillars were in a similar pickle. The three of them looked like they were making snow-angels.

"Indeed!" Rengoku agreed. The snow where he'd fallen was melting around him.

"Amitabha is merciful," Himejima wheezed. "My beads haven't broken..."

It had all started when they'd tried to follow those three past the shrine. Crumbling ledges, sudden rolling boulders, snow obscuring their vision, harsh winds slowing them down—either the demon, the mountain, or luck itself had a grudge against them. They had been just a few minutes behind Tanjirou's group originally, but all this inconvenience was continuing to further hold them back. Who knew how much distance was between them now?

Still, they were Hashira— they'd quickly get used to tricks like these.

-

His leg would no longer move. His arm could no longer swing a sword.

But Giyuu couldn't stay there lying in his own blood and accept it. He couldn't falter here when he had come this far despite everything he had been through, everything he had overcome, everything he had reshaped in himself to reach this point.

Tying the bandages with his left hand, fixing up his wounded shoulder lost him some time with only the use of his left arm, mouth, and minimal use of his right hand to avoid any aggravation. The hasty result would have to do. What was more important was moving, no matter what state it was in. He had to find Kamado Tanjirou before they did. The first thing he had done was have his crow confirm they still hadn't. It seemed the other Pillars had been stalled by something — which was just the chance he needed.

Concentrating his breathing was helping to slow the numbing poison's flow through his body. For now, it was still focused in his lower leg. With his left arm, Giyuu held his sheathed sword as a makeshift crutch, steadied himself on his feet, and began to pick his way forward.

Fifteen minutes. He couldn't have lost more than that. That much he could be glad for.

Once Kanzaburou returned to him with news of their whereabouts, he would be able to follow their trail.

–

The path they chose to take up the mountain was difficult and roundabout. The way was tough, but as far as the three of them could tell, they weren't being followed. No one had even sensed much sign of the crows that had been tracking them.

Tanjirou was getting anxious again. Time was running out for Nezuko with every minute that passed, and he hadn't been able to check her condition for a while. He knew that seeing it would only make things worse, however. Tanjirou had to stay calm and focused. He was the eldest son — everything rested on his shoulders, now so more than ever!

It had been getting ever colder since they began to ascend the mountain, and Zenitsu was always sneezing. There had been some tremors and strange, unpredictable hazards. Luckily, they were all getting pretty good at avoiding crumbling steps and bearing down against the wind to prevent themselves being blown off. In Tanjirou's case, Nezuko on his back helped weigh him down. He would pat her head in thanks if he had the chance!

There had been a lull in those tricks for some time, however. As if the mountain had given up for now— or perhaps, was gearing up for a bigger attack. In any case, it was making the three of them start to feel a bit uneasy.

"Maybe it'll be three boulders this time." Zenitsu was muttering more dire predictions to himself. "Oh, or maybe a storm. Or maybe another avalanche."

"Go ahead," Inosuke yelled up at the snowy mountain ledge, impatient. "Fall and shut Monitsu up already!"

"Inosuke, if that happened we'd all be finished, not just Zenitsu," Tanjirou calmly pointed out.

"Right, you meat-head!" Zenitsu shot back. "Anyway, don't just say that! It's bad luck! The mountain is listening—"

"'Listening?'" Inosuke snorted a laugh. "Something's wrong with your head, Mon—gahh!"

He lost his balance, nearly falling over as a tremor shook the mountainside. As if Inosuke had tempted it, the ground was quaking!

"It was listening!" Zenitsu shrieked, jumping around and flailing wildly, "I told you it was listening! This is all your fault, Inosuke—!"

"Shut your yap and run for it!"

"Inosuke, Zenitsu, watch out—!"

With a thundering crash, the crumbling snow had overwhelmed the narrow mountain path. Though quick enough to have avoided the avalanche before it hit, with little room left to land, they all lost their footing and fell from the edge, sent rolling down into the white depths of the bottom of the cliff.

–

When Kanzaburou returned, it was with grave news.

"As I returned... I fear... There was an avalanche. Perhaps they…"

Giyuu grimaced.

He had to move faster.

–

"Jiro... Tanjirou!"

The yelling was muffled by something heavy and thick.

Tanjirou tried to breathe, but found he couldn't. There was a heavy pressure surrounding him, trapping him. Buried— he was buried, he dimly realised. Buried by the snow. Yet, at the same time, he realised his body felt lighter. As if an important weight had lifted from his back…

It was that realisation that gave his body the strength to break out of the snow.

"Nezuko!"

When Tanjirou emerged, he was face-to-face with Inosuke's boar mask. He was startled when Tanjirou got himself up so quickly.

"Keh, Monjiro! Saved me the trouble of digging you out!"

Some distance across from him, Zenitsu was stirring from unconsciousness, tipping the snow off his head. Inosuke had probably pulled him out first.

"Nezuko... Where's Nezuko?!"

"Wha...?" Once he heard Nezuko's name, Zenitsu quickly perked up. "Did something happen to Nezuko-chan? Ah! Tanjirou, the box! It's, it's... Gone!"

Frantically, Tanjirou dug through the snow where he'd landed with his bare hands. When the cold had numbed them, he switched to his sword, but no matter how deep he searched, he couldn't find anything. He couldn't find the wooden box, and he couldn't find Nezuko.

"Tanjirou, give up on it already," Inosuke's rough hands grabbed his shoulders, yanking him back. Hearing his actual name from Inosuke for once distracted Tanjirou long enough to briefly stop. "I already looked when I saw that thing was gone!"

Tanjirou stiffened. His red, raw fingers twitched. "Did… Did you really?" The sound of his voice was thin, hollowed-out.

"I did," Inosuke bragged. "You think I'd lie, hah?"

"I'm sorry. I know you wouldn't, Inosuke," Tanjirou said. "I…" Panic setting back in, he hunched back over, glassy-eyed. "I can't smell anything."

"Must've fallen off down there, then."

That was when Tanjirou took in his surroundings. When they had rolled down the cliff before, they had landed on another. Plunging down from their current ledge was a deep ravine. Looking over the edge and peering downwards, he could hardly see anything, much less Nezuko. His breath stopped in his chest.

Her scent was nowhere to be found up here. Nezuko could only have been carried away down the ledge with them— but who knew where she might have landed? It was too far to jump down and search for her. As much as Tanjirou wanted to, he would only be jumping to his death!

Walking over to stand beside him, Inosuke puffed himself up. "Quit snivelling and just leave it to me. I'm the King of the Mountain, remember? I can get us down there quicker than I can skin a bear!"

Before Tanjirou could say a word, Inosuke had yanked him up by the back of his collar and taken off with him in tow.

"Hey! What about me?!"

"You've got legs, Monitsu!"

"Eep! Holy— that's... that's steep. F-For Nezuko-chan. For Nezuko-chan...!"

–

There was a crease in Rengoku's brow as he walked, baring his distraction. He traced the hilt of the blade hanging by his side.

"To think Tomioka would betray Oyakata-sama's orders... but it's a shame we had to do it. I never wished to turn my sword on a fellow Pillar."

"For our unforgivable actions, we will accept our due punishment when the time comes," Himejima murmured solemnly, tears running in rivers down his cheeks. He bowed his head in another prayer.

Kochou turned her head slightly, just enough to look at the Flame Pillar out of the corner of her eye.

"There's no use in looking back, now, Rengoku-san. Besides, he's far from helpless. We Pillars know better than anyone... Even were we left for dead with all four of our limbs immobilized, would any one of us lose our nerve? Well, who knows how things will turn out." Her eyes flashed with something. "For Tanjirou-kun's sake, however... I would rather not know until we must see it with our own eyes."

Chapter Text

It was cold. It was wet.

Nezuko shivered, fitfully stirring.

There had been a fall, hard enough to wake her. The impact had thrown her out of the box, and she had tumbled, rolled, and plopped into icy cold water. Her eyes were still closed. As she felt herself carried away, she drifted back into sleep.

Then, something awoke her senses again. It was the fresh, rich smell of blood, rousing her from her sleep. Nezuko knew she couldn't let it--but her mouth was watering, and her eyelids were moving.

In her blurred vision, someone had appeared. A familiar person -– one Nezuko knew immediately. This person, she didn't like. The one who attacked her big brother--who tried to kill her, too, pointing his weapon at her neck--

That person was approaching. There was a crunching of snow. She could hear words, but they were dulled. He was reaching for his weapon. Nezuko dimly felt the flare of panic--but, nothing was happening. He was staying still on his knees in front of her, not moving.

It took Nezuko all her energy to ignore the smell and force her eyes to close again. She knew she couldn't wake up, not yet. Or oniichan and her precious family would be sad...

–

At the bottom of the ravine, Tanjirou saw it.

Even half-buried in the snow, he immediately recognised the shape, brown and black against the white snow. His mouth went dry, and his knees almost buckled where he stood.

"Nezuko!"

Without a second thought, Tanjirou ran.

–

When Tanjirou bent down to unlatch the door, his hands stopped before they reached it.

"It's… already open."

The box was there. But Nezuko... wasn't. It was empty.

Dumbly, he looked around, but there was no sign of his little sister in sight.

He heard the sound of bubbling water. With his tunnel vision gone, Tanjirou noticed there was a stream some distance from where the box had landed -- most likely the same stream as before from further up the mountain. The water current was fast, flowing towards a downwards slope. There was a groove in the snow stretching towards the stream, suggesting that Nezuko might have rolled out of the box when it hit the ground.

And then, on the wind, he caught the hint of her scent.

"Nezuko!" Tanjirou scrambled to his feet. "I have to follow the current-- Nezuko has to be downstream!"

"Hah, hah... W-Wait, Tanjirou--" Zenitsu called out, still wheezing after running down the mountain, "I can hear a--"

The attempted warning fell on deaf ears-- Tanjirou had already taken the box and made off after the scent.

–

Sliding down the icy ledge where the stream flowed downhill, Tanjirou was in such a rush he nearly slipped and took a fall. Nezuko's scent was growing stronger-- he was getting closer. The frothing, flowing sound of the stream, too, was becoming louder. The end of the trail wasn't much farther -- it led him to the edge of a cliff, where the noise of rapidly churning water sounded in his ears. The stream fell in a waterfall down the cliff's face, flowing into a shallow pool beneath the rocks. It would be a steep drop.

But the thing that caught his eye first was the familiar figure he spotted through the veil of snow -- and then, the second one he saw beside it.

That was when Tanjirou realised his mistake. While chasing the stream, he had thought nothing of the scent of running water in the air as he focused on finding Nezuko--and it was for that very reason that he hadn't known he'd been drawing closer to his ani-deshi the entire time.

Maybe there was no place more appropriate than here to find Tomioka-san--and Nezuko beside him, lying on her back under the waterfall, with his sword drawn in front of her!

Tanjirou moved quickly. The drop was almost five metres, but on Mt. Sagiri, Urokodaki-san had already taught him everything there was to know about moving with water in any form it took. It was the eighth form of Water Breathing, Waterfall Basin, that he used to break his fall, landing with a splash in the pool below, ready to defend Nezuko with his sword at any cost.

Now that he was closer to Tomioka-san, however, Tanjirou noticed he wasn't in a fighting stance. He was standing slightly hunched over, and his sword -- held in his left hand, not his right -- was in its scabbard, planted into the ground beneath the pool. From a distance, it had appeared as if he was about to attack Nezuko, but now, Tanjirou wasn't sure what was happening. Confused, he lowered his own blade.

"Tomioka... san?"

Tanjirou was alone with his ani-deshi, a Pillar of the Demon Slayer Corps, with no easy way of climbing back up the cliff to escape. At least Zenitsu and Inosuke would have a fighting chance to run if they saw the scene.

It was Tomioka-san, himself, and Nezuko, in the snow-- just like that painful day again, he thought.

"Nezuko…" Despite everything, when he looked at her again, Tanjirou smiled, though his voice and his sword were both wavering. "I found you, Nezuko. Don't worry. Your big brother's here now," he soothed, whether or not she could even hear his words. Maybe it was more for himself-- to take his mind off the situation he faced.

Tomioka-san was looking at him.

"You were searching for her, right?"

Once more, Tanjirou hesitated. He didn't smell any hostility from his senior-- it wasn't like their last encounter-- but he still couldn't let himself fully drop his guard. "Of course I was. But..."

Tomioka-san slowly straightened his back out. His hand remained on his sword, but he didn't make any kind of move. Surrounded by the water, it wasn't easy to read his scent, but Tanjirou was sure it was calm again, like the shallow pool they stood in.

"Put your sword away, Kamado. I already told you before-- I won't kill her until she awakens. Those were my orders."

Tanjirou felt his breath trap itself in his chest. His hands trembled. His eyes widened. And slowly, trusting Tomioka-san's words, he did as he was told, returning his sword to his belt. Then, he bent down and scooped Nezuko out of the water, placing her small body on the dry surface of a large, smooth rock. Despite having been in the icy-cold stream, she was still feverishly warm. Tomioka-san only watched him as he stroked her head and murmured comforting words.

Then, he spoke again. "I was going to bring her with me. I've been searching for you."

Surprised, Tanjirou turned back towards his senior. "You really...?" He swallowed a lump in his throat. "But why would you help us again? Back then, and now, too..."

Tomioka's head lowered. "...I came to join you," he said plainly.

Tanjirou wondered if he heard the words right. His jaw dropped. "Wh... What?"

"They already found out that I let you escape, so I had to leave. But in the first place... I had no intention of catching you. Now I can ally with you directly, without any pretense."

That day in the snow when Tomioka-san spared his sister, who had become a demon. That night on Mt. Natagumo when Tomioka-san stood to defend them as Tanjirou shielded Nezuko with his body. The trial before Oyakata-sama when they announced the price of his actions -- Tanjirou thought back to them all. The figure of his ani-deshi in front of him became blurred as hot tears welled up in his eyes, rolling down his cheeks.

"Tomioka-san... You'll really..."

Underneath his ani-deshi's calm emotional surface, there was a ripple. A pure, clean smell like the clear water of the pool, one that he hadn't noticed before.

This person... was kind.

Tanjirou's tears wouldn't stop. The water splashed around him, soaking his leg-wraps as he ran over to Tomioka-san, taking hold of his empty hand in both of his own and squeezing it firmly. Tomioka-san's larger palm was rough and worn in the same places, but thicker from more years of experience, with a slightly cooler temperature. It was this same hand that could have ended Nezuko's life, but instead chose to send him on a different path -- this hand, he owed all his gratitude.

"Even though you were meant to hunt us down…" Tanjirou's chin was dripping, but he could only attempt to wipe it on his shoulder. "Tomioka-san... Still, I can never repay you for everything…"

His ani-deshi's hand had flinched when he grabbed it so suddenly, and he looked a bit dumbstruck, staring at him blankly. However, Tanjirou thought he might have felt his palm grow a little warmer.

"...I'm the one responsible for you," was what he eventually replied. "That's all."

Though Tomioka-san's expression had barely moved, there was something more haggard about his face--it seemed paler. And then, though buried, Tanjirou recognised the smell of blood. But Tomioka-san didn't seem heavily injured – there was a small, thin cut in the fabric of his haori on his right shoulder, but it could have been from the icicles or claws of that demon back in the forest, or even the branch of a tree. If something worse had happened, wouldn't his crow have said so? Still, it was strange that he had been holding onto his sword with his opposite hand the whole time--

"How much time does she have left?" Tomioka asked, and Tanjirou was distracted from his thoughts. He quickly pulled his hands away to wipe his face, returning to seriousness.

"There's still time-- Nezuko hasn't woken up. There should be most of a day still left. We've got to make it to the peak... I'll explain the rest as we go."

–

Zenitsu and Inosuke's reactions when the two of them made it down the cliff and spotted Tanjirou standing next to Tomioka-san were about what he had been expecting.

"T-T-Tanjirou! B-Behind you! I-It's... It's--"

"You kept me waiting, Half-Haori! This time you won't get away!!"

While Zenitsu was shrinking away, Inosuke was charging forward, twin swords at the ready. He and his swords both landed in the snow a second later when Tomioka-san effortlessly flung him away with only one hand, not even drawing his own weapon.

Before Zenitsu could book it or Inosuke could get back up for a second try, Tanjirou quickly stepped in front of his ani-deshi, waving his hands at them frantically. "Wait, you two! Please let me explain first! You see..."

–

Zenitsu's eyes bugged out in disbelief. "Hahh? He's on our side now?! H-How are we supposed to believe that? Tanjirou, I know he helped you before, but... But he…" he ducked behind Inosuke, clinging onto his cloak. "Waaah! He's just too scary!"

Shaking him off, Inosuke punted him to the ground. "You wimp! I'm not scared! If he tries anything with Monjiro I'll..."

"You don't have to trust me," Tomioka said flatly. "It doesn't matter."

Tanjirou cleared his throat. "...But I trust Tomioka-san, so if you two can trust me, then at least for now, please do the same for him! With Tomioka-san here, we have a better chance! Especially since we have the other Pillars after us."

Zenitsu fidgeted, averting his eyes from the Water Pillar's intimidating aura. "I...It's not like I have a say. But... if he really did save Nezuko-chan, I can't object in the end."

Inosuke hadn't been convinced yet -- he was still gearing up to fight. "I'm the boss, so if he wants to become my underling he has to beat me first--"

With barely a flick, Tomioka-san sent him flying again.

"So... it's decided, right?" Tanjirou beamed while Inosuke wriggled himself out of a mound of snow, trying to find his fallen mask. "Everyone can be friends now."

"..."

"..."

"..."

Three pairs of eyes all shared the same disbelieving expression.

–

The four of them travelled mostly in silence. Zenitsu stuck close to Tanjirou like a frightened deer, while Tomioka-san stayed at the back, at a distance. Tanjirou thought he must have been doing it to keep watch, but maybe he just didn't feel like he was part of the group. In any case, he thought it might be rude of him to bring it up.

Every so often, Tomioka-san would send his crow to check behind and see if they were being followed. His kasugai crow seemed to have a tough time in the cold, though, as he stayed tucked in the warmth of his owner's sleeve most of the time.

By now, Inosuke had thankfully stopped trying to jump at him every few minutes -- but he was most likely just biding his time for now.

They had made up for their lost progress already, but it also meant they had pushed themselves harder to get there, and would eventually need to find a place to rest.

–

The worst of the poison was done with--Giyuu had waited most of it out before Kamado found his sister, but his limbs were still partly numb and tingling, and he couldn't move as quickly as usual, leaving him lagging behind. Luckily, it meant no one noticed if he stumbled every few steps, or if he held his shoulder when the bandages soaked through.

The kid with the yellow hair and the ear-piercing voice might have heard something once or twice-- but he was too scared of Giyuu to look too closely, so as long as he had his mouth shut, he wasn't too annoying. The boar-headed kid, on the other hand, was more of a problem. If he kept trying to attack, there was a chance Giyuu could open up his wound -- and it was harder to counter him when his movements were more sluggish. It would be much more convenient if Giyuu could just tie him to a tree like before, he thought, but that -- unfortunately -- wasn't really an option.

Still, at least he could move again, and that was all that mattered.

–

"Hah! Got you this time, Half-Haori!"

Inosuke had tried another ambush, and as Tomioka-san raised his sword to counter, he seemed to hesitate mid-movement, giving the other a window of opportunity to nearly land a strike-- nearly, because Tanjirou jumped between them first to block it.

"Inosuke, that's enough! You aren't proving anything. Stop challenging Tomioka-san! It's against the rules of the Demon Slayer Corps, anyway! You could receive a punishment -- especially since Tomioka-san is a Hashira!" Tanjirou was the picture of a model big brother lecturing a misbehaving younger sibling.

"Look who's talking," Inosuke grumbled back at him. "You broke the rules first, Gonpachirou."

"Yes! I did! But I… That's, er…" Knowing that Inosuke had a point, Tanjirou floundered for a retort, reddening with frustration.

"And you and Half-Haori here are gonna be slitting your bellies open if this goes wrong, aren't you?"

"Don't forget that the same goes for you."

At the Water Pillar's glowering face, Inosuke flinched, shrinking back awkwardly.

When Tanjirou looked back at Tomioka-san, a chill ran through him at his ani-deshi's darkened eyes, like the black depths of a lake. A sharp, assaulting scent pricked his nose, but before he could distinguish it, Zenitsu called out to them from ahead.

"I think there's a cave we can rest in over there!"

Chapter Text

Tomioka-san was the first to step into the cave. Zenitsu quickly paled.

"Ah, I mean... a c-cave Mizubashira-sama can rest in!" Clasping his hands together, Zenitsu quickly scooted away from the entrance. "Don't mind us, now!"

Puzzled, Tanjirou tilted his head at him. "Huh?"

"Ah!" Zenitsu raised his voice, clutching a hand over his belt, "Wow, did you hear that? I think my stomach just growled! Yours did too, right, Inosuke?!"

"Hah? It didn't--"

"I still don't trust that guy," Zenitsu furiously whispered next to where that boar-head's ear had to be under his mask, before calling out loudly again, "Everyone must be hungry and thirsty, right?! So we should go fishing, right now! There was a lake on the way here!"

"Tanjirou!" Zenitsu hushed under his breath, gesturing towards him with his hand. "You come too!" He couldn't responsibly leave his future brother-in-law-- and Nezuko-chan, by extension-- alone with that scary Pillar, after all.

Tanjirou, however, only smiled obliviously. "Ah, don't worry. Inosuke is good at hunting, so I'm sure you won't be long. I should go and get a fire ready to cook the fish when you get back."

"I... I see. But be careful!" Zenitsu sent a furtive glance at the menace still looming behind his friend, but Tanjirou didn't seem to pick up on it.

The two Water-Breathing disciples watched in blank-faced confusion as Zenitsu dragged Inosuke away by the arm.

"...Then, I should go and gather the firewood now," Tanjirou said when they had left. "Would you like to come with me, Tomioka-san?"

"...I need to rest for a moment," his senior replied, already sitting on the floor of the cave. Tanjirou noticed his hand was resting on one of his legs. He smelled the faint aroma of blood again.

Though his mouth opened, at the last second, he decided not to say anything.

"Then, I'll be back soon."

–

Before Zenitsu had got a single bite on his makeshift fishing rod, Inosuke already had three fish speared on the end of both his swords.

"Haaahh?!" Zenitsu threw his rod down. "How did you get so many?! Give one over!"

When he tried to grab one, however, Inosuke kicked him away. "I caught 'em myself! I don't share, especially not with snivelling wimps like you! Now get out of my face, I'm starving!" He brandished one of his swords like a barbecue skewer and yanked up his mask, mouth already watering. "Time to eat!"

"Wait! Wait a second!" Zenitsu waved his hand. "What are you--"

Inosuke was already busy stuffing his face with reckless abandon, biting into one of the raw fish like a wild animal, gobbling and gulping. "Good!" he said through a mouthful, "Nice 'n fresh!"

"Parasites!" Zenitsu shrieked, trying to wrestle the swords away from him. "There could be parasites! You have to cook it thoroughly, you meat-head! How are you still alive?! And besides that-- if you eat them all, we'll be skewered next! By that scary Pillar! Hand them over!!"

–

As he chopped branches and gathered sticks, Tanjirou couldn't keep his mind off of Tomioka-san. It just wouldn't stop bothering him. Was it strange that he needed to rest like that?

But the Pillars had caught up with them very quickly. In order to do so in the first place, they must have gone with little to no sleep for the past few days. Because they worked after sundown, it was normal for those in the Demon Slayer Corps to walk long distances during the day and go without sleep for an entire night when on a mission, but the human body did have its limits, no matter who you were. Tanjirou did notice Tomioka-san had been moving quite slowly--maybe he was more tired than he was letting on. And there was no question that he must be hungry too.

Thinking of his senior waiting in the cave again, Tanjirou frowned to himself.

Hopefully no one would find Tomioka-san while he was away… but he couldn't shake the concern he felt.

The smell of blood had been sharper before he left him.

-

Four thoroughly-cooked fish after convincing (read: dragging) Zenitsu into the cave later, now that their stomachs were quiet, most of them were ready to sleep. Tomioka-san had volunteered (insisted, despite Tanjirou) to keep watch while the other three rested. As the fire Tanjirou had made faded, he, Zenitsu, and Inosuke huddled in a pile under Inosuke's warm fur cloak with their folded haori as pillows, filling the silence of the cave with undignified snoring.

Thinking of Nezuko, however, Tanjirou soon found himself restless and drifted out of his slumber, waking in a cold sweat. He breathed a sigh of relief at the box still there where he had left it beside him, still solid against his hand, and tried to close his eyes again, but startled at the faint sound of a rustling from further away.

Was that Tomioka-san? What was he doing?

The shadow of his figure flinched when Tanjirou rose and approached him. Tanjirou could smell it-- the sharp tang of blood, and the scent of medicine. With his shoulder exposed, Tomioka-san's injury was clear even in the dim light-- he had been in the middle of starting to wrap a clean set of bandages around the area with some struggle, but once spotted, he promptly dropped the end he was holding and turned his head to the side, covering the wound with his hand. His expression, however, didn't move.

"Tomioka-san- this is..." All of Tanjirou's other worries dropped away in the moment as he rushed over to his ani-deshi to get a better look. Tomioka-san had been wounded on his shoulder after all-- and it had been much deeper than it appeared. How had someone like Tomioka-san received such an injury? When Tanjirou thought about it clearly, he remembered he hadn't seen his senior receive a single scratch fighting that demon before. It had been the same with Rui, too. He was one of the Pillars-- the highest ranked members of the Demon Slayer Corps! If something could do this to him, then the rest of them stood no chance!

But more than that, all this time Tomioka-san had been bearing with it, and Tanjirou hadn't realised...

"Please... let me see it," he said. "When did this..."

"...After that time in the woods."

Tanjirou blinked. Had he been wrong? Did that fake demon manage to injure Tomioka-san after all? Wait, but he'd said--

"After?"

Tomioka-san didn't elaborate.

Looking at his shoulder again, Tanjirou quickly shook himself back into focus, reaching for the bandages. "Please let me help. Your arm..."

"No need. You should rest."

Tanjirou shook his head. "You helped me so many times already, Tomioka-san. And Nezuko, too... I can't just ignore you when it's my turn."

Tomioka closed his eyes. "...Then, I won't stop you. Do what you want."

His senior allowed him to see the wound again, and Tanjirou's eyes widened in surprise when he looked closely. It didn't seem right for an injury inflicted by a demon. It was too narrow and precise.

"How did this...? It looks too clean."

"Haven't you figured it out? Betrayal has a price. I told you they caught me helping you back then."

"But that... Your fellow Pillars, doing something like that…" Tanjirou shuddered. The trial flashed in his mind for a second. He realised he wasn't surprised. "Won't they be punished, too?"

Tomioka-san remained silent as Tanjirou started to carefully wrap the bandages around his shoulder. He kept still, only the slightly uneven rise and fall of his chest hinting any discomfort. Old scars more faded than Tanjirou's own peeked from the exposed skin, and more were hidden under the remainder of his senior's clothing. His hands stopped for a moment as he lingered on them, thinking of the battles Tomioka-san must have endured in order to reach the rank of Pillar he held.

What kind of pain, what kind of struggle. Tomioka-san seemed a reserved, solitary person, and there was an unmistakable sadness in his scent. Were Tanjirou to have gone through all he had without Nezuko by his side, without Zenitsu and Inosuke, he couldn't imagine what kind of person he might have become.

Was Tomioka-san all alone?

He shook his head and apologised as he realised his ani-deshi was staring at him, his face colouring with slight embarrassment. To his surprise, however, Tomioka-san then spoke again.

"...If I help and you succeed in curing your sister, we may be spared. If I follow my orders and you fail, we lose our heads regardless."

As all of the other's past actions fell into place inside his head, Tanjirou's eyes widened. "So that's why... you're helping me."

"You two are my responsibility to begin with," Tomioka repeated. "So, I…" hesitating and trailing off, he lowered his eyes.

"Thank you... Tomioka-san." Tanjirou was beaming.

"It's my turn to thank you this time," his senior replied simply.

As Tanjirou's hands continued to work on the bandages, he found himself emptying his thoughts into the space between them. "Tomioka-san, did you know...? At first, I thought that you being after me would be the worst possible thing that could happen. But I told myself not to worry. That surely... it would be anyone else."

There was a grave, pointed silence before Tomioka's reply. "Make no mistake. If your sister loses her mind..."

"...I know."

The phrase was immeasurably heavy, as quickly as it had left Tanjirou's mouth. His hands froze in place. After another, shorter pause, once he started getting to work on securing the bandages underneath Tomioka-san's opposite arm, he spoke up again.

"I thought that it was just like that day in the snow again... When I first saw you appear," Tanjirou hung his head as he admitted it. A thread of the adrenaline he felt from that time made his pulse pick up. "And then, I thought… that if it had to end there, at least… at least it would feel right in some way."

"...Then and now, you were prepared to fight me against all odds. I thought you were foolish. That hasn't changed."

"Fufu... You know, Tomioka-san, I've never heard you talk so much before."

Tanjirou caught his ani-deshi's eyes widen slightly in the dim firelight, and chuckled to himself again.

Without another word, Tomioka-san pulled his uniform back over his shoulders and started on fastening the buttons of his undershirt. But it was difficult for him to use both of his hands, so Tanjirou took over without being asked to, a smile on his face as he did them up. Tomioka-san was older than him, and he noticed his chest was much broader. Of course, his whole body was larger, and stronger. Tanjirou couldn't help but admire his physique. His ani-deshi averted his gaze until he was done, and then murmured another word of thanks before putting on his haori and adjusting the lapels to sit correctly.

"Tomioka-san's body is really amazing!"

"...Hah?"

"I felt it for a second, and Tomioka-san's chest is like a rock! After all, Hashira are something else! I hope I'll be like Tomioka-san when I'm older-- after all, when I'm an adult I'll get stronger, and..."

Tomioka-san was looking at him completely dumbfounded.

"Huh?" Tanjirou tilted his head. "Did I say something weird?"

After an awkward pause, Tomioka shook his head and turned towards Nezuko's box, clearing his throat. "Your sister's condition. What is it now?"

"She... it should be less than half a day now. We should make it in that time. No... I will. I have to."

"Then go back and rest. I'll stay here."

Tanjirou shook his head, politely refusing. "There's no way I can. I... I know. I won't be able to. Please switch with me, Tomioka-san. You've been awake this whole time."

"I'm fine."

"Tomioka-san," Tanjirou said, facing his senior head-on and respectfully folding his hands on his knees. "May I ask how much you've slept in the past two days?"

The dead silence he got in response -- and the dark circles under Tomioka-san's eyes -- told him all he needed to know. However, Tomioka-san ignored him and stubbornly remained where he was.

"...If you won't rest, then I'll at least keep watch with you." Tanjirou promptly sat himself beside his senior disciple.

Another pause.

"Do what you want."

He said it again, Tanjirou thought with a smile.

It was hard to imagine how he'd once been so terrified to see Tomioka-san before, knowing how much softer than his appearance he really seemed to be.

As they sat together in a silence that was maybe still not quite yet companionable, Tanjirou noticed his senior had nodded off on his shoulder some time later, and smiled again, watching his sleeping face with warm eyes. His ani-deshi's scent was like the peaceful lull of the ocean's waves.

Chapter Text

"Another one. How many times has it been now? I believe I've lost count."

There was no more trace of Kochou's usual smile as she glared at the fox statue shattered in pieces in the snow, courtesy of Himejima. She was well and truly losing her patience. Yet again, one of those annoying things had transported them to unfamiliar surroundings and made them lose their bearings –- and the others' trail. When they could find those hidden statues waiting for them and destroy them in time, it could be avoided-- but other times, like now, they had been too late.

"What bad manners this demon has. I'll use my nastiest poison," Kochou decided, trailing a finger down the point of her blade.

It didn't matter how many setbacks they encountered, however. They were guaranteed to encounter those two, and would fulfil their duties one way or another:

If the demon girl had succumbed and harmed a person, cut her down and return Kamado to await his execution.

If she hadn't yet, cut her down once she woke and return him to await whatever fate would befall him.

And if she had already killed and devoured her brother—well, that would be the simplest matter to handle entirely.

-

It was just before dawn when everyone had risen. It was only when Tanjirou woke up to his head smacking on the hard ground that he realised he must have drifted off himself beside Tomioka-san at some point -– Inosuke had been the first to wake and tried to sneak-attack him in his sleep, but his senior's instincts were sharp, and he'd immediately sprung up to counter him. At least, that was what Tanjirou thought was happening while his head was still fuzzy. He was glad to see that Tomioka-san had recovered his energy, though-- he must've rested well!

Soon afterwards, they found that the cave led into a tunnel leading up the mountain. Tanjirou remembered that Tamayo-san had told him this tunnel would be the way to reach the shrine at the peak of Mt. Hyousetsu. There were two fox statues at the base of a flight of steps continuing upwards through the tunnel which led towards the peak. Though there wasn't much light, the thick ice that covered the walls was somehow glowing unnaturally, reflecting what little there was. Their breaths were escaping in white puffs in the icy cavern as they ascended.

That unnatural light wasn't the only thing reminding Tanjirou there must be a dangerous presence in this place. Along with the mysterious smell from before that always accompanied those fox statues, the scent of blood was buried here too, somewhere-- but it wasn't fresh. Just like that of the body they had found beneath the snow, it was old, and faint-- like the traces of a stain that couldn't be fully removed.

At least, that was what it felt like to his nose.

Tanjirou recalled the kannagi that Tamayo-san had mentioned-- the person she had helped, the overseer of the shrine who he had been told he was going to meet. How long ago did that story take place? Tanjirou's stomach twisted with a sudden dreadful thought. In a dangerous place like this inhabited by demons, could they still be alive? Could that smell of blood mean…?

He shook the thought away. Demons weren't the only threat he had to be worried about drawing near to.

Who knew how far the other Pillars were behind them? Neither Tanjirou nor the others had sensed anything so far, however. There wasn't much light in the cave, and it was easy to get disoriented, so Tomioka-san's crow was unfortunately not much help in this situation, being old with bad eyesight.

According to Tamayo-san, there was more than one path to the mountain peak. Since it didn't seem like anyone was following behind them, the other Pillars could be making their way up through the other side of the mountain –- and there was no guarantee that Tanjirou's group would make it to the peak before them. In the worst case scenario, he could find them there waiting for him by the time he arrived!

Whatever or whoever they were about to face, Nezuko wasn't the only one accompanying him. Even if they had Tomioka-san on their side now, they couldn't just rely on him, especially since he was injured. Tanjirou was determined to make sure everyone beside him remained unharmed-- or came to no further harm! They were all here for his sake-- so that much was his responsibility as the eldest son!

Even if he knew that responsibility may outweigh his capability.

"Eh? What's this?"

It was Zenitsu's voice that shook Tanjirou out of his trance. They had reached the top of the steps. Here, the tunnel branched into two paths off to the sides. It was too dark to see past more than a few metres inside each at a glance.

"Why!? This is annoying! I'm annoyed!" Zenitsu complained. "We don't need to waste time on figuring out the right path right now! Who designed this tunnel, anyway? Couldn't they put a convenient sign letting us know where to go?" He paused for a moment, listening carefully. "For what it's worth, I don't hear anything. Silent at both ends. S-So, I guess it's unlikely there's any demons waiting for me…"

"Beast Breathing, seventh fang!"

Inosuke shook his head—well, boar head-- when he stood back up straight after feeling the air. "Nothing moving."

"This chamber is full of that smell… the one from the statues," Tanjirou commented. "That's all I'm sure of." Then, he looked to both sides. "It looks like we'll have to split up and check both of the paths. If you find something, call back. I'm counting on your loud voices, Zenitsu, Inosuke." They both bristled at that, but before either could butt in, Tanjirou continued. "And if it's a dead end, go back and find the other group as quickly as possible."

He looked at Tomioka-san, who gave a small nod. "There's no time to move cautiously as one group," Tomioka agreed. Tanjirou felt a slight pride in his chest that his senior—a Hashira, no less—trusted his plan.

"S...Split up?" Zenitsu gulped. "But… But..." his eyes darted back and forth between Inosuke and Tomioka, conflicted. Let Tanjirou go with the scary Pillar and his future bride, or go with the boar-head, who, while annoying, he wouldn't be threatened by—much. Could he be so cowardly to abandon Nezuko-chan…? Could he? Could he?

"I'll go with Tomioka-san," Tanjirou said first.

Ah, Tanjirou. Resolving the conflict for him. Whatever fate would befall his friend now, it wasn't in Zenitsu's hands. At least, that's what he was going to tell himself so he could rest easy. Besides! If Tanjirou's stone-faced senior disciple had been planning on coldly dispatching Nezuko-chan, he would've done it while they were all asleep! Right? That guy was the only one who stayed awake, wasn't he? It was only because Zenitsu trusted his sound that he got a wink of sleep at all!

"T-Then, I have no choice but to go with boar-head here! Hahaha! Let's go!"

"Hah? Wait! Monjirou, I don't wanna go with this weakling—"

Zenitsu dragged Inosuke off towards the right, leaving the other two behind. In truth, it wasn't exactly wrong that he had 'no choice'-- Tanjirou didn't need to ask Tomioka-san because there was no one else he could have gone with. Tanjirou was the only one who wouldn't harass him or faint from terror and become dead weight. Naturally, Tomioka-san didn't raise any objection, only glancing at him with a palpable relief before they took off down the leftmost path together.

The frigid air was brisk on Tanjirou's exposed face and hands as he ran behind Tomioka-san, who was keeping a slower pace for his sake. The narrow tunnel didn't continue much longer, opening into a wider cavern at the end. Before they could take in their surroundings, however, a thick white mist rose around them, making it impossible for Tanjirou to see more than an arm's length in front of his face. Thankfully, his senior's familiar scent was nearby, and he reached his hand out through the haze, finding Tomioka-san's shoulder.

"This fog is thick. Stay close," Tomioka told him.

Tanjirou nodded. "If we do get split up, I should be able to find you by scent." He lowered his hand to the hilt of his sword. "This presence… There must be a demon nearby."

Tanjirou saw Tomioka-san's eyes widen, flicking to somewhere behind his head. In a split-second moment, he noticed a pressure on his shoulders and glimpsed two disembodied pale clawed hands emerging from the mist, clenched around the straps that held the box on his back. Before he could react, his senior had already drawn his sword and pushed him out of the way, but those claws tore the straps and forced the box from Tanjirou's back at the same time, vanishing with it into the mist in an instant, leaving behind a cackling laughter echoing throughout the cavern.

Tomioka pursued it, and Tanjirou followed, but no matter how they aimlessly searched, it was only a waste of time. There was no trace of the demon -- its presence and Nezuko's scent were both gone.

"Come back!" Tanjirou shouted into the empty air, gripping his sword. "Get back here, you coward! What do you want with Nezuko?!"

He'd already experienced Nezuko being lost once—and before that, taken from him by Rui, a demon who wanted to use her for his own purposes. What did this demon want? What would it do to her? Even if Nezuko wasn't in danger, when Tanjirou was without her by his side, he was uneasy. It was just like the time before. He couldn't focus, he couldn't think. His nerves were in disorder.

"Calm your breathing. Don't lose your head."

Like a wave of cool water, Tomioka-san's voice washed over Tanjirou's worries. It must have been obvious just from looking at him that his concentrated breathing was disrupted, that his body was trembling.

Keep your emotions like a still water surface. That was what Urokodaki-san always told him when he taught him the forms of Water Breathing. Tomioka-san embodied that concept perfectly. It was no wonder he held the rank of Water Pillar. Tanjirou, on the other hand, was far from mastering it himself. Maybe it was because his ani-deshi stood beside him, however, that he found the strength to close his eyes and let out a deep breath, regaining his reason.

"I'm sorry," Tanjirou said. "Thank you, Tomioka-san." Though still not fully calm, his breathing was back under control for now. "But why would that demon take Nezuko…?"

Could the previous time, when she was lost in the avalanche, be a coincidence? Did the demon realise her importance to him, and wanted to shake him up? Could it perhaps read his thoughts? Whatever the situation was, Tanjirou had to find her. The only threat to her life, at least, was the other Pillars-- as long as the demon wasn't planning to harm her, the main concern was her waking up.

"For now, we have to find an end to this mist. This space feels like it's endless. At least, it seems to be wide open. If it was connected to the other path, though, we'd probably have run into Zenitsu and Inosuke already. I wonder if they're in a similar situation? They haven't come to find us."

"Most likely," Tomioka replied. "Those statues from before had warping abilities. Usually, demons with those are at least Lower Moon rank-- or former. If that demon can use the same technique as the statues, we could be somewhere else entirely right now. We can't rule it out."

"Lower Moon rank…?"

Tanjirou hesitated. He thought back to the warping technique of the tsuzumi drum held by the former Lower Moon he had faced. Rui had only been Lower Moon Five, and without Nezuko's help, he couldn't even cut his neck with his sword. He had no idea how strong those further up the ladder might be-- but at least so far, he didn't get the impression this demon was on that level. The atmosphere in Mt. Natagumo had been more hostile. It was also possible that they hadn't been warped at all—they could be trapped in some kind of illusion instead, based on how there seemed to be no end to the mist. However, they were losing time like this, which was a much greater concern.

That demon's presence hadn't been easy to detect before. Tanjirou hadn't felt more than a wave of cold air behind him, and he hadn't noticed a scent. He hadn't even felt its claws touch his back. It seemed to have a cautious nature.

They didn't spend much more time aimlessly searching. There was a ripple in the air, and the icy haze swirled, beginning to thin before them, slowly parting. Tanjirou reached for his sword, but Tomioka-san's good arm held him back, and he lowered his hand. A Hashira would always take the lead over a lower-ranked slayer, even in bad shape.

When the mist had partially cleared, however, it wasn't to reveal the form of any demon. In the distance, against an icy wall, was was that familiar shape-- Tanjirou could see it, even in the dark!

"Nezuko!" Tanjirou cried out, running towards the box. He was too distracted to notice her smell was nowhere to be found. If he had been in his right mind, he would have seen it for the trap it was.

"Get back!" Tomioka called after him. "That's not--"

He leapt after Tanjirou, grabbing him by the sleeve to pull him backwards, but he was too late by a split-second. A wall of ice rose behind them, quickly trapping them in the dead end of the cave. They were sealed into the small space together.

The box wasn't there. It had only been an illusion reflected on the ice!

Immediately, they both tried breaking the wall, but it was hopeless-- the ice was too thick, and would only damage their swords if they persisted.

Frustrated, Tanjirou fell to his knees, his blade clattering to the ground. "I'm sorry! It was my fault! I was so worried about Nezuko that I…"

"Don't apologise for your own mistake!" Tomioka shouted back at him. "It won't change our situation!"

The sound of his raised voice made Tanjirou flinch. It had been a long time since he last heard Tomioka-san yell at him like that. His stomach sank as his senior turned his back to him. If only he hadn't been so impulsive… But Tomioka-san was right. Regretting his actions wouldn't change anything. But what could they do now?

"You fell for it!"

A familiar raspy laugh echoed through the air. Both Water-breathing disciples quickly readied their weapons, trying to pinpoint the source of the voice.

"I almost thought it was too obvious! But you were stupid enough to walk into it, and now you're both stuck! I didn't even think it was possible to be that dumb! Aren't one of you a Hashira, too? With those gold buttons! Gahaha!"

The reflection of a demon's face showed on the surface of the ice walls surrounding them-- a stark white face with an unnaturally wide, grinning mouth and a short pair of black horns on its forehead. In one of its large, garish blue eyes was a crossed-out number-- another Lower Moon Six, like Kyogai had been.

"There's no way out! Not unless someone else kills me first, or destroys the wall from outside," the demon bragged. "But if you think you can hold out until someone will save you, it was already too late when I breathed my ice breath on your skin!"

A shiver ran through Tanjirou's body. He realised his fingertips felt numb.

"You're already shivering. Slowly, your temperature will drop… The blood in your veins will freeze, your limbs will stiffen and stop moving... and then, you'll finally freeze to death… Attempting to stay warm is the only way to delay the inevitable… Kukuku."

Another shiver. Tanjirou noticed Tomioka-san's fingertips were a faint purple, too. Even so, his senior wasn't showing any reaction to the demon's taunting.

"Now, then," the demon chattered idly, "I'd better find where my arms have got to… They have a mind of their own sometimes..."

Arms? Tanjirou's eyes widened.

"Wait!"

However, the demon's face had already vanished from the icy surface.

–

"Hahhh, this was a bad idea… This was a really, really bad idea! We're completely lost, I'm stuck with you, and we can't even find our way back," Zenitsu griped, still wandering through the thick mist they had found themselves in. Inosuke had already tried his best to find a wall to ram his head into, but it was like the mist was endless. "Tanjirooou? Mizubashira-samaaa? Can you hear me?" he tried calling, but only got silence in response.

"They're not here!" Inosuke snapped at him. "You trying to annoy the demon out of hiding with your yelling or something? I thought you were scared!" He perked up like a lightbulb had gone off in his head, which wasn't common for Inosuke. "I can yell louder than that! If it won't show itself, I've gotta try! AHHHHHH!"

The cry echoed through the cave.

"Ow! My ears! Think about me for a second!"

Just when Zenitsu was wondering if it was safe to unplug his ears, a raspy voice emerged from the mist.

"Noisy! So noisy! My head is spinning! It's like you brats wanted me to find you!"

Zenitsu's eyes bulged. "Yaaaaah!"

'My head'? It was a head! That demon, which had finally shown itself, was some kind of giant floating spiked head with an unhinged jaw! It looked like a conker! What kind of weird demon was this?! It was less disgusting than a spider, at least, but not by much! This thing could probably swallow him whole! He jumped straight onto Inosuke, clinging to him like a monkey to a tree. Annoyed, Inosuke tried throwing Zenitsu off, but he wouldn't budge.

"Seriously! I thought I was done with creepy heads!" Zenitsu shrieked. "Wait! If its head is floating, how do you cut its neck?! Where's its body? Does... Does it even have one?!" Gramps had never warned him this could even happen! A demon without a neck! Not that he would have gotten anywhere near cutting it himself anyway!

"That's what I want to know. I've lost my arms," the head-demon grumbled. "I was trying to find them when you two brats distracted me!"

"No neck, hah? I can handle this," Inosuke bragged. "Come and fight me! ...Once I've got rid of him! Give me a second!" Unfortunately, he still hadn't dislodged Zenitsu, who was preventing him from launching himself into the air.

The demon, however, widened its grin. "I don't need to fight."

Cold air blew from its unhinged cavern of a mouth. When it had dissipated, it left them both shivering. Zenitsu felt his fingertips start to tingle. "What was that about!"

"My curse will slowly chill you both to the bone. I'll come get you once you're nice and frozen… I like my food cold." The demon leered at them. "Maybe your fingers or toes will fall off. That'll be good."

"...Eh? Fall off? Eh?" Zenitsu froze.

"You're welcome to try huddling for warmth! Gah hah!"

Inosuke finally managed to throw Zenitsu off, but the demon vanished into the mist before his blades could reach it.

"Get back here, you spiky bastard! Fight me!" Inosuke stomped the ground in frustration. "Being all cagey and hiding away! You're pissing me off!"

"This… This is bad… This is really bad…" Zenitsu murmured, rubbing his hands together desperately. "I'm already getting cold! What do we do now?! Is this the end? Is this really gonna be the end?! Before I marry Nezuko-chan… Before I even t-touch a girl…! And I'm stuck with a guy!"

Slowly, he turned to Inosuke.

There was a pause.

Inosuke bristled when Zenitsu suddenly yanked his mask off and exposed his face.

"Hah?! What are you doing, Monitsu?! I'm not sharing my mask with you, bastard! Give it back!"

Zenitsu's hand clamped over his mouth. His eyes were those of a man prepared to die.

"Inosuke, can you shut up a little? Please?"

"Hnfff?!"

"You see, that cloak hides the unfortunate fact that you're a man. And if I have to huddle for warmth with someone before I meet my end, then at least let me pretend it's with a girl!"

Chapter Text

With the demon gone, the two Water-Breathing disciples were trapped together, left helpless to the chill beginning to creep through their limbs.

"We... We have to stay warm. We just have to stay warm," Tanjirou started. "If we can hold it off long enough for someone to find us or kill that demon…"

'Someone' included the other Pillars. That possibility might be more likely than Inosuke and Zenitsu, as much as he didn't want to consider it.

Tomioka drew his sword and shifted into a stance. "We'll trade attacks. Don't use up all your energy, of course."

With a nod, Tanjirou took one of his own before launching himself into a move, which Tomioka-san effortlessly dodged and countered. His senior disciple's forms were the same, but more elegant, more practiced, more fluid. At any other time, under any other circumstances, he thought he'd surely find himself captivated.

After some time, however, even as he continued to move his body, the cold had spread from his toes, and Tanjirou could feel his feet growing heavy, feel the chill seeping up through his bones. His fingers and palms were soon to follow. The white cloud of his breath had become thicker. Tomioka-san, who must have been experiencing the same, didn't let it show, keeping up the pace of their sparring, but in the end, it was his steps that were the first to falter. Even so, he only yelled at Tanjirou to keep moving when he called out in concern. When Tanjirou could still stand, the Water Pillar was the one to collapse first, despite attempting to use his sword to stay upright.

"Tomioka-san!" Tanjirou cried, rushing to his senior's side and kneeling down. The second he did, however, because he'd stopped moving, his legs wobbled, turning solid as the chill burned up through them. He immediately knew it wouldn't be possible to stand again.

"Ugh…! Me too... I'm also..."

"What are you doing?! You should have continued alone!" Tomioka snapped at him.

"How could I?!" Tanjirou shot back. "It's—it's not over yet. We can still move, right? I'll find some way to help us both get out of this... So... So..."

"This is it. It'll only get worse from here."

Tanjirou shook his head.

"We can't give up! We can still share our body heat!"

For a moment, Tomioka's eyes widened. After a pause, he gave a nod. "...You're right. It's our last bet now."

Saying this, they carefully shifted closer to each other on their knees, until they both sat astride each other with their legs crossed behind the other's back, nearly chest-to-chest.

The charcoal fire hadn't always been enough to stave off the bitter cold of the winds in the mountain during the winter, especially at night. Tanjirou's family had often huddled together to keep warm during those times. Often, his younger siblings would be snuggled up to him in the same futon. Nezuko would hold Rokuta and Hanako, while Tanjirou would hold Takeo and Shigeru. That was why this was second nature to him by now. Even though it was Tomioka-san, his senior disciple who was both older and higher in rank, he hadn't even hesitated.

"Please give me your hands, Tomioka-san," Tanjirou directed, and led them inside his sleeve-openings, while his senior's took Tanjirou's own, and they held each other's upper arms. His chest pressed against Tomioka-san's as they both rested their heads on the other's shoulder, keeping close to the pocket of warmth by the neck. Lastly, with their haoris pulled over their heads to trap the heat in, it quickly became almost stifling. Tanjirou's family used to huddle underneath a futon blanket in a similar way.

"Ah, Tomioka-san... it's warm. It feels good. Are you warming up too?" The scent of his ani-deshi was flooding Tanjirou's nose from where his face was buried beside his neck, brushing against strands of thick, bushy hair.

"Hn. Like this we may hold out for a while. How are your extremities?" Tomioka asked him.

"...Stiff, but I can still move them," Tanjirou replied. "And yours?"

"The same." Tomioka-san demonstrated by shifting his hand against his upper arm.

The truth was, Tanjirou's fingers and toes were numb enough that it was difficult to move them individually. Whether he was truly hot or cold, it wasn't clear. He had heard that when exposed to extreme cold, a person could feel warm.

How long had it been now? There hadn't been any sign of action outside the wall of ice. Would this really be enough to buy them time?

No. Now wasn't the time to give up. There had to be something. Anything Tanjirou could do right now, as the spreading cold began to seep back into his breath, and Tomioka-san's breaths against his shoulder—

How had he forgotten? That time, back in the forest. The Hinokami breathing style... That had felt like a burst of flame through his body. His father once used it to stay warm in the cold. He should have thought of it sooner! What if it could help now? It could be their only chance. They could be at their end soon.

"Tomioka-san, I... I know something else that could help us. Please let me explain..."

–

"Get off me! You're making me feel all warm and fuzzy! It's weird!"

Inosuke was trying his best to wrestle Zenitsu off him. Unfortunately, his best wasn't working. Why was this weakling weirdly strong only now he was clinging onto him like this, but a total wimp who crapped his pants any other time?! He wouldn't admit it to himself, but Monitsu's leg grip was seriously inhuman!

"I told you to shut up! Just for a little, OK? Let me pretend for just a little! I don't need your manly voice ruining it! And in case you somehow haven't realised, we're supposed to be keeping warm!" Zenitsu blinked. "Wait—fuzzy? What do you mean by—"

"Nothing! Get off!" Inosuke's face was visibly red, but maybe it wasn't only from the cold. Add in the sound of his heart racing like a rabbit's, and Zenitsu quickly caught on.

"Eh, so maybe… You like this kind of thing, Inosuke? You like being close with men? Ah. Don't worry. Your secret will die with me. But you know, the truth is, even though you smell really bad, it actually feels pretty nice cuddling with you like this. No, it's fine! It's completely fine! When you think about it, we're all human beings! Human beings need to touch each other, or they go crazy! Some clever scientist said that, you know! So really, it doesn't even matter that we're both male—"

"You're already a nutcase!"

Inosuke took Zenitsu's rambling as a chance to knee him in the balls, and he crumpled with a loud wail of pain.

"Aieeeee! What?! What was that for?! But—but actually, my crotch is burning now…!"

After shoving him off, Inosuke started wildly sprinting in circles, doing handstands and weird contortion moves. "I can get warm on my own! I don't need you!"

Zenitsu wobbled and, amazingly, maybe thanks to the adrenaline, recovered and got up, chasing after him desperately. "L-Listen! We've got no other choice! I'd rather hug Nezuko-chan, but I have to make do here!"

Inosuke turned back to yell at him, still red in the face, "If we sit around we'll just die! That's what the demon said! We have to find it and kick its ass!"

"And how are we meant to do that?! I don't hear—"

Zenitsu stopped running. His ears had picked up something.

"Huh? What? What is it, then?" Inosuke tentatively walked over, prodding his blank face.

A second later, however, Zenitsu immediately took off into the mist towards the source of the sound.

"Nezuko-chan! I can hear Nezuko-chan's sound! Tanjirou must be nearby! Ah! Over there—"

Emerging from the mist was the brown wooden box, and Nezuko's sound was unmistakably inside. But weirdly, that box was all he could see, like it was floating. Was the mist so thick it was hiding Tanjirou? But Zenitsu didn't hear his sound… it was only—

"Hiii!" Zenitsu stepped back. "That… That…"

A pair of claws were clasped around the box, belonging to... a disembodied pair of arms?! Wait a second. That demon had mentioned trying to find its arms! So these were…?

"Beast Breathing, second fang!"

Inosuke had already noticed the threat and jumped into the air before Zenitsu could finish his words. The claws dropped the box to swipe at Inosuke when he got close, and Zenitsu dove down to catch it before it hit the ground, letting out a relieved sigh when it was safely in his grasp. The demon's arms seemed to be uncoordinated without its head, and Inosuke's swords hacked them to bits without any trouble. They dispersed into mist.

Zenitsu's relief over catching Nezuko was short-lived, though, because once he tried to get back up, he found his limbs too stiff to move. Inosuke, too, was hunched over, legs shivering after landing back on the ground.

"...Ah, crap. So this is it. We're gonna freeze to death. But… But at least I have Nezuko-chan here now!" Zenitsu blubbered. "N-Nezuko-chan! I-I wouldn't normally do this, but you have to forgive me! I'm on the brink of death!"

He slowly opened the box and let Nezuko fall out--only to realise that as a demon, her temperature would probably be cool. But he was wrong-- the cold he had been feeling melted away as soon as she was close to him!

"Huh...? Wait a sec, she's hot! She's super warm!"

Nezuko's feverish temperature was warming him right up! She was like a hot water bottle!

"Hah?!" Inosuke tackled him and tried to swipe her away. "Give her here, then!"

"NOT YOU!" Zenitsu screeched. "I won't let anyone else touch Nezuko-chan, even if it's for survival!"

"You were just clinging to me like a monkey and now you wanna leave me for dead?!" Inosuke puffed up like an angry blowfish. "You bastard!"

Now he was wrestling with Zenitsu all over again, trying to fight for Nezuko through the former's protests.

"Wait—!" Zenitsu finally relented, "Wait, you can do it a little! Just—just be gentle with her!"

However, Inosuke pulled her out of his grip with too much force, and Nezuko went flying, dropping on the rocky ground and smacking her head. As blood trickled down her face, Zenitsu's eyes popped.

"NEZUKO-CHAAAAN! What have you done?! You're gonna be wild boar stew!"

Scooping up Nezuko, Zenitsu moved to wipe the blood off of her forehead, but when he touched it, hot red flames suddenly engulfed his hand.

"...Huh?!"

Nezuko had burned the cold away, and his temperature had returned to normal!

-

"...Another breathing style, that raises your body temperature? You used it against that Lower Moon?"

"Yes. If you let me show you how... We can both try it. It might help us stay warm."

After a short pause, Tomioka hummed in approval. "...We have nothing to lose. Show me."

Tanjirou nodded. "Then, I'll do my best..."

Tomioka-san allowed him to take his hand and guide it to his chest, letting him feel the rhythm of Tanjirou's breathing. His father and Urokodaki had taught him their breathing styles this way—though the latter not as gently. With his forehead lightly resting against Tanjirou's, his senior's gaze was fully attentive. He was focusing closely on the feel of Tanjirou's breaths on his cheek.

Soon, Tomioka-san closed his eyes and he drew in a breath of his own, then tried to imitate the pattern. Placing his own free hand on his ani-deshi's chest in return, Tanjirou observed the rise and fall.

"That's it... You're getting it! I knew you'd be a quick learner, Tomioka-san. Ah, but do it a little more like this..."

Before long they were breathing in unison, still closely entwined, trapped in their bubble of heat. The effect was almost immediate. Tanjirou could feel their body temperatures both quickly rising, and it made his hope soar back up.

He wasn't sure how long they spent like that. But eventually, he realised it wasn't enough. He knew Tomioka-san must have realised it, too.

Thank you, Dad... For teaching me something that would be so helpful.

The chill was returning, still spreading. The Hinokami breathing had slowed the curse significantly, but not stopped it. It would only buy them more time. But it must have been over an hour already, and no one had come for them...

The first time... It wasn't enough to save Nezuko in the end. This time... It may not be enough to save me and Tomioka-san either.

At least... if it does come to the worst, I won't have to die cold. Neither of us will...

My body is heavy. I can feel the numbness spreading.

Nezuko, I'm sorry... I could die like this, before you can be cured... but here I am, thinking how grateful I am not to be alone...

Your big brother... is horrible.

Hot tears were rolling down Tanjirou's cheeks, matting black hair. He felt the other twitch in response.

Tomioka-san is so warm.

Gratitude, despair, relief, all pouring from his eyes in equal measure. He registered a shift in the calm scent of water, and felt Tomioka-san's hand lightly patting his back under his haori.

"You saved us back then, just for this to happen," Tanjirou apologised. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... Nezuko... Your big brother can't even be with you in your final moments... Takeo, Shigeru, Rokuta, Hanako, Mom... I'm sorry...!"

His senior's hand patted him again, and Tanjirou felt Tomioka-san's head bow. Friends, family, loved ones. Those who had been lost. Tomioka-san must surely be thinking of those people too.

His scent wasn't as calm as he thought, Tanjirou realised. When he focused, he could sense the unrest. It was a sea in turmoil. Tomioka-san... was only putting on a brave face right now.

Tanjirou laughed, hopelessly, closing his eyes. He felt heady and delirious, as if he would melt. He tried to move his fingers, and couldn't. He tried to move his hand, and couldn't. It was so cold that it was hard to breathe now, making it even more difficult to keep up the Hinokami. The curse had to be rapidly worsening.

Now, he could only speak slowly. He was only half-aware of the words that came out of his mouth. "Tomioka-san... thank you. I... don't have to die alone, freezing cold... Thank you... for sharing your warmth with me... For being here. I... I'm grateful... I'm... glad..."

"Kamado. I'm... sorry." Each word of Tomioka's response was strained. His voice was thick. It sounded almost like another person had spoken the words.

Tanjirou shook his head. "No. It was all my fault. I was stupid. I was so stupid."

"No one... is owed a dignified end. That's the harsh truth."

After that, there wasn't anything more to say. Even if he wanted to, just breathing was taking all of Tanjirou's effort.

However, an unexpected voice did interrupt the silence again.

"Giyuu… Giyuu…"

When Tanjirou opened his eyes again, he saw it was coming from Tomioka-san's kasugai crow, which had perched itself on his shoulder and was huddled inside the makeshift hood of his haori. Tanjirou hadn't realised it, but it had been trapped in there with them the whole time.

"B-Before this old man… Both of you, so young…"

It was tucked into Tomioka-san's neck, shivering and shivering, rubbing him with its head as if to share the meagre warmth of its own small body with him.

The crow must have been by his ani-deshi's side for years, since he joined the Corps himself. If Tanjirou's hand could still move, he would have reached up to stroke its feathers and offer the poor animal some comfort. Instead, the pity he felt could only find its release rolling down his cheeks again. Tomioka-san, for his part, only lowered his head and shut his eyes.

Tanjirou couldn't look anymore. Finally, his head dropped onto Tomioka-san's shoulder, heavy enough that he knew he could never lift it again. It didn't feel real that it could end here. It was like an illusion.

-

"My arms! You destroyed them, didn't you?! I felt it!"

Once they'd both cured themselves with the help of Nezuko's blood, that ugly head-demon emerged from the mist, angry.

"I-It's back!" With Nezuko in his arms, Zenitsu ducked behind Inosuke to shield her. (And himself, by extension.)

"Yeah, I did! It was easy!" Inosuke bragged. "I'll smash your head next!"

The demon's face twisted in fury. "You should both be ice-blocks by now! How are you still moving?! No one can overcome my curse!" It blinked, pupils shifting. "So it was that demon girl! I can sense her heat! That was why I took her away from those two… I should have trapped you the same way! Argh! Fine! I'll just freeze you again!"

This time they were ready, however, and dodged the ice breath to either side before it could hit them.

"Enough flapping your jaws!" Inosuke griped. "Is that your only move?"

While he was gearing up to trash-talk the demon some more, Zenitsu drew his sword, and Inosuke was genuinely surprised enough to pause and gawk at him.

"I'll kill you for touching Nezuko, you creepy demon!"

"Monitsu, you're actually gonna use that thing?!"

"T-Thunder Breathing, first form—"

As Zenitsu leapt forward, he smacked right into an ice wall created by the demon to shield itself. It cackled at him as he hit the ground, passed out cold.

Inosuke stomped on his chest. "Geh! I knew it! You're a useless minion! Leave it to the boss!"

As the cries of a beast and the strike of lightning echoed through the cave, the mist cleared.

-

Huh? Did Tomioka-san just move? It felt as if his fingers twitched. Then, they circled and squeezed his upper arm. When Tanjirou realised, his own fingers could suddenly move, too.

Warmth and strength were rushing through his limbs again!

"Kamado, it's—"

The ice wall suddenly vanished, and a loud, familiar voice cut Tomioka-san's off.

"Tanjirou! Mizubashira-samaaa! You here? We killed the—hah?!"

Zenitsu? Was this a dream...?

"Gengorou! Half-haori! You're both holed up over here like you're hibernating for the winter!"

Inosuke, too—

Tanjirou nearly planted on the ground again as Tomioka-san let him go and stood up.

"...It's gone," he finished.

Tanjirou quickly leapt up next to him, and his eyes lit up when he saw the box held in Zenitsu's arms. "It's... W-We're saved? We're really saved! Zenitsu! Inosuke! Nezuko!"

"...Are you guys gonna stay like that?" Zenitsu stared at the haoris that they still had pulled over their heads, making them look like silly tents.

"Eh...? Oh, this! We had to huddle for warmth. Anyway, is Nezuko alright?! Please let me see…"

Zenitsu slammed both his palms on the ground. "I put my life on the line to protect her, Tanjirou! You have my word that not a single hair on her head has been touched, especially not by the wild boar over there!"

Tanjirou blinked. He looked at Inosuke.

"We just held her, so what?" Inosuke said. "Anyway, Monjirou, you'll never believe that this wimp actually--"

Zenitsu drew his sword in a flash and raised it before him, trembling. "I...I… I'll slit my stomach open to atone for my failureee!"

"Ze-Zenitsu! Put that away!"

"...Let's get out of here first," Tomioka said, remaining unfazed while Tanjirou tried to wrest his friend's sword away from him.

Glancing back at Tomioka-san, they shared a look of relief, and Tanjirou smiled at him. Soon, his eyes were watering all over again, glad that they'd been saved.

As he hugged Nezuko with all his might, the scent of water behind him seemed gentle.

Chapter Text

The thick mist blanketing the cavern had cleared, but all it had revealed was an empty dead end—empty, save a single fox statue, white like the one before, and by now, Tanjirou knew what to expect. Before anyone had the chance to react, the statue's eyes glowed, and a bright light stunned his eyes.

Bitter wind was blowing, whipping his hair and earrings around his face. When Tanjirou's blurred vision came into focus, he saw that he was in the open air on the peak of the mountain. The white tree-tops of the forest were visible from below, outlining the beginning of their trail to its end. Across a narrow bridge of land from where he stood was a shrine that looked like a larger mirror of the one they had seen at the base.

His destination was finally before his eyes! With no time to worry about fixing the torn straps, followed by the others behind him, Tanjirou carried Nezuko's box in his arms as he carefully crossed over, bearing down against the winds.

Two white fox statues flanked the single shrine building on either side, its sloping roof capped by thick snow. Strangely, though, there didn't appear to be a spring. The shrine looked well-maintained, but there seemed to be no one here. However, there was no smell of blood. Had Tanjirou's fears been unfounded? But then, where might that person—the kannagi he had been told about—be?

"Is… Is this it, then?" Zenitsu spoke up from behind him. "Did we finally make it?"

Tanjirou nodded. "This should be it. The place Tamayo-san told me about."

Nezuko had to be nearing her limit. They had to meet that person soon, or else...!

Snow crunched. Zenitsu was the first to turn his head at the sound, but Tomioka-san, who had been staying behind them, already had his sword drawn in a defensive stance. He had been prepared for this.

"I'm afraid this ends here, Tanjirou-kun. You've done quite well to drag us all the way out here, I must say."

Kochou Shinobu's airy voice flit into his ears like the delicate flapping of a butterfly's wings. The three remaining Pillars had caught up at last, and were slowly closing in on them.

Not when he was so close—not now!

"Please," Tanjirou cried out, "just a few minutes, just a few more minutes and Nezuko will be--"

"Will succumb to her poison?" Shinobu-san only tilted her head at him. "It's a pity things have had to come to this, Tanjirou-kun. But I will show no mercy."

Then, her gaze shifted.

"Oh, what's this? I suppose we couldn't slow you down after all, Tomioka-san. I see you've chosen to remain on their side to the very end. How fortunate for Tanjirou-kun," the Insect Pillar drew her sword, "but there's one of you and three of us."

Kochou was quick. Tomioka blocked her first strike in an instant, but recoiled when she jabbed him in the shoulder with the hilt of her blade.

"Oh dear, does it still sting? You've got Rengoku-san to thank."

Almost as soon as she'd said the name, a booming voice overpowered the howling wind.

"My apologies, Tomioka! Now, then—let's settle this quickly, Kamado-boy!"

A flurry of clashes rang out. With one arm still clutching the broken straps of Nezuko's box, Tanjirou couldn't put his full strength into his counter-attack when the Flame Pillar leapt towards it, so fast he barely even reacted in time. But before Rengoku's blow could break his defense, another sword blocked the red-coloured blade!

"Ta-Tanjirou, run!"

Zenitsu? Zenitsu had blocked it?

His mask-like grin didn't move, but the Flame Pillar let out a loud guffaw. "You've got guts, yellow boy! I like it!"

Meanwhile, Himejima found himself at a disadvantage. When surrounded by allies, he had to be more careful with his weapon—he had to wait for the right moment, and it soon arrived when Tanjirou broke away from Rengoku. Himejima's axe shot towards the box in his arm while he tried to flee, hooking into the wood and wrenching it open with a single pull. Nezuko tumbled out, hitting the ground and rolling away from him. However, before the Stone Pillar could attack her, the end of his chain tugged away. Someone had grabbed it—that being Inosuke!

"Amazing! You're huge! I've gotta fight you, bear-guy!"

Himejima frowned. "...'Bear-guy'?" But instead of elaborating, his opponent recklessly jumped towards him. He only shook his head. It was a mistake to come at a chain-wielder with a sword—let alone two of them.

"Nezuko!" Tanjirou called out when she fell, turning on his heel and running towards her. With everyone else occupied in their own scuffle, she was still unguarded. Nezuko was moving, awakening, and she was getting to her feet! Kochou's eyes immediately flashed. She closed the distance in a single leap.

Everything that happened next was a blur.

Shinobu-san's blade was about to reach Nezuko before he could.

With no time to block, Tanjirou jumped in to cover her—and then Tomioka-san was covering him.

In that split-second, the Insect Pillar saw them both, but her sword didn't stop.

"Stop this at once."

A chilling wind tore through the air as a familiar voice rang out. In the instant after had sounded, everyone had frozen in place. In both senses of the word—they had all been rooted to the ground up to the knees by ice, preventing anyone from moving further! The resulting scene was like a living photograph:

Inosuke's swords, tangled in Himejima's chain.

Zenitsu, knocked out cold by Rengoku's feet.

Tanjirou, with his back to Nezuko, his sword drawn to protect her.

Shinobu's blade, skewered through Urokodaki's two disciples, a millimetre from piercing Nezuko's eye.

As she was still standing at half her normal size, Nezuko's head was just behind Tanjirou's lower back, and Kochou had stabbed at a downward angle through his abdomen to reach her. The only thing preventing her pushing her sword forward and reaching its target—or from removing it from its unintended ones—was more frost holding it stuck in place.

At the heart of the shrine, beneath the snow-capped building, sat a white fox. A bright light flashed, and when it cleared, a person stood in its place, dressed all in the same colour: a white kakue jacket, hakama, and fox mask matching light hair tied in a low blue-tipped ponytail like that worn by miko. Because of the mask covering their face, it was impossible to tell whether they were a man or a woman. Held in their hands was a ritual staff of suzu bells.

This must have been the person that Tamayo-san mentioned before—the caretaker of the shrine on Mt. Hyousetsu. For a moment, seeing that fox mask reminded Tanjirou of Sabito and Makomo. The masked person's scent was that same one of the statues. Now that he recalled, those two's scent had been difficult to understand in a similar way. Wait—perhaps this person, too…

At first the three Pillars tensed, Kochou swiping a backup syringe from her sleeve, but they all lowered their weapons when they quickly came to the same realization as Tanjirou had.

"You're not a demon. But you're not human. What are you?" Rengoku demanded.

"Hah?! How'd you turn into a fox?!" If Inosuke had a tail, it would be wagging wildly. "Show me again! Show me again!"

Himejima, on the other hand, bowed his head respectfully.

"I am the kannagi of this shrine," the fox-masked person replied. "And these two are my guests."

Tanjirou, meanwhile, was gritting his teeth against the pain splitting his insides. He could only hold onto the back of Tomioka-san's haori for support as he clutched his other hand around his wound, trying not to shift himself even a single inch. Even breathing normally was painful, so he was forced to take short, shallow breaths to minimise the movement of his chest. If he accidentally made the blade stuck between them move, he wasn't the only one who would be hurt.

His senior was as still as a statue, remarkably so. Tanjirou couldn't see his face, but he was sure that he must have been as stoic as ever, even now. He was holding his scabbard planted on the ground to steady himself. Tanjirou was quick to do the same, able to balance better with two supports.

"To, Tomioka-san," he hushed under his breath, "are you al--"

"Don't talk," Tomioka hissed back. "Keep still. We can—bear with it."

Behind Tanjirou, Nezuko's eyes were wide as her brother's blood dripped down her cheek. If the ice hadn't been trapping her up to her arms, she'd have transformed and bared her claws at Kochou in retaliation, but all she could do was thrash and growl behind her muzzle at her. Unfortunately, Tanjirou couldn't see her even with his head turned to the side, and when he heard that growling, he could only assume the worst. Nezuko was inches from fresh blood right now—but she hadn't attacked him. Either she was trapped, or still managing to hold the disease back.

"I'm sorry, Nezuko. It must be tough right now. Please—endure it a bit longer. It'll be alright. I promise," Tanjirou tried to soothe her, hiding the panic that was burning through him. Kochou flashed a cold smile her way as she continued trying to break free from the ice.

"...I hope you can excuse my lateness," said the kannagi. "This isn't the ideal situation to speak, as you can see."

"Please don't worry about it!" Tanjirou insisted.

An awkward beat passed. The same thought ran through everyone's head at once: Just how polite is that boy?

But the fox-masked person continued, "It is my favour to Tamayo that I welcome you. You have passed my illusory tests."

Tanjirou blinked. "...Tests?" he questioned.

Kochou tilted her head. "Ah, so is that what you call that deranged obstacle course of yours?"

The kannagi ignored her comment.

"The demons you encountered were only illusions of those who once were slain here in times past. Any human remains had been here since then. I wished to deter you all from reaching this place," the kannagi gestured towards the three Pillars, "particularly you three—but you were more persistent than I expected. However, I had no intention of endangering your lives. Though I am capable of physically controlling the mountain, no phantom I have conjured may harm people—pain felt from my tricks is illusionary. You'll find that any wounds you sustained have vanished."

Tanjirou could see for himself it was true. Inosuke's cloak had fallen during the battle, and there was no sign of his previous icicle wounds. Because Inosuke hadn't removed it, he'd never noticed.

"Oh, is that so? If only the same were true for the bruises I got falling off the mountain," Kochou snipped.

This time, the fox mask turned in her direction. Then, the kannagi ignored her again. Her eye twitched.

As if sensing Tanjirou's next thoughts, they spoke before he could ask his question: "As for the freezing curse, you were in no real danger."

At that, Tanjirou felt Tomioka-san flinch, and he winced as the blade shifted slightly. His senior murmured an apology. With the chime of bells, the kannagi pointed their staff towards the group of them, continuing to speak.

"I dislike those who bear weapons. Anything to have shed the blood of human and beast alike is impure, and not welcome in this sacred shrine. It was one of you demon hunters who once tainted this snow with that impurity, and caused my illness…"

"Tamayo-san… mentioned it to me," Tanjirou recalled. "But she said it was the demon's blood that was responsible."

"That isn't quite right," the kannagi said.

"It was quite some time ago. There were two who came to the mountain. One protected the other from an attack from a demon meant for her wounded partner. After it had been slain, however, that partner did a selfish and cowardly thing. Infected by the demon's blood and beginning to transform, he cut down his companion and fled in order to preserve his own life."

"That…" Tanjirou couldn't find any more words.

"Cowardly indeed." Rengoku glowered.

"What a pity," said Kochou.

"Such unfortunate things happen," said Himejima.

"Was the cause only one, or was it both? The answer doesn't matter. But you, the boy sent by Tamayo. I have never seen a sword wielded with kindness as yours. That was why I allowed you to reach this place. Your intentions were pure, like hers."

Then, Tanjirou finally heard the words he had been waiting for.

"I am aware of the reason for your visit."

"Ah! If you already know," Tanjirou nearly jumped up. If he could move, he would have bowed on the ground. "Then please tell me! Can you do it? Can you cure Nezuko?"

The kannagi paused.

"Am I able to cure this child?"

Tanjirou's pulse was thundering in his ears, his stomach twisting into a painful knot, amplified by his wound. Every second of silence was excruciating as it passed. But the sword that pierced him hadn't been as sharp as the single word he received in reply.

"No."

Tanjirou felt himself tremble in disbelief.

"...No? That can't be."

"Since that day, the spring has long since dried up."

"Well! I believe that settles this, right?" Rengoku declared.

"I believe it does," Kochou agreed.

Himejima silently readied his chain.

Tomioka-san's hand tightened on his sword's grip.

"However," the kannagi continued, "it is unnecessary. She has already cured the affliction from her own blood."

...Cured?

Was Tanjirou dreaming? Were his ears playing cruel tricks on him? He wanted it to be real. But how could such a thing be true? Nezuko curing herself? How was that possible?

"You can see for yourself," the kannagi told them, clearly sensing everyone's disbelief. It wasn't only Tanjirou—the Pillars all looked equally baffled, too. But Nezuko was engulfed in flames, melting the ice around her, and once she broke free, she immediately ran to Tanjirou's side. The moment he saw her, his knees nearly gave in.

The truth was more than clear to everyone present: instead of attacking her wounded brother, Nezuko was grabbing onto his sleeve, tears in her eyes, concern plain on her face. She quickly turned to growl and glare at Kochou, who had let go of her sword after it was frozen in place—and Tanjirou quickly held her back. But above all else, however, was that the dark veins that had marked Nezuko's skin before had vanished, and her eyes had returned to their normal pink colour—there was no more sign of the Corpse-Lily's infection!

"The veins… they're gone!" Tanjirou breathed. "Nezuko really isn't infected anymore! But… how? Do you know anything about it, Shinobu-san?!"

Kochou, who hadn't looked at Nezuko closely until now, blinked in surprise. "...It does appear as if Nezuko has returned to normal," she admitted. "As for how she might have managed it, I haven't the faintest idea. But she is already an unusual case among demons, is she not? Something being unheard of does not mean it's impossible. If she is indeed cured, then you are very much in luck."

"Nezuko," Tanjirou bit out. He couldn't move much, so he had to settle for patting her head, wiping his eyes with his other hand as they pricked with tears. "Nezuko...? Nezuko? Are you alright now? I'm sorry. I want to hug you, but I can't like this. But I'm so glad. I'm so glad, Nezuko. I don't know how you did it, but you cured yourself! That's amazing! Nezuko is really amazing! I'm, I'm so relieved…"

Nezuko blinked at him, her eyes softening, and she nodded happily, smiling under the bamboo guard. It was true. She was cured. Finally, after everything…

Finally, this exhausting journey had come to an end.

"Now, you must return."

With those words, suzu bells chimed a final time, and light blinded the scene again.

When the flash cleared, they found themselves far away from the mountain peak. Everyone remained as they were, but could move freely again. Of course, Tanjirou was still stuck to Tomioka on Kochou's sword, so it didn't take her long to remove it—the ice from before was thankfully still coating their wounds, temporarily preventing them from bleeding out. But with the adrenaline wearing off, the pain Tanjirou had been mostly ignoring freshly hit all at once, and Nezuko ran to fuss over him when he gasped out and nearly doubled over.

"Don't worry. It's—it's alright, Nezuko," he grit out, managing a smile and wiping the blood from his mouth. Tomioka-san seemed to be faring better, but he was pale-faced, grimacing. Zenitsu, who had been passed out, was still on the ground, but was now slowly waking up, rubbing his head and groaning to himself. The second he spotted their wounds, his jaw practically hit the ground.

"Tanjirou?! Are you guys—what—what happened back there?!"

Tanjirou didn't have time to explain. The first thing he did was step forward to guard his sister from his three former pursuers, who were all looking at him, and Tomioka-san followed in suit. He didn't expect that Nezuko, however, would stay in front of them herself, arms outstretched, defending the two who had been protecting her moments before. Not only her wounded brother, but the man who had once threatened her, too.

"Nezuko..."

Tanjirou wasn't the only one stunned. Rengoku, Himejima and Shinobu were all taken off-guard.

He quickly stepped up beside her, addressing them all. "You can see that Nezuko has been cured now. She won't go berserk! Are... you still going to fight us?"

Shinobu-san was smiling as usual, cleaning her sword with a cloth before returning it to her belt. "That'll be for Oyakata-sama to decide when we get back. Relax, no more fighting."

No more fighting. The words and the relief took a moment to hit him. Tanjirou immediately heaved a sigh as the tension melted from his body. He felt like he could collapse—it might have only been Nezuko's arm on his sleeve that kept him standing. "Then… Then it's over. I'm so glad... It's over..."

"Well, who knows if you'll be punished or not."

Kochou laughed when Tomioka shot her a glare—and then pointedly ignored him.

"Ah, I do apologise for my... lack of restraint. But fortunately my wisteria poison isn't fatal to humans, so you're still alive," Kochou beamed at them. "The pain you're feeling now is nothing compared to the agony you'd have been in if you were demons! Isn't that a comforting thought?"

Tomioka's brows raised. Tanjirou, on the other hand, paled a bit, but politely smiled back at her, even though it did feel like his stomach was on fire. "I'm more comforted that Nezuko didn't have to go through that, Shinobu-san..."

"That's right!" Rengoku boomed over him, posed dramatically. "All's well that ends well! Good thing we didn't have to kill your sister, Kamado-boy!"

"...Tactful as always, Rengoku-san."

"It also goes without saying that I still personally oppose her!"

"Were you listening to me?"

Tears were streaming down Himejima's cheeks as he recited a prayer. "It must be a blessing. To have ended this peacefully is the best outcome... Namu amida butsu."

"Peacefully…? Peacefully? Are you sure?" Zenitsu winced at Tanjirou's wound.

Paying Shinobu's jabs no mind, Rengoku turned towards his wounded colleague. "I wanted to say it's good to see you're alright, Tomioka—but I suppose now I should say it's good you're still standing! Well, more or less!" Grinning, he clapped him on the shoulder… The wrong shoulder. When Tomioka flinched, Rengoku quickly pulled his hand back. "Ah! Sorry about that!"

"Amazing! Amazing! Fight me!"

Since they'd been free to move, Inosuke had been trying to harass Himejima, but the Stone Pillar had been doing his best not to react. Like Tomioka, however, Himejima was quick to grasp that the only way to deal with him was to render him immobile, as Inosuke soon found himself constricted in his chain, fuming mad.

"What's with you 'Pillar' guys! You're always doing this! C'mon and fight me, you weaklings!"

"Please proceed to the village ahead!" someone's crow announced above them before Tanjirou could apologise for Inosuke's behaviour. "Everyone, including Kamado Tanjirou, Kamado Nezuko, and Tomioka Giyuu, is to return starting tomorrow! As Nezuko has been cured, she is no longer to be hunted!"

It seemed they were now on the other side of the mountain, and there were some houses visible in the distance. It must have been the village mentioned by that demon before, Tanjirou thought. The ice preventing him and Tomioka-san from bleeding out would probably be enough to hold them over until they made it there, at least. Nezuko supported him as they walked, soon followed by Zenitsu on the other side. Meanwhile, wanting to make up for his previous actions, Rengoku was the one to support Tomioka, this time making sure it was on his left.

"Hah?! You useless minions are moving like snails! I can do it faster! Just watch me!"

Wriggling free from Himejima's chains (and popping his shoulders back into place), Inosuke rushed over to Tanjirou, hoisted him over his head and sped off towards the village, laughing madly all the way—and leaving everyone else with very concerned looks on their faces.

Giyuu didn't miss a single beat before sprinting after them. He made it a couple metres, and promptly collapsed.

"Ah, that must be the poison." Kochou reached into her sleeve. "Fortunately, I brought these antidotes just in case!"

Chapter Text

After the two water-breathing disciples had gotten themselves patched up by a local doctor at the village (and disinfected with Shinobu's antidote), their now-expanded group stopped to rest at an inn before the return journey ahead of them. Fortunately, the owners didn't ask too many questions about their weapons, though they did have some about how Himejima was going to get in without banging his head on everything (he reassured them he was used to it, and that his head was very sturdy.) In fact, the old couple seemed to be aware of the Demon Slayer Corps, mentioning that in their grandparents' time, people had gone missing from the village. One day, they said, two people with swords had come along to kill the oni they claimed was responsible, who had been living in the woods on the other side of the mountain near the shrine. The two were supposedly never seen returning, but the disappearances had stopped thereafter.

Everyone was exhausted, and after a quick meal and bath, they had all retired to their rooms early. Thanks to his wounds Tanjirou couldn't get in the onsen like the others, but he was at least able to scrub himself clean and soak his hands and feet in the hot water to wash away some fatigue. Afterwards, he spent a long time talking to Zenitsu, Inosuke (who had nearly been directed to the women's bath), and of course, Nezuko.

Before he could turn in for the night, however, Tanjirou knew there was someone else he needed to see. He chose the moment the other two were nodding off to sneak out of their shared room and down the hallway. Standing side-by-side with Nezuko, he knocked politely on Tomioka-san's door.

"May I come in? It's me…"

At first, there was no response, and Tanjirou worried that his senior may already be asleep. But before he could fret over whether or not he'd come at the wrong time, he heard that familiar flat tone respond.

"Enter."

When Tanjirou opened the door, he found Tomioka-san sitting cross-legged on the tatami. He had changed into a yukata provided by the inn, a haori draped over his shoulders, and his sword was laid on the floor. The pale indigo colour of the yukata and navy-blue striped obi and haori suited him well. Tomioka-san smelled freshly-washed, and his bushy hair was loose, hanging over his shoulders, maybe because he was about to sleep for the night. The futon was already laid out, and his kasugai-garasu was occupying it as a nest.

"Oh! Please excuse us. If you were just about to sleep I can--"

"No, not for a while longer."

"Ah." Tanjirou did notice a still-steaming pot of tea on the nearby low table—maybe Tomioka-san was taking a moment to finish it before bed. Maybe, like how Tanjirou had been thinking of his ani-deshi, there had been something on his mind to keep him up.

Now that he'd been invited to stay, Tanjirou shut the door and sat down properly on the tatami, while Nezuko entertained herself by lying on her back and rolling around. His senior wordlessly offered him a cup, and he politely accepted.

"Your wounds..." Tanjirou asked first. "How are they?"

"Fine," Tomioka replied as he poured the tea. "...And yours?"

"It was a shame I couldn't relax in the onsen, but other than that, it's not so bad." Tanjirou frowned. "But Tomioka-san, your shoulder too… Are you sure?"

His ani-deshi gave another nod. "Don't worry about it. I've dealt with worse, and I'm sure you have too. Besides," Tomioka gestured to his shoulder with his good arm, "this wasn't done carelessly. It shouldn't cause me any permanent damage. This, on the other hand…" he glanced down at his abdomen. "I underestimated her. But it could have been worse."

Even when fighting amongst each other, his fellow Pillars were that respectful…? Tanjirou was a little amazed. He wondered if Shinobu-san had been careful, too. The doctor told them that they were lucky no vital areas were punctured.

"I see… If you're really alright, then... that's good. I'm sorry to bother you—I know you must be tired, but I just wanted to thank you again, Tomioka-san. Nezuko, you too! We have to do it properly! Come over here!" A few moments later, Tanjirou had gotten Nezuko to kneel down and bow her head together with him. "We can never repay all you've done to help us! From the very start, too! Please accept our gratitude!"

At first, Tomioka stared at them. After a moment of silence, he glanced to the side. "...We would have slit open our stomachs together otherwise. Urokodaki-sensei's life was also at stake. Rather than thank me, be more careful with your sister."

It was almost like what his senior had said back at the Butterfly Mansion before seeing him off. This time, however, Tanjirou was more insistent, raising his head to reveal a firm expression. "But I can't not thank you, Tomioka-san! Nezuko and I will always be in your debt, and that's just how it is!"

A pause. "…Fine. Then if you want to thank me, stop acting without thinking from now on. You ought to have learned your lesson by now, Kamado."

Tanjirou's back immediately straightened. His ani-deshi's harsh critique was on the mark. "Y-Yes! You're right! I'm sorry, Tomioka-san! I'll try my best from now on!" Now sitting back up, he continued, "Ah, and—thank you for back then, too. In the cave. Although if what that person said is right, we weren't really in danger. But… we really had no idea."

"...If it had been real, then it would only be thanks to you that we survived."

"Well, Zenitsu and Inosuke were the ones who really saved us," Tanjirou laughed. "But I was so thankful… just to have you there with me, Tomioka-san."

His senior's eyes widened a fraction.

"I really thought it was going to end there," Tanjirou continued. "I had given up all hope… Nezuko was gone, too..."

"I couldn't do anything," Tomioka said flatly.

"Even so, I... was glad I wouldn't have to die alone. So I thought, anyway. So... I still wanted to thank you."

Tomioka-san paused again, then, brow slightly creased. It seemed like he didn't know how to respond. He looked a bit baffled. "...If that's what was going through your head, then I don't understand you in the slightest."

Tanjirou was surprised at his response. "If you don't mind me asking, then, Tomioka-san… what were you thinking?"

"That should be obvious," Tomioka almost spat back. "What else could I do but blame myself for the situation you were in?"

After admitting it, he turned away as if regretting his words, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Tanjirou blinked. As his senior and a Pillar, it made sense Tomioka-san would blame himself. But it almost sounded like he hadn't been worrying about himself at all, even on the brink of death…

Right now, coming from his ani-deshi was a scent of such sadness, just like back then—a sadness like an unfathomably dark, deep ocean, of which he could only see the surface.

"If it weren't for you, Tomioka-san," Tanjirou lowered his hand to touch the place he had been stabbed through the stomach, looking towards the same place on the other's body as he spoke, "Nezuko wouldn't still be beside me right now. Shinobu-san's poison would have reached her."

At that, his senior fell silent. Slowly, Tomioka-san brought a hand over his own wound, glancing at Tanjirou's for a second in turn. "...You're right about that," he agreed. His scent lightened a bit. Maybe his spirits had lifted a little more?

They chatted idly for some time longer, about the return route they'd be taking and the health of Tomioka-san's elderly crow, who Tanjirou learned was named Kanzaburou. He petted him, thinking of meeting Tennoji again when he was back and wondering whether the two would get along.

"Wait, Nezuko! That's Tomioka-san's futon..."

When he wasn't paying attention during their conversation, Nezuko had curled up and fallen asleep on it! But as Tanjirou went over to scold her, he loudly yawned, and no sooner after that he had dropped like a block of stone beside her, already snoring the second he hit the floor. "The boy's out like a light", Kanzaburou cawed. "He must have been exhausted."

Now, Giyuu could only stare at them, wondering what to do about it. As tired as those two were, he obviously couldn't let them sleep on his bed. He'd just have to take them back himself, it looked like.

Under normal circumstances, he'd have been able to carry them both over his shoulders. Because of his wound, however, he had to compromise and make two trips. Giyuu could easily carry the girl on one hip with an arm around her middle, but he couldn't do the same to Kamado without aggravating his stomach wound, so he had to carefully heft him onto his back. When they had both been returned to their room—where, as luck had it, the other two occupants were already snoring noisily—he gently set them down on their futons, placing them under the covers.

Looking down at them, his heart stirred with too many feelings to name.

This pair of siblings were lying there peacefully only because of him. Because he had chosen to take a chance on them that day.

So much had happened, and to see the two resting soundly brought a faint warmth to his chest. They deserved every moment of it. There would undoubtedly be many more challenges ahead for them—and whether or not it would end in tragedy, neither Giyuu nor anyone could possibly predict.

But right now, watching them as they slept beside each other, he only knew that for once in a very long time... he had no regrets.

The soft sound of the door sliding closed registered to Tanjirou, and the scent of water slowly faded. That scent was beginning to calm him without fail. To think it had ever once unsettled him was strange. Thinking back to that time when it had seemed so kind...

Tanjirou hoped that one day, soon, he could come to know it better, and smiled into the pillow.

Chapter Text

"Wait, Nezuko! That's Tomioka-san's futon…"

When he wasn't paying attention during their conversation, Nezuko had curled up and fallen asleep on it! Tanjirou gave his senior a sheepish look.

"Tomioka-san must be tired, too. I suppose Nezuko and I had better get going now…"

Tomioka-san glanced at Nezuko, then back to him, and paused for a moment. His eyes then lowered to the ground.

"I see," was all he said.

Suddenly, it changed again. There was a ripple of unrest disturbing Tomioka-san's scent. It was like a tide that had withdrawn. It seemed as if he might be... disappointed? This scent was…

Did Tomioka-san maybe want them to stay longer?

Then and there, Tanjirou decided. Now that he knew more about Tomioka-san's lonesomeness, he didn't want to just leave him. He might be overstepping boundaries, but his eldest son instincts were too strong, and he couldn't stop himself asking. "I hope this doesn't sound strange, but… Tomioka-san, if it's alright with you… Maybe, could Nezuko and I sleep here tonight? There should be some spare futons in the closet, I think."

Tomioka-san's eyes widened slightly. However, he remained silent, thinking about it. Tanjirou was a little nervous. He fully expected his senior to refuse--after all, he hadn't even really explained himself first!

"Ah! I just…" Tanjirou's cheeks puffed up. "As the eldest son! I just know these things! I could smell it! That Tomioka-san was maybe feeling lonely--"

"I'm not lonely."

Cut off, Tanjirou blinked. Tomioka-san had said that very assuredly. This had become awkward.

"...Oh! I, er, didn't mean to assume-"

Tomioka cleared his throat lightly, interrupting again. "I only…" His mouth pressed into a thin line. "...If you want to," he eventually finished.

Tanjirou was lost for a moment, before realising he was actually accepting. He nodded firmly. "Ah! Then, please excuse me for a minute!"

It turned out there was only one spare futon in the closet, but it wouldn't be a problem. There was more than enough space for both of them to share, as Nezuko soon proved by downsizing herself to fit, snuggling close to Tanjirou when he lay down after making their bed next to Tomioka-san's. He could tell she must still be worried about his injury, and patted her head to try and reassure her.

Once Nezuko had dozed off again, Tanjirou sat up and carefully slid the futon closer to his ani-deshi's, closing the gap, and even moved his pillow and blanket. Tomioka raised his eyebrows at him the whole time, but didn't question him. Even when his junior lay down again, this time shuffling into the middle of the joined mattresses and curling up on his side to face him, he didn't say a word. But when Tanjirou then reached his hand out towards him and gently placed it over his own, he was too dumbstruck to have spoken if he wanted to.

As Tanjirou would have put it, it was all part of his, well, 'eldest son instincts'. He had developed a knack for telling when someone needed to be touched—when someone needed the warmth and physical comfort of another person, to be comforted or cared for. And he had felt that sense from Tomioka-san now—like he was silently, even unconsciously calling out for it. Tanjirou couldn't just ignore it, even if it was his senior disciple. Maybe he would have if he was the second son, but he was the eldest!

When they had been huddling together before, sharing each other's warmth, he had gotten the sense that it had been a long time since Tomioka-san had been close to anyone, let alone touched someone physically. He had seemed to be awkward about the whole situation. But if he happened to dislike physical contact, he wouldn't have let Tanjirou hold his hand before, at the waterfall. That had been how Tanjirou picked up on it in the first place. He remembered a calm scent at that time, not an unpleasant one.

He had already done this before, when his siblings couldn't sleep. The smaller ones would often crawl into his bed when they'd had a scary dream. And during the time Tanjirou trained with Urokodaki-san, when he still worried every night that Nezuko wouldn't open her eyes again, he sometimes slept beside her and held her hand when his fears were too strong. Now, when he'd done the same with Tomioka-san, he looked a little surprised, but didn't reject him. There was a shift in his scent, the same gentleness that Tanjirou had smelled before. Maybe his instincts had been correct. At first his senior's hand was limp, but after a few moments, Tanjirou felt his fingers curl around his thumb.

Tomioka-san's clean, fresh scent was seeping into his nose, making his skin prickle. Tanjirou liked it. It was quickly growing on him. It was so relaxing...

Slowly, almost shyly, he felt the other hold his hand back. Tomioka-san's warmth felt good again—even more so now that their lives weren't in danger. Tanjirou inhaled deeply. There was that scent again. Maybe it could be compared to a gently stirring pond, or a calm sea under the bright sun.

"Good night, Tomioka-san."

Giyuu was left there awake, staring at Kamado slightly bewildered, that warm palm still holding his own. He thought of his older sister, back when he was small, who had let him curl up with her when he couldn't sleep. When she was gone, it had been Sabito. And once Sabito was gone, most of his nights were spent hunting demons, and he was, thankfully, more often than not too exhausted to do anything but pass out the moment his head hit a pillow.

In the relatively short time he had spent around him, Giyuu had quickly learned his junior disciple always seemed to go out of his way to show kindness and consideration to everyone, and he himself had been no exception. Kamado had even said he could smell his feelings, which was honestly a bit unsettling. Not as unsettling as the things Urokodaki-sensei could tell with his nose, but unsettling nonetheless. Was being the eldest son some kind of supernatural ability? Kamado certainly made it sound like one. But maybe it wasn't such a bad thing, when Giyuu would never have said anything himself.

Because… the kid hadn't exactly been wrong. Giyuu had been thinking he wanted them to stay longer, even though he had been so tired he was barely keeping his eyes open.

Kamado's hand felt good, he thought. Just like before, it was warm. It was nice.

For the first time in many years, next to Kamado Tanjirou, Giyuu felt at peace as he closed his eyes to sleep.

-

When he woke in the morning light with a yawn, Tanjirou saw Tomioka-san's side of the shared futon in front of him was empty. At first, he thought the same for Nezuko, too, but he soon found her huddled in a lump under their blanket, hiding away from the sun. She was still dozing soundly. Immediately relieved, Tanjirou smiled and stroked her head. Normally, he would let Nezuko sleep as long as she wanted, but he had to put away the bedding soon. Luckily, she was stirring already.

"Good morning, Nezuko. Did you sleep well? It's been a long journey, hasn't it? Hah… I'm so glad it's all finally over. It's amazing that you cured yourself! If you hadn't done that…" Tanjirou smacked himself on the forehead, not wanting to dwell on the thought any longer. "Come on, time to get up. I've got to tidy up now."

Because her box was still in the other room, Nezuko quickly found a new shady spot to hide in while he rolled their borrowed futon up—that being the closet, which she crawled into like a cat. Tanjirou was an expert at folding, and had all their bedding put away in less than a minute. It was when he was about to move the pillow Tomioka-san had slept on in the middle of tidying, however, that he suddenly got distracted. Or, to be more accurate, his nose got distracted. Tanjirou wasn't an absent-minded type, and he rarely ever lost focus when doing any chores. But when that familiar smell of water drifted by him, his hands stopped moving.

"Tomioka-san's scent…"

Instead of putting the pillow to the side, Tanjirou found himself bringing it closer to his face, breathing it in. His heart started beating faster as he closed his eyes, easily picturing the figure of his ani-deshi. Almost guiltily, he swallowed. Was… he doing something strange right now? Well, it was a bit odd to smell someone's pillow. But Tanjirou had lived his whole life surrounded by people's unique scents, learning them automatically, picking them up on any surface they had touched whether he wanted to or not, and didn't really think it was something he shouldn't do. But for some reason, his pulse was racing, and his skin was prickling like he was being secretive… Although, it would definitely look weird if Tomioka-san came back and saw him doing it! There was no question about that!

Tanjirou was just about to put the pillow down when the shoji door clacked shut and his back straightened like he'd been caught red-handed, his face burning.

"A-Ah, Tomioka-san! Good morning! I was just—putting away the futons," Tanjirou quickly blurted out, tossing the pillow and folding the mattress in record speed. He saw that his senior had returned with medical supplies and fresh bandages. Tomioka-san gave him a blank look, but then nodded at him in response. When Tanjirou had finished putting everything away in the closet, he found the other sitting on the tatami with his torso bare, preparing to change his dressings.

"Oh! Please let me help you with that!"

Tomioka-san apologised for the trouble, but this time, let Tanjirou get on with it without any fuss. Tanjirou helped replace both sets of bandages with fresh ones after cleaning the wounds underneath, and Tomioka-san didn't so much as flinch when the cloth touched them. Unlike the time before, when he looked away and wouldn't meet Tanjirou's eye, this time his gaze wouldn't leave him. Tanjirou had no idea what he was thinking, but he thought it seemed like his senior might be studying his face.

When he was done, Tomioka-san thanked him. "I'll do yours," he offered as soon as he'd re-dressed himself.

"Ah, please don't worry." Tanjirou shook his head. "Tomioka-san, your arm is still…"

"I'll help, then," Tomioka insisted, and wouldn't budge on it. With some reluctance, Tanjirou gave in and pulled his robe open for him. For some time, Tomioka-san seemed to be staring somewhere below his neck. Maybe he was taking a look at Tanjirou's body and assessing his strength, or maybe his own scars—after all, Tanjirou had done the same—or… he wasn't sure, really. Such intense scrutiny from his senior disciple made him feel a little unusually bashful, almost self-conscious.

"There's no going back," was what Tomioka said next as he cut away his bandages with the shears, "now that you've chosen this path."

Ah. So maybe Tomioka-san had been looking at his scars. Tanjirou swallowed. "I know. Of course, I have no regrets. There was no other way for us." He glanced towards Nezuko, still hiding in the closet—though he could see her peeking out a little, looking at his injury with concern. Tanjirou sent her a reassuring smile.

Tomioka continued. "Sometimes, I remembered you. I wondered if you might have already been killed. Mizunoto are the quickest to die."

The smile on Tanjirou's face quickly flattened, and his breath unconsciously stopped.

"...I suppose sensei would have let me know if you had, however. Once or twice, I thought of asking how you were both faring."

Tanjirou couldn't help himself wincing as Tomioka-san cleaned his wounds, first the front end and then the back, but he had already had enough doctors do it that he was getting used to enduring the sting. He helped with tying the knot when it had been dressed, and then shrugged his sleeves back on and straightened his collars back out. Before he could think of a response to his senior's previous words, however, there was a knock on the door, which promptly slid open.

"Please excuse me, sir. Your clothes have dried. I've mended the holes, as well." Kneeling in the hall was the old inn-owner's wife, who had Tomioka-san's freshly-cleaned uniform and haori in a neatly folded pile beside her.

When the inn-lady raised her head and noticed Tanjirou, she looked surprised. "...Oh! I do apologise. I—thought you were staying in the other room. I'll go and fetch yours, dear." The door slid shut again, and a moment later, she returned with them. After they both took their clean clothes and thanked her, Tanjirou apologised for the trouble—they had so many uniforms to wash by hand, after all—but the lady insisted it was the least they could do when guests were so rare at the inn all the way out here, especially such nice young men like them! Before leaving, she let them know that breakfast was nearly ready to be served.

Now it was time for them to get dressed. As it would happen, however, the moment Tomioka-san had completely disrobed was also the moment that Nezuko decided she wanted to open the closet again! She looked indifferent at the view, tilting her head with a 'hmm~' noise, but Tanjirou reddened and ran over to clamp a hand over her eyes.

"Nezuko! Don't look! Stay in there, okay? Tomioka-san is changing!"

"It doesn't bother me," Tomioka said, in the middle of pulling his shirt on.

"Mom raised Nezuko properly!" Tanjirou huffed, slamming the door shut. "There are things she shouldn't see before her wedding day! Ah, shall I help with the buttons again?"

Tomioka-san had already done the bottom ones up on his own, just enough to get his hakama and belt on over his jacket and undershirt. When Tanjirou looked at him now, in the clear daylight, he found himself noticing how delicate and fair his ani-deshi's face was, just like Inosuke's. His eyelashes were shorter but thicker, making his dark, narrow eyes more attractive, his mouth was small and thin, and his brows were higher—all traditionally ideal features.

It was the second time Tanjirou had realised a man was what one might consider beautiful. Although, if Shinobu-san was telling the truth and Tomioka-san wasn't very popular, then women probably avoided him—or perhaps Tomioka-san himself was repelling them. Still, he wouldn't be surprised if young ladies were proposing marriage every time he saved one! If Tanjirou was a girl Tomioka-san had saved from a demon (well... under different circumstances than he had actually been...), he would probably at least consider it! He laughed to himself.

"Hm? What is it?"

Ah, Tomioka-san must have noticed him spacing out while he was helping him dress. Tanjirou grinned as he did up another couple of buttons.

"I was just thinking that because Tomioka-san is so handsome, you must have been proposed to before. Since you must have saved a lot of women, right?"

His senior blinked at him, blank-faced.

"...It did happen, a few times."

"Pfff. I knew it!"

It was Kamado who was more suited to be someone's husband, Giyuu thought. He was considerate, responsible, and hard-working—the major qualities a wife would hope for in her spouse. Just his smile was enough to settle one's heart. Unfortunately, just like countless others, the boy had been denied the chance to live the ordinary, peaceful life he would have enjoyed. The life he deserved.

"It was really nice of the owner's wife to mend our clothes for us," Tanjirou idly commented, smiling as he did up the rest of Tomioka-san's buttons for him again, and though his senior nodded in agreement, he seemed a bit distracted. "...Is something the matter?"

"Nothing."

Last up was Tomioka-san's hair—because it would put strain on his injured shoulder to reach up behind his head and tie it at the back, he held it in place with his left hand while Tanjirou tied it for him, though it wasn't easy navigating that thick forest of layered bushy hair to do so! It was very soft and fluffy, though, and had a pleasant, smooth feel, almost like Tennoji's feathers. It still smelled nice and clean from being washed the previous day, too.

By the time they made it to breakfast, everyone was already there, chatting amongst themselves. It looked like the Pillar with the striking flame-like hair was already having seconds, based on the number of empty dishes around him, loudly exclaiming how delicious it was between mouthfuls. He must have gotten up very early. Shinobu-san, sitting just outside of the splash-zone, greeted them cordially, while their other mountain of a companion—the Stone Pillar, or had it been Rock Pillar?-seemed to be praying before his meal.

Nezuko was still wary towards the other three Pillars, making an upset growl from inside her box when Tanjirou entered the room. She peeked out a little at them as he sat himself down with Zenitsu and Inosuke. Confusingly, Tomioka-san had gone out of his way to sit far from everyone else, and when Tanjirou was thinking he should go and ask if he wanted to sit with them, Zenitsu spoke up and distracted him.

"Eh, Tanjirou? Where were you last night? You weren't there when we woke up."

"Oh!" Tanjirou beamed, pouring himself some tea. "I ended up staying all night with Tomioka-san."

At that, there was a noise that could only be described as everyone in the room except Inosuke choking on their food at the same time, even Tomioka-san. They were all looking at him. Tomioka opened his mouth, but he was quickly overtaken.

"You're—you're just gonna tell everyone like that, Tanjirou?!" Zenitsu spluttered. "S-so those two are… I knew something was up with those sounds..." he murmured under his breath.

"...Oh my. Tomioka-san barely says anything, and Tanjirou-kun says too much," Shinobu commented, daintily dabbing her mouth with a handkerchief.

"Tasty!" Chew, chew, gulp. "Ah! I see, I see. I'm not surprised!" Chew, chew, gulp. "Tasty!"

Himejima was the only one polite enough to pretend he hadn't heard anything. Or, maybe he was just too hungry.

"Huh? Were you fighting or something?!" Inosuke didn't get what the fuss was about.

Dead silence.

"...Yeah, something like that, Inosuke," Zenitsu muttered.

Tomioka-san, meanwhile, looked absolutely mortified. He coughed into his hand.

"...You've all misunderstood," he tried.

"What? What did I say?" Tanjirou frowned. "We stayed in the same room. Nezuko, too. What's wrong with that?"

Finally, everyone visibly deflated.

Zenitsu let out an awkward laugh. "Uh. Never mind!"

"...Ah, my apologies. Do choose your words more carefully next time, Tanjirou-kun." Kochou promptly went back to her breakfast.

Giyuu was desperately trying to will himself invisible as he sipped his tea.

Tanjirou, for his part, was still confused. "What was all that about?"

"Oh, Tanjirou. I forgot you're a clueless country bumpkin," Zenitsu sighed. "No, no don't worry about it!" He waved his hands." I must've thought I was hearing things! I'm not in my right mind! You know how it is. Didn't get any sleep last night 'cause boar-head over here snores like a train horn!"

"Train horn? What's that?"

Inosuke and Tanjirou had both asked the same question at the same time. Zenitsu slapped his forehead in disbelief.

"You're a pair of backwater buddies," he muttered to himself.

A sudden scent caught Tanjirou's nose, and curiously, he sniffed Zenitsu, then Inosuke. "You smell like each other," he pointed out, grinning as he heaped another helping of his own rice into Inosuke's bowl. "Did you share a bed too?"

This time, when everyone choked on their food again, Inosuke was included.