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Tanya, Mary, Tanjiro, and his sister walked behind Gunner and Yushiro. Tanya watched the two demons in front of them, she was still a little on edge. But that is partial because she can still feel Mary giving her a look from behind. 'This feels similar to looks she gave me on the battlefield…' her eyes twitch slightly. "So where are we heading?" Tanjiro asked what was basically on the mind of the others. Gunner spoke up just before Yushiro could, making the shorter demon make a small 'grr' sound. "We are heading to where Miss Tamayo stays, there are reasons for it, understand we can't be out in the open." after Gunner explained it Tanjiro would not ask more on the subject.
"All of you shut up! We are almost there." Yushiro and Tanjiro were both already on bad footing, the former having insulted the latter's sister. Though Nezuko did not seem bothered by it, Tanjiro went off on this whole explanation of why nezuko is pretty and demanded Yushiro take it back. The whole thing delayed them all by almost half an hour.
Soon though Yushiro stopped in front of a tall wooden fence. "Here we are," he said as he stared at the fence. The three demon slayers present looked confused. Mary looked alongside the fence "is there a gate?" Yushiro sighed, walking into the gate which surprised the girl and Tanjiro as well. "Through here. Quickly." Gunner spoke with an amused grin, walking in after Yushiro. Mary and Tanjiro were still confused, but after seeing Tanya waste no time walking in they did as well, Nezuko walking in with her brother. They were shocked to see a large home and yard was hidden behind the wall, with Gunner explaining it has to do with what Yushiro can do.
After all, a little bit longer they were in the house, Tamaya having waited for them to return. She was sitting by the woman whose husband had been turned into a demon that night by Muzan. "How is she?" Tanjiro asked, feeling a tinge of guilt seeing the woman in the bed even if he was not the one that turned her husband. "She will be fine, just resting for now. Her Husband had to be confined below, unfortunately." while the two Talked Tanya was still unsure how to feel about not one, not two, but three demons around them. Four if she also counted Nezuko.
"I will go make tea Tamayo." Gunner spoke, Yushiro flinching greatly annoyed by Gunner acting so informal. Soon all of them bar Gunner were in another room, Nezuko laid down and began moving and rubbing her back on the floor like a child. "Nezuko don't do that it is rude." Tanjiro said with a dejected look, Tamayo however gave a small smile "it is fine, please get comfortable." when they all sat down, even Tanya could not deny the lady despite being a demon had a calm and safe feeling around her. While Tanya was also going to be on edge around demons, she could at least begin to relax.
"So why are you a fugitive from Muzan?" Tanya felt like cutting into the conversation with a hard question, Mary was concerned, while Yushiro was about to smack Tanya. But when he raised his hand he flinched when he saw the girls intense stare 't-the hell?!' he thought to himself. Tamayo sighed "I was not expecting this question, I cannot answer that right now. As I have I lot to say and ask. But know we are on the same side, not officially. But we are not enemies, us and all of you." Tanya gave an unsure look, while Mary wanted to believe it but had doubts.
Tanjiro however smiled widely "I can tell" he spoke decisively. "Even if you had not helped me back there, my nose never lies. I can tell you are a kind person, demon or not Tamayo-ach!" his heartening words were cut off by Yushiro hitting him on the stomach "don't speak so informally to her! It is Miss Tamayo to you!" Tamayo looked a bit off-put by the rudeness of Yushiro "Yushiro stop hitting Tanjiro, or I will have to ask you to leave." Yushiro instantly stopped and sat on his knees by Tamayo. "Yes, Lady Tamayo sorry!" Tanya could not keep herself from thinking 'well she certainly has him on a leash.'
Tamayo sat with furrowed brow, "I know it is hard to trust us, and while we still have to avoid starvation like other demons. Thanks to both removing Muzan's curse and some extensive research, Yushiro, Gunner, and I are able to survive on just a small amount of blood." Tanjiro blinked, "really?" meanwhile Tanya was more focused on the removing curse part, but before she asked Tamayo continued. "Yes. Yushiro needs even less us since is not a normal demon." all three were obviously curious about what she meant, Tamayo looked at Yushiro as if to silently ask if he is okay telling them, and he nodded. "Because I was the one that turned him into a demon."
Meanwhile, Gunner had just finished making the tea and just brought it in. "seems I am late to the conversation." he said when saw the look of their guests. He placed the tea in the middle of all of them and sat next to Tamayo. 'Who does he think he is? Sitting next to lady Tamayo without asking?' Yushiro thought to himself, glaring at Gunner some more. The other demon just gave him a side-eye and smirked. Which only further angered Yushiro.
"How did you turn him into a demon? I thought only Muzan could do that." Tamayo gave a nod at Tanjiro's question. "Yes, the way I do it is dangerous. More importantly, unlike Muzan I want to give people a choice. Which is why I always ask, and even then I keep checking to make sure they want to go along with it before I start. Yushiro so far is the only human I've turned into a demon, while Gunner is the only demon beside myself I have removed Muzan's curse from." Tanjiro was confused "I keep hearing you all talk about Muzan's curse, what is that?" Tanya sighed "well Tanjiro…" after Tanya explained to him what the curse was Tanjiro gave a horrified look "so even to demons loyal to him he makes them suffer? Just for saying his name?" he looked at Nezuko, who was still rolling around playfully on the floor. He wondered if Nezuko fell under the same category even though she has resisted other demon natures.
"Such is the nature of Muzan." Gunner said bluntly before drinking some tea. Mary sat there and looked at the mats on the floor 'I could only have imagined fathers horror.' Tanya meanwhile thought to herself 'Muzan must be Being X's favorite, sounds like they would get along well.' her eyes twitched for only one second. Tamayo looked at Tanjiro, giving a small smile "Tanjiro, all three of you really, I want you to know we are working towards a cure, which is why I have two favors to ask, ones which will help us get closer to completing that goal."
Without hesitation, something which would have made his master proud, Tanjiro nodded at least willing to hear her out. Tamayo looked at Nezuko, who by now lay beside her brother. "If you are okay with it, I would like to draw a little blood from Nezuko, I believe her case is a rare one, and can possibly help. But I will only do so with your permission." Tanjiro gave a small nod "I am sure Nezuko is okay with it right?" Nezuko stopped and gave a small nod, Tanya's eyes narrow 'was she even listening?'
"Next, I would like to ask all three of you if you are willing to collect the blood of those closest to Muzan. Since the sample size of demon blood I have been using is limited." Tanjiro once again looked confused, and it was very clear he was the only one in the room who had no idea what Tamayo meant by 'those close to Muzan'. "I want you to get the blood of the twelve Kizuki, demons who work directly under Muzan, his strongest demons. They have a high concentration of his blood as a result of their strength." Tanya was very much aware of the danger Tamayo was asking them to take, possible demon cure aside, even lower moons could go toe to toe with Hashira. And she never encountered an upper moon yet, but she knows they are far stronger than any lower moon.
Yushiro's eyes widened, "everyone down!" suddenly a Temari ball came flying in, it bounced around and around. Tanjiro shielded Nezuko, while Tanya and Mary buckled down for cover. "The hell?!" Mary took out her sword and attempted to slice the ball but it moved seemingly on its own in mid-air. "Huh?" she was confused by it and it nearly hit her on the head, luckily Tanya tackled her down. The impact of the tackle hurt Mary slightly, but it was preferable to the ball hitting her.
Two demons were outside, one had his eyelids closed, and had strange eyes in his hands, Yahaba. "Do you have to be so destructive with your attacks Susamaru?" the girl demon in question laughed, "you and Nakal are both sticks in the mud. We just gotta take these humans out for the master." she took out another Temari ball and caught the one she through in before hand. When the dust cleared the people inside saw the two demons outside. "My my, would you look at that, isn't that the fugitive Tamayo?" Yahaba asked. Sasamaru laughed "that combined with that girl and boy's head are sure to make master happy." she then tossed the balls into the room again. While Yushiro was running through his thought trying to think of how the demon could have possibly found them. A Temari ball was about to hit Tamayo "lady Tamayo!" the ball once again moved in mid-air, it just was about to hit him in the head, when Gunner pushed him out of the way, losing his head instead.
"Gunner!" Mary shouted out. Tanjiro seethed his teethed, angered by the sudden beheading of the demon who had helped them. Yushiro was in shock, Gunner saved him, but more than that, Gunner was stronger than him and beheaded him in one hit. "Damn it, lady Tamayo. I can hide things and people but It is not like I can hide the fact they exist," he spoke out, figuring they had used a method to find them that could see things he hid.
"Hello there~" they all heard a voice inside the room, they turned to that hanging from one of the holes in the roof made by the flying Temari balls was a demon that looked like a monkey, Nekal. "Nice to see-" he just barely got out of the way of a Temari ball. Which distracted him enough for Tanya to slice at him, making him retreat upwards. "Sh- I'm going after that demon, take care of the others!" Tanya jumped up out of the room to follow Nekal. As the temari balls flew around, Tanjiro asked "how can it keep moving around like that?"
"You can't see them?" Tanjiro looked at Yushiro who was ducked down. "Damn it, Kamado I am lending you my power so you can see for yourself, same to you." He held up two parchments and after a symbol appeared on them he threw them and they attached themselves to Tanjiro's and Mary's heads. Suddenly they both saw that below the temari balls were arrows. "Go." Tamayo spoke out, holding Gunner's body in her hand "Gunner will be all right, he's a demon after all. Focus on taking those two out."
After Tanjiro told Nezuko to stay inside with the others he and Mary ran out, spotting the two demons outside. "Aw shucks, looks like one lost his head," Susamaru said with a gleeful grin. Yahaba would back away, "we should take them out quickly. Considering what we saw earlier Nekal will not be able to beat that girl on his own." while Mary and Tanjiro prepared their stances, Susamaru removed some of her clothes, revealing she had Six arms rather than two. "Got it time to got all out!" she threw the balls as they came flying around the two thanks to the power of the arrows from Yahaba.
As the temari balls flew around or at them, Mary would slice at them with her blessed breathing and Tanjiro with his water breathing techniques. Thanks to being able to see the arrows now they were more efficiently able to slice away the attack and dodge it. But it still nearly him them a few times, the temari balls flew past them, some bouncing around in the home behind them. One hit both Tamayo and Yushiro, not beheading them like it did Gunner but it did harm them. "no-" Tanjiro mumbled out. His eyes landed on the arrow demon, the temari demon was stronger but the arrow demon was what allowed them to hit more precise targets. He started running at the two demons, a temari ball was about to hit him from above when Mary cut it "first form, a slash of the faithful" she cut it up. This allowed Tanjiro to jump over Susamaru and aim for the arrow demon.
'I see the opening thread!' he thought to himself as he breathed in and readied the first form of water, but then Yahaba grunted "stay away!" he held his hand out and the eye on it closed. The opening thread snapped in Tanjiro's mind, and he suddenly went flying sideways and away from Yahaba. "Heh, guess that means I will kill you first," Susamaru said to Mary, she ran at the demon. Who blocked with one hand, grabbed with the other, and then punched Mary to the ground. She grunted hard, and when Susamaru then threw two temari balls at her, Mary just barely got out of the way of the one that was heading for her head, but one hit the back of her leg.
Meanwhile, Nezuko was watching the whole thing, thanks to Urokodaki's hypnosis, she saw an injured image of her mother and siblings when she looked at Tamayo, Yushiro, and Gunner who now had most of their head back. Her eyebrows furrowed, and she ran outside, heading right for one of the temari balls that were heading towards the house. "Wait you can't-" Nezuko's left was taken off by the temari ball before Tamaya could warn her. Tanjiro sneered a bit, but he still had to deal with Yahaba who was now in his way. He ran at the arrow demon again "I believed you have tried that twice now." the demon said as just when Tanjiro said "water breathing…" he went flying back, stopping himself from hitting a wall that Yahaba was sending him into with first form water breathing.
Tanya once again slashed away a limb of the monkey demon, he could not get a hit himself but was far too nimble for Tanya to get an effective last strike on his neck. "This is just wasting my time!" she shouted out, her mouth giving a toothy frown. Nekal laughed "that is the point, I may not be an upper moon or even a lower moon, but my limbs heal almost instantly. I just have to let you run out your energy. And then I can finish you off!" he shouted he stretched out his right leg and got ready to run at Tanya again. She gripped her sword 'water breathing is the fastest, but he has dodged every time. It's a risk, but if I quickly change between breathing forms, I can finish him off.'
Nekal's monkey tail whipped the ground and launched him forward. Tanya prepared to attack, but she heard "Duck now!" Gunner shouted as did so, he fired off his blight blast. "What?!" Nekal was left no time to react, as he was blasted right against a tree in the yard. Tanya blinked, she looked back at Gunner and nodded at him. Her sword is then engulfed in flames, now she doesn't even need to do her possibly risky plan. "Seventh form; blaze release!" with a large rush forward Tanya is right in front of Nekal who only now got over the disorientation from Gunner's attack. Tanya releases a powerful slash through the monkey demon's neck, cutting it off and both cutting into and scorching the tree behind him. Nekal's head lands by Gunner "you…traitor, master, will kill you. All of you!" his head was then kicked away as it disappeared along with the body, Gunner shaking his head, remembering when he was like this.
While that was happening, Tanjiro was still being tossed around by the arrow demon, having to constantly switch between water-breathing forms to stop himself from being smashed against various walls and trees. "Eighth form; waterfall basin!" Tanjiro yells as he slams his blade against the ground for the sixth time tonight. He takes heavy breaths in and out 'my lungs hurt, and I am struggling to keep my feet stable. Those arrows are too much for me…that is it!' he stands back up and grasps his sword as much as he can. His sword begins surrounding itself in colorful blue water, as the arrows fly towards him, he twists his sword around and lets it take the two first arrows, but despite his tiredness, Tanjiro is able to keep his feet still and gets more and more of the arrows into the flowing motion of the blade.
Mary was on the ground now, her legs and arms and bit hit many times by the constant temari ball barrage. Nezuko still had her energy despite having lost her legs twice now. Her veins pop 'mnnn!' she grumbled behind the bamboo in her mouth. When another temari ball came for her, her leg caught it and kicked it back this time. "What? Grrr.." Susamaru threw the temari balls back at Nezuko who not only was kicking but catching and throwing them back as well.
"Lady Tamayo, how is that possible? I thought that demon never ate a human before, and yet she is already catching up to one who has been one for longer than her?" Yushiro was perplexed. "I do not know how Yushiro…" Tamayo watched as Nezuko was starting to put the temari demon on its toes and push it back when it caught the temari balls. "But somehow Nezuko is getting stronger all on her own." she smiled a little. Yushiro scoffed, Nezuko's attacks were waning, as it was obvious the temari demon was still slightly stronger than her, he walked out of the house, using his power to escape sight. He was going to help them, and he told himself he was only helping them to protect Tamayo, and not because he wanted to.
"Arr…" Tanjiro grunted as the water and sword had all they could not. "Come on…just gotta." it was difficult to move his body, let alone the sword. Yahaba was seething at the point, he was also being forced with limited choices due to Tanjiro's move. "So much pressure. But if this does not work I am, doomed." he ripped to himself and started forcing his feet forward. "Second form; improved, lateral water wheel!" he forced his body to move sideways rather than the how the form usually goes which is down and up. With a spinning motion the sword cut into the arrow demon's neck, "ack!" Yahaba shouted out as one of his actual eyes popped out when his head came off. "I did it." Tanjiro coughed a little, looking over at the arrow demon who was of course far from okay with his situation. "Damn it, I won't go down like this! I will take you with me!" his disappearing body held out its hands, and closed its eyes in them. Suddenly many arrows popped into Tanjiro. "Huh?" before he could do anything about it he suddenly went flying around in many directions.
"Eighth form; waterfall basin!" he shouted when he nearly plummeted into the roof, but he was left no time to recover. "Seventh form, drop ripple thrust." Tanjiro did this to stop more impact. But he kept being thrown around by the arrows. His only hope was to keep up his techniques until Yahaba's body disappeared. But suddenly while in the sky the arrows went away, and Tanjiro felt himself falling naturally, he was caught by Gunner. "You okay kid?" the demon asked after Tanjiro back down on his feet. He looked over and saw Tanya sheathing her sword, st6anding over the now destroyed hands that were now basically gone. "You bastards…not even…letting me have this…." Yahaba spouted out his last words before his head was gone with the rest of him. Tanjiro gave a sympathetic look, but remembered his sister was still in trouble!
Susamaru grabbed her temari balls, "I will crush you all!" suddenly she felt someone hit her from behind "huh?!" she looked over and saw no one, it happened again and again. "Who is the bastard who keeps doing this?!" she shouts with seething anger in her voice. Yushiro appears from thin air, glaring at her. Nezuko is ready for more as well prepared to attack the temari demon with Yushiro. Mary had forced her feet up and held her sword. She snuck around and waited for an opening. Yushiro and Nezuko struck the temari demon, staying to close for her to throw her attacks effectively. "Stay still damn it!" Mary stuck when Susamaru's arms stretched back. "Fourth form; Divine smite!" She suddenly cut through the top two of Susamaru's four arms.
Susamaru waited, but no sign came of her arms coming back. Mary was struggling to get a strong stance due to her injured leg. So the demon brought her arms back, each hand holding a temari ball. "I will crush you!" suddenly Yushiro grabbed the two remaining hands on her left side, "quick girl, grab her other arms!" Nezuko did so, grasping Susamaru's other two. "What you two doing?!" Yushiro and Nezuko were weaker than the temari demon, but they focused all their strength on keeping her arms pinned. Which was only increased when Tanjiro and Gunner joined in. "don't tell me you defeated Yahaba and Nekal already?!" she shouted out, not seeing Tanya and Tamayo behind her.
"Is she a ranked demon? Were any of them?" Tanya asked since all three seemed strong, and Tanya already knew the answer. But she wanted Tanjiro to know why they were not. "No, they would need a number in their eye that says their rank." Tanya nodded, she once again took out her sword, "flame breathing, first form; unknowing fire" she struck from behind, as Susamaru's head was removed from her body.
The head flopped against the ground, stopping with her facing her now the disappearing body that everyone was getting off of now. "This can't be. I was going to become them, become one of those masters deemed worthy! I-" Tanjiro grabbed one of the demon hands, thinking a little bit of 'huh, Deja Vu'. "I do not know when you or your friends were turned. But your master never cared for you. I, truly am sorry for you." Susamaru never responded, she was gone before she could, she just simply cried and wallowed before she disappeared. Tamayo breathed out of relief, she was worried she would have to use her own art to force the temari demon to activate Muzan's curse, luckily that was avoided.
The sun started to come up, Tanjiro blinked as he had been sitting and praying for the three demons, he quickly turned and saw the only one still there was Tanya. "They went inside, Mary also did to get patched up." Tanjiro nodded, when he passed by her he asked "Tanya, have you faced a member of the Twelve Kizuki before?" she nodded, "once, a lower moon." he looked at his feet "how strong were they?" Tanya sighed, and then stood up. "None of these demons even come close." not wanting to answer further questions, she headed inside. Tanjiro following after.
Inside they headed to the basement. "Mnnn" Nezuko ran up to Tanjiro, who patted her on the head. "Yeah, you did great Nezuko. Amazing." Mary walked over to them as well, she walked with a limp, and her leg was wrapped up, but luckily nothing was broken. "So where will you go now?" Tanya knew the fugitive demons planned to move locations, especially now that Muzan would know where they are. "We do not know yet, but, if I may." Tamayo started, walking in front of Gunner and Yushiro. "I imagine traveling with a demon is dangerous, both for you and Nezuko. Would you like us to take her?" Tamayo did not ask this out of any selfish means, or to separate the Kamado siblings, she was just trying to help in any way she could.
Tanjiro smiled, looking back down at Nezuko "no. Nezuko and I will be together forever. I won't let anyone separate us." Tamayo seemed to smile at that answer. "I understand. As for us, we will likely leave come nightfall." Gunner crossed his arms "I will make sure we pack what we need, hopefully, we won't leave any of Tamayo's tools behind."
Suddenly Nezuko went and hugged Tamayo, something which made Yushiro angered and shout at her, only for Nezuko to pat him on the head. Which made Gunner laugh. "She did this as well when we first came down here. I cannot help but wonder why." Tamayo asked curiously. Tanya was confused as well 'is it a demon familiarity thing?' Tanjiro smiled again "oh, my master made Nezuko think all humans are her family, so she'd protect them instead of attacking them." Tamayo's eyes widened a little "but we are not human, like her we are demons." Tanjiro nods his head "it just means Nezuko sees you as human."
Tamayo froze, after a couple second a few tears fell from her eyes and cheeks. "Is that t-true?" she hugged Nezuko "thank you Nezuko. Really" Gunner had turned his head, trying to hide the fact that being seen as a human was making him cry as well. Yushiro stopped his griping, he stared at Tamayo and her crying. He could tell that just being seen as a human was something she probably had wanted for a long time. He became a demon because he wanted to, she and Gunner were tricked or forced into it. He could only partially understand why this was important to them. "Hey Kamado, I suppose your sister is pretty after all," Yushiro said, he looked embarrassed admitting it. But it made Tanjiro smile, and the laugh from Tanya and Mary helped lightened the mood of the room now.
An hour later, they all were still there. Mary wanted to make sure her legs were fine, and Tanjiro was injured greatly as well. Since Tamayo was a doctor she could help them even if her home was in shambles though it would require them to head up to get the supplies and constantly bring them down to her. Due to the many holes in the house, the sun could hit her or the other demons at any time. Tanya finished her report, she called her crow over and then let it fly off. "So are you leaving now?" Tanjiro asked as he held some bandages in his hand Tamayo asked him to get. "Not yet, I will wait till nighttime like you and Mary. if Muzan does send more demons here it is better to be safe than sorry."
that was only partially true, as she wanted to get notes from Tamayo on demon physiology, it could help her or even Shinobu with figuring out demon weaknesses, or perhaps even a cure. Though she doubted Shinobu would be willing to work on that with the upper rank that killed Kanae still out there. "I see, thank you Tanya." she nodded. "Let me help you with that." as she helped Tanjiro carry the supplies down she thought to herself 'this is almost done, when I get back though I am making Kyujuro give me a back message for all the damn stress of this mission gave me.'
In a house nearby another demon licked his lips of the blood that was on them. His hands were covered in blood, but he did give that old man who lived here a choice. And the old man picked wrong so he died and became the demon, Zettour's meal.
"Hmm, the tracker ends here. I saw those three demons head into that wall. Must be the power of a demon that keeps it hidden." Zettour chuckled to himself. "I also sense Mary in there, I wonder why. And if that boy and his demon sister are in there." he smiled widely and confidently, "I have a feeling that girl is in there as well, Tanya." he had not seen it, but it was if a voice in his head was telling Zettour this."That means two people I will be leaving with tonight. Even if some of them will be surprised to see me."