I Love You, Scars and All Chapter Thirty-Eight: At the Swordsmith Village
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Chapter Additional Tags: Shinazugawa Genya Needs a Hug, Kamado Tanjirou is a Ray of Sunshine, Shinazugawa Genya-centric, Protective Kamado Tanjirou, Protective Kamado Nezuko, Cute Kamado Nezuko, Kamado Nezuko is a Ray of Sunshine, Shinazugawa Sanemi is Bad at Feelings, Shinazugawa Sanemi Needs a Hug, Swordsmith Village Arc,
Content featuring the following tags (Past Child Abuse, Past References to Domestic Abuse,) will start and end with (~~X~~) for those uncomfortable with these subjects.
~~•~~
Chapter Thirty-Nine was originally published on July 25, 2026
~~•~~
Links:
Masterlist
AO3
Wattpad
~~•~~
Genya was caught by Tanjiro, who just discovered his demon-eating abilities. The mohawk-haired boy pondered what to do. He couldn’t kill him, as not only was it forbidden for other Slayers to kill each other, but it would make him look worse, and his sister was nearby. The half-demon couldn’t bear to kill someone’s sibling in front of them. Instead, he opted to knock the redhead out and deal with the Upper Four clones himself.
“Graaah!” yelled one of the clones, interrupting Genya.
It was the green-eyed demon holding his decapitated head in agony. From his neck, sparks of red could be seen on the flesh. Noting how they looked similar to Nezuko’s flames, the half-demon looked at Tanjiro’s blade, and it showed the same traces.
Holy shit…
“What kind of attack was that?! I can’t regenerate!” whined the demon of pleasure. “It’s burning!”
“Quit whining! It’s embarrassing!” chided Sekido with his head on his lap. “You’re regenerated… just slowly!”
The attack is working! I don’t know what happened to Genya… but I know he cut off that demon’s head! Tanjiro thought, too focused on what was going on. I suspect that even if we cut off all four heads, they wouldn’t fall like Gyutaro and his sister! There’s almost no point in attacking this emotion demon! I’ve been wondering about something for a while.
Then, the redhead remembered Nezuko being under the rubble, running towards her.
“Nezuko!” He yelled, cutting the wood above her.
Once free, the Kamado siblings hugged each other with relief. However, the older brother still had something on his mind.
Is it possible that their necks aren’t their weak point? I started to suspect it when I smelled it for a moment. Right… it was… the smell of a fifth one! There’s a fifth body! I must find it!
Upon his revelation, Tanjiro let go of the hug as he and his sister looked around for the fifth clone. However, all he could see was the rubble… until a hand reached out for his neck. Shocked, the redhead looked up to see Genya choking him.
“Don’t get cocky!” The half-demon yelled, his breath and fangs visible to everyone. “I’m the one who’s gonna defeat the Upper Moon Four!”
“Genya…”
“It wasn’t your strength alone that beat Upper Moon Six! It was Yorumi’s! That’s why you haven’t become a Hashira yet!”
“Yeah, that’s right.” Tanjiro agreed, still confused about the situation.
“Before I can, I will…”
“Genya, you’re drooling. What happened to you? Why do you smell like–”
Suddenly, Tanjiro paused for a moment to focus on the scent from the half-demon’s wounds, realizing how familiar it was. Then, it hit him. He smelled something strange from Yorumi’s explosives, recalling how effective it was against Gyutaro and his sister. Noting how Genya’s appearance had changed along with what he had gathered, the Kamado brother connected the dots.
“Yorumi–!”
“I said don't say her name!”
The Breathless Tsuguko angrily rebuked, tightening his grip once the half-demon’s grip on the Hinokami Kagura user’s neck.
“Y-You’re choking me!”
The half-demon held the redhead’s throat harder before declaring loudly.
“I’m the one who’s gonna be a Hashira!”
“I see. I get it now.” Tanjiro cheerfully responded despite being choked. “Nezuko and I will support you to the fullest! Let’s do our best together!”
“Huh?”
“There must be a fifth demon. I’ll find it. Could you buy me some time?”
“I know your tricks!” Genya assumed, letting go of the redhead’s neck. “Getting me to drop my guard and…”
Before the scarred Slayer knew it, Tanjiro’s eyes of innocence hypnotized him, leaving no ill intention behind his words.
“Huh?” Is this why Yorumi is friends with him?
Suddenly, some jingling sounds happened in the distance, alerting the redhead.
“Watch out!”
Once Genya was pushed away, lightning started to strike towards them. They both looked back, and Sekido was already done regenerating.
“Genya!” The forehead-scarred boy called. “I’ll tell you when I find the fifth one. Please hold that one off for a while!”
Then, Tanjiro ran away to fight when Genya realized something from the three.
“They’ve all regenerated already.”
He pulled out his gun as he and Nezuko ran into action.
“Just be careful not to attack Nezuko.” The Kamado brother reminded him. “She’s my little sister.”
Upon cue, the Kamado sister casually waved towards the half-demon.
“Hmph!” She greeted him.
“Uh hi…”
Looking above, the yellow-eyed clone tried to soar towards them before slightly dodging Genya’s bullets. Seeing no choice, the former had to fly somewhere else. Meanwhile, Nezuko was fighting against the pleasure clone with Tanjiro running around to search for the fifth one’s scent. The Kamado sister tried kicking her opponent, but he blocked it in time. He tried using his fan until Nezuko nimbly dodged, blowing away some rubble instead. Synchronously, the smells became clearer for the Kamado brother as he sniffed for his target. Smelling through the sulfur and wood, he finally found him.
“Genya! Straight to the northeast!” He called, catching the scar-faced boy’s attention.
Hearing this, Sekido called for the winged clone.
“Urogi!”
Immediately, the yellow-eyed demon flew down to Tanjiro, who kept blocking his attacks.
“The fifth one is hunkered down there!” The forehead-scarred boy shouted, using his head to point towards the northeast direction.
Then, the angry clone slammed his staff onto the ground, summoning lightning towards Tanjiro and Genya. Thankfully, both were able to avoid getting electrocuted.
“Go! I’ll back you up!”
Northeast! Genya memorized, swiftly running in that direction.
“Nezuko! Go help Genya!” The redhead yelled. “Don’t let the demons interfere with him!”
However, the Hinokami Kagura user was blown away by the fan-yielding demon’s gusts. He stabbed his sword into the ground while holding onto a nearby tree trunk to brace the impact.
Don’t get blown away! Stay right here! He thought before noticing Sekido in the distance. He’s going to summon more lightning!
Nezuko tried attacking him but was stabbed by a familiar spear. It was Aizetsu, presumably free now that Genya was gone. As the sorrow clone pinned the demon girl onto the tree, Sekido tried summoning his lightning before Tanjiro cut off his hand.
That boy… has gotten faster! The red-eyed clone thought in pain. From the moment we met… he had already surpassed the level his Lordship told me about. He has outstanding reflexes and adapts to the fight. And he demonstrates explosive growth at critical moments.
In retaliation, the winged clone flew down to attack, only to be cut down by Hinokami Kagura. Meanwhile, Nezuko tightly held Aizetsu’s head, moving her stabbed body closer before combusting him into flames.
“GAH! AAGH!”
Karaku! Karaku! Sekido looked back to look for the green-eyed clone, presumably Karaku.
Under the red-eyed demon’s command, he was using his fan to add more pressure onto the ground, crushing Tanjiro under its weight.
“Now for that kid with the bullets!” The pleasure clone cheered with bloodlust before half his arm was vertically cut off.
Hmph! He cut me!
“The brat!” He yelled, violently kicking the redhead.
“Genya! On your right! It’s moving south! Find it!” The forehead-scarred boy yelled, blood spilling from his mouth.
Meanwhile, he was searching hard in the forest, looking everywhere for the fifth clone.
I’m looking! I’ve been looking this whole time! The half-demon thought back with irritation. Can I not see it because of some Demon Art?! Shit! Shit! SHIT! Where?! The longer this goes on, the more exhausted I get!
“West! Further right! It’s close! On the ground!” Tanjiro yelled from far away.
Where? W… Genya thought before looking at the ground, noticing a small demonic old man.
“AIEEE!” He squealed loudly.
He’s tiny! The half-demon thought, immediately pulling out his gun and trying to shoot him.
However, the tiny clone was somehow able to dodge his shots. He continued to run away in fear, further irritating Genya.
It’s too small! This is the main body?!
“AIEEE!” The main body screeched fearfully.
This guy?! Genya internally screamed in anger, swinging his wakizashi around. The little creep! How was I supposed to find that?! He’s the size of a mouse! The other four are really strong! This pipsqueak is controlling them?! While fighting those four, we gotta go mouse hunting?! Sheesh! Now I see how they’ve defeated so many Demon Slayers so far. Gimme a break! So sneaky! That really pisses me off!
At last, Genya’s blade swung close to the small demon’s neck.
“Gyah!”
Yes, got him!! I’ve won!
However, upon contact with the main body’s neck, the wakizashi snapped in half. Meanwhile, the small demon was barely harmed by the attack as the half-demon froze in shock.
My… my blade! Not again! I can’t cut him! No way! No way! His neck is only as thick as a finger!
In retaliation, the half-demon pulled out his gun and shot at the demon, only to barely graze him.
It’s no use!
Suddenly, a fully recovered Sekido appeared from behind him, ready to decapitate the scarred Slayer. Genya could sense it, but he knew that it was too late. He was going to die.
No! I was too slow! I can’t dodge. He’s got me. I can’t heal my neck. The half-demon panicked internally as time seemed to slow down, his internal voice breaking with each thought. If Yorumi, the other Hashira… or hell, even that idiot is here instead, this would’ve been over already…. Sanemi… I wanted to become a Hashira… so that you would respect me. And I wanted to apologize… for that one time.
~~X~~
In the blink of an eye, Genya recalled his home life even before that fateful day. His mother, Shizu, would walk around in a crowd, and she would be shorter than those around her age. Even when he and Sanemi grew taller than here, he solemnly remembered her working from the early morning to the starry night. Whether it was doing laundry or cooking meals, Genya couldn’t recall a single memory of his mother resting.
“Mom? Are you alright?” The mohawk-haired boy asked his mother, noticing her cooking in the kitchen.
“It’s alright, sweetie–” Shizu tried to brush before being interrupted.
“Mom, Dad’s acting up again!” Sanemi warned in a hurry.
Meanwhile, he had a deep disdain for his father, Kyogo. In contrast, he towered over most of the adults in his neighborhood while tyrannizing his family. He remembered how that old drunkard could kick his own children, including himself, while getting irritated with the smallest of things.
“Ow!” The mohawk-haired boy yelped in pain, falling onto the floor.
“Go away, you bastard!” The white-haired boy swore, using his body to cover for his little brother.
“Why you little shits!” Kyogo yelled, raising his foot towards them as both brothers braced for impact.
“Kyogo, no!” Shizu interrupted, using her body as a shield to protect her two eldest sons.
“Mom!” Genya yelled.
“Don’t… worry… sweeties…” She tried to reassure them as her husband continued kicking her body.
Shizu was always there to shield her babies, despite her small stature. In the mohawk-haired boy’s eyes growing up, she was his hero, especially after Kyogo’s unceremonious death. Well, aside from Sanemi, but… it was not known after the incident.
~~X~~
One night, Genya couldn’t fall asleep as he stared off to the ceiling. All his siblings shared one room to sleep together on their own futons. However, he offered to share his with his baby brother Koto as the latter rested peacefully under the covers. Despite being surrounded by company, Genya stayed awake, waiting for his mother to return home.
Even after several hours of a trip to the market, she was still out of the house. It was even a little after midnight, and it deeply worried Genya. However, he wasn’t the only one.
“Mom is late.” Genya muttered worriedly.
Sighing, Sanemi moved a little outside of his futon to talk to his little brother.
“Genya, you can’t sleep?”
The mohawk-haired boy nodded, prompting the older to step out of his futon.
“I’m gonna go find Mom.”
“Huh? Let me join you!” Genya proposed.
“No, I’ll go alone.” Sanemi shut off. “You must stay at home. Didn’t you promise me?”
Remembering his promise, the mohawk-haired boy gasped and nodded his head with a smile.
“Got it!”
Then, Sanemi walked to the door before turning his head towards his little brother.
“I’m counting on you.” He said before stepping out of their house.
As Genya sighed, he realized everyone was already awake, hearing their little giggles.
“Big Bro!” said Teiko.
“Big Bro!” said Hiroshi.
“Big Bro!” said Sumi.
“Big Bro!” said Shuya.
The mohawk-haired boy couldn’t help but sigh.
“Geez, everyone’s awake?”
~~•~~
It was almost morning when the light in their house turned on, and all the kids were out of their futons. The sun hadn’t risen yet, but they were still waiting for both their eldest brother and their mother. Genya was holding baby Koto in his arms while looking after his little siblings. The mohawk-haired boy was reassured that his mother and older brother would return soon, but the rest felt otherwise.
“Mom hasn’t come home. Is she alright?”
“It’s all right.” Genya tried to comfort. “Sanemi went to look for her.”
“But…” muttered Hiroshi.
“She’s never been this late before. It’s nearly dawn.” said Sumi worriedly, looking out the window.
“It’s okay. You must be tired. Just sleep. When you wake up, Mom and Sanemi will have returned–”
Suddenly, a loud banging came from the door. It sounded too suspicious for Genya, but the rest of the siblings weren’t too bothered to acknowledge it. They just wanted to see their mother again as they raced towards the door.
“Mom?!”
“Mom!”
“Wait! Don’t open it!” The mohawk-haired boy warned loudly, waking up baby Koto. “It might not be Mom–!”
Before Genya could finish his sentence, all he could see was red. Suddenly, something strange quickly cut through his siblings, only leaving a giant scar on his face.
“Agh! ARRGH!!!!” He wailed, seeing his little siblings slaughtered in front of him.
Then, the monster jumped up to the ceiling, cutting the lights. With how dark the room became, the mohawk-haired boy kept looking for the beast above, listening to its growling.
An animal?! A wild dog… no! A wolf!
Suddenly, he could hear it land on the floor, running towards him. He held tight to Koto as he was about to embrace his death… until Sanemi appeared, carrying the monster to the window with a cleaver at hand.
“Genya! Run!” The white-haired boy shouted to his little brother.
“Sanemi!” Genya cried out in anguish.
Then, he watched his brother fall with the monster in his arms. Once he heard the thud, all the mohawk-haired boy could do was check on his little siblings.
“Shuya! Hiroshi! Koto! Teiko! Sumi!”
He hurriedly placed their bodies on the futons, trying to stop the bleeding while yelling at them.
“Put pressure on the wound! I’ll get a doctor right away! Hang in there!”
He ran out of his house, desperate to save his siblings with his mind running wild.
What’s going on?! The mohawk-haired boy thought hurriedly. What was that thing?! Is Big Bro okay?! No, getting a doctor for everyone’s wounds is more important.
In the distance, Genya saw his brother standing in shock as the sun rose.
“Aniki–”
However, once he got closer, all Genya could see was a bloody Sanemi standing above their now-dead mother on the ground.
“Mom?!” shouted Genya, immediately running towards her slowly disintegrating corpse. “WAAAH! MOM! MOM!”
“Gen…” muttered Sanemi, still processing the sight in front of him.
“Why?! WHY?! WHY DID YOU KILL MOM?! AAAAH!” He bawled his eyes out, cradling his mother. “MURDERER! YOU MURDERER!”
~~•~~
I’m sorry I said such a terrible thing… Sanemi. It’s nothing. Genya thought in the present. It’s nothing more than an excuse… but I was confused. Shuya, Hiroshi, Koto, Teiko, and Sumi were cold and couldn’t respond. It was no use. I knew… they were going to die.
That wolf! I thought it was a wolf… but it was our mother who turned into a demon. When he fought to protect us… and fell outside as the dawn broke… he noticed for the first time that it was our mother who had attacked the family.
I wonder how my big brother felt. After he had killed our beloved mother… and was shattered. How did it feel to be abused by the younger brother he had desperately fought to protect?
Even though we had promised to protect the family together.
~~•~~
“Genya…” muttered Sanemi, pulling a wagon behind him.
It was dusk at Kyobashi as he and Genya were busy with errands for the family. Their father was killed recently by a gang member, so they had to work after school, albeit Sanemi had dropped out.
“Huh?” The latter mumbled while they both walked together.
“The two of us must protect the family… now that Dad is dead.” The white-haired boy continued. “It’s a relief he’s gone, but… without him, everyone feels hopeless.”
Then, Sanemi stopped pulling the wagon, staring at the ground with worry.
“From now on, you and I will protect our mother and younger siblings.” The older brother declared. “All right?”
“Not just from now on, but like we always have. Right?” Genya rebuked, huffing with determination.
From this adorable action, Sanemi couldn’t help but smile and chuckle lightly at the moment.
“Yeah, you’re right…”
~~•~~
I’m sorry, Big Bro… I’m going to die without ever apologizing. Genya solemnly thought as the staff grew closer to his neck. How come I see your smiling face flashing before my eyes?
Nemi… I don’t have any talent. I’m not as smart as Kanao or tough as Yorumi… He continued as tears peeked out of the corners of his eyes. It’s hard to meet a Hashira unless you’re one. I worked so hard, but it was useless.
“A piece of scum like you can’t be my little brother.” A memory of Sanemi repeated in his head. “Quit the Demon Slayer Corps.”
But why? I’m your little brother! Genya’s internal voice broke with each second, tearing up more.
“GENYA! Don’t give up yet!”
Suddenly, Tanjiro appeared from behind, cutting Sekido’s arm off. Losing the staff, the impact only grazed the half-demon’s neck.
“Try again! Try to sever its head again!” The redhead continued loudly, standing atop a nearby tree before landing on the ground. “Don’t ever give up! You can do it this time! I’ll protect you! Focus on cutting off its head!”
Meanwhile, Genya was aghast at this action while Tanjiro cried out.
“Aren’t you going to be a Hashira?! Genya Shinazugawa!”
However, the half-demon saw Aizetsu from behind the redhead with his spear.
Crap! He’s behind me! Tanjiro thought as he turned his head.
Blood Demon Art: Weeping Spears.
Immediately, gusts of wind shot from the solemn clone’s spear as the Hinokami Kagura user braced for impact.
Damn it! I got hit head-on! The forehead-scarred boy thought before realizing that he wasn’t hurt.
“Go…”
Opening his eyes, he saw Genya covered with holes through his flesh, protecting him. In a brief flashback, Tanjiro was reminded of when Yorumi protected him from Gyutaro with all her bones broken, seeing them both at the same time,
“Genya!”
“I can’t sever its head….” The half-demon said weakly, gritting his teeth. “You do it! Just this one time… I’ll… ”
“Genya…”
“I’LL LET YOU DO IT!”
Following his words, the redhead ran towards the main body with his sword at hand. Seeing Tanjiro, Aizetsu tried charging with his spear, but Genya pulled out his shotgun in response.
I’ll definitely do it. The Hinokami Kagura user promised internally, chasing after the tiny demon. There it is! It’s small. I won’t let you escape!
Running after the main body, the Hinokami Kagura user finally reached up to him as he scurried with fear. Tanjiro stood his ground as he swung his blade towards the tiny demon’s neck, and it burned into flames. It all seemed like victory… until something happened.
~~•~~
Author’s Note:
To be honest, I made this chapter as soon as I finished the last one and there were only some minimal changes until I was done. Additionally, in the original fanfic, I included Muichiro’s portion of the arc, but I decided not to add it, due to pacing. However, I’ll still have a callback for it later in the series. The same will apply to Mitsuri’s portion, but I’ll just shorten it so that it wouldn’t be as disruptive. Thank you for reading.
I Love You, Scars and All Chapter Thirty-Eight: At the Swordsmith Village
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Chapter Additional Tags: Shinazugawa Genya Needs a Hug, Mentioned Tokito Muichirou, Flustered Shinazugawa Genya, Kamado Tanjirou is a Ray of Sunshine, Oblivious Kamado Tanjirou, Shinazugawa Genya-centric, Mentioned Kotetsu, Oblivious Hashibira Inosuke, Protective Akaza | Hakuji (Kimetsu no Yaiba), Douma Being Douma (Kimetsu no Yaiba), Douma is a Little Shit (Kimetsu no Yaiba), Protective Gyutaro (Kimetsu no Yaiba), Gyutaro is a Good Sibling (Kimetsu no Yaiba), Flashback, Daki | Ume Being a Brat (Kimetsu no Yaiba), Protective Kamado Nezuko, Cute Kamado Nezuko, Kamado Nezuko is a Ray of Sunshine, Swordsmith Village Arc,
Chapter Thirty-Eight was originally published on July 23, 2026
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Links:
Masterlist
AO3
Wattpad
~~•~~
Throughout seven days, Genya had no choice but to wait for his sword and bullets to be repaired. Both Tetsuhiro and Takeko were too occupied, so the Breathless Tsuguko tried to entertain himself with some hearsay. Desperate times call for desperate needs, he supposed. From what the half-demon had heard from the Kakushi residing nearby, the Mist Hashira, Muichiro Tokito, was also there. The two would occasionally encounter each other, but the long-haired boy would usually forget about each other every time. Apparently, the prodigy was there to search for Kanemori, his new swordsmith. Not only that, the youngest Hashira and Tanjiro had visited the rumored secret treasure of the Swordsmith Village.
Genya wasn’t interested in that; he just wanted his sword and bullets so that he could leave as soon as possible. However, the younger Shinazugawa heard more gossip about the redhead being trained by a kid named Kotetsu. Allegedly, the boy had kept Tanjiro so busy with the treasure that he couldn’t return until he was done. Thanks to that, the Breathless Tsuguko could go outside and eat without being potentially bothered by the forehead-scarred boy. Although relieved, the Kamado sister instead would visit him whenever the sun was down.
“What do you want?” Genya asked judgmentally, a little unnerved to see the bamboo-muzzled girl in front of him, watching him eat his food in peace.
“Mmm!” She responded to the half-demon.
“Ugh…”
“Hmph!” Nezuko giggled muffledly with her muzzle, rolling on the tatami mat.
At least she isn’t as annoying as her brother. He thought to himself while tsking before a twinge of familiarity hit him.
“Big Brother! Look what Sumi and I could do!”
… They would’ve been good friends.
His expression suddenly turned more somber, alerting the Kamado sister. In an attempt to comfort him, she crawled to him and plucked out some strands of her hair.
“Huh?”
“Hmph!”
“You… want me to take this?” The younger Shinazugawa questioned confusedly, pointing at himself. “I already asked you though.”
In response, the muzzled girl grabbed the half-demon’s hand, placed her hair strands in his palm, and clutched it into a fist while nodding her head.
I don’t really need it, but her Blood Demon Art is really powerful. I guess she could stay with me for now.
In comparison to Tanjiro, his younger sister was more tolerable, but the Kamado brother would inevitably return.
~~•~~
Although incredibly exhausted, Tanjiro couldn’t easily fall asleep. After all, he only spent a week with barely any sustenance or sleep. Now that Haganezuka was finally making him a new katana, albeit polishing a centuries-old one, the redhead was mostly resting from his grueling training. Although he had Nezuko by his side, the Kamado brother couldn’t shut his eyes. Tons of things were bothering him until he remembered something.
Oh yeah, Genya is here! I could talk to him! The forehead-scarred boy thought, suddenly getting up from the tatami mat.
While his younger sister was napping, Tanjiro left his room to search for Genya, only to see a young woman adorning a lacy cardigan walk beside him in the hallway. Although she was wearing the same hyokko mask as the other swordsmiths, she smelled like expensive perfume.
So strong! He revolted, covering his nose from the potent aroma.
“What? Do I smell?” Takeko asked offendedly, intimidating the redhead before realizing who she was talking to. “Wait… you’re that Tanjiro kid, aren’t you?”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to insult you.” He immediately apologized, bowing down multiple times. “But yes, I’m Tanjiro. How do you know my name?”
“Hehehehe… Hotaru-chan complains about you a lot…” She chuckled jauntily while drooling a bit behind her mask, blushing offhandedly before going back on topic. “You’re also the kid who saved my clients.”
“Who… are you?”
“I’m Takeko Anabuki, the Uzuis’ swordsmith.”
“Oh, it’s nice to see you then!” He greeted her back with a pleasant smile.
“Gee, you’re as polite as Yorumi-san described.” She remarked before standing in front of Genya’s door. “You’re… going here too?”
“Yep, just checking up on him.”
“Aw, that’s sweet.” The chartreuse-wearing swordsmith commented before banging on the shoji door. “OI!! TETSUHIRO’S DONE FIXING YOUR STUFF! HE’S JUST TAKING A BATH AT THE HOT SPRINGS!”
“FINE!” Genya’s muffled voice could be heard.
In response, Takeko sighed before brushing it off, opening the door for Tanjiro.
“HUH?!”
“Welp, you kids have fun. Gotta get to work! Bye!”
“Wait–!”
Shutting the door to leave, the half-demon was now alone with the redhead, bemoaning his current situation.
“Oh hi Genya.”
“Don’t call me by my first name!”
“So how have you been? A week ago, I was–”
“Get out!”
“And then, I saw Tokito-san bullying a little boy…”
When does this guy ever shut up or even listen…?
~~•~~
The green-clad Slayer continued to talk to him while eating some rice crackers he brought. Although annoyed that he was hearing the same gossip he overheard for days, the mohawk-haired Slayer knew that he was a friend of Yorumi. After all, she wouldn’t have survived without the redhead’s help, so the half-demon tried to tolerate him as much as possible, even when whatever Tanjiro was saying to Genya sounded outrageous.
Firstly, he had his ass beaten by Muichiro, which honestly made the scarred Slayer chuckle a bit. Secondly, the secret treasure of the Swordsmith Village is apparently a tall six-armed doll made to replicate an old Slayer’s talent. Then, he rambled about his swordsmith Haganezuka, who was surprisingly and extremely jacked. However, the longer Tanjiro’s ramblings went on, the more Genya’s patience was running out.
“That happened yesterday. Apparently, it will take three days and nights for Haganezuka to polish that sword.” The Hinokami Kagura user chattered, chewing on a rice cracker. “He’ll finish it the day after tomorrow. He said that the sharpening method is so incredibly demanding that it has killed people.”
Meanwhile, the mohawk-haired Slayer was shaking with impatience as he sat down, facing away from the Slayer with hanafuda earrings.
“He forbade me from peeking in… but may I go see?”
“What’s it to me?! Get out!” Genya finally yelled. “Don’t talk to me like I’m your friend!”
“Huh? We aren’t friends?” Tanjiro questioned obliviously.
“Of course not!”
“But Yorumi-san said–”
“Get her name out of your damn mouth!”
“But…”
~~•~~
“Oh, by the way,” Tanjiro remembered before asking the fuchsia-eyed girl, “can I ask you something?”
“Uh, sure.”
It was during the Yoshiwara mission before the Upper Moon Six siblings brought it to ruin. Atop a rooftop with Inosuke, the Kamado brother was talking to Yorumi before they decided to investigate for their target,
“Who was that guy you were pinning down in the Butterfly Estate?” He asked bluntly, trying to fix his hair to look like a mohawk.
“Huh?” The boar-head muttered, confused about what was going on.
“Oi, don’t say it like that!” The fuchsia-eyed kunoichi stoically muttered.
“But I’d like to know! You two seem really close!”
Getting flustered, the Sound Tsuguko was about to clench her fist before letting go.
“He’s… Genya… Shinazugawa.” She answered, looking away with embarrassment.
The redhead gasped upon her answer, immediately recognizing that surname.
“Isn’t that–”
“Yes, but I don’t want to talk about it.” The Sound Tsuguko interrupted hastily yet a little solemnly. “He’s way better than him. He’s gifted, resilient, even… cute to a fault…”
A guy with a mohawk is handsome? The forehead-scarred boy questioned internally at her eventual mutter.
He sounds cool. I wanna fight him. The effeminate Slayer thought.
“But most importantly, he has a good heart.” Yorumi continued, blushing more with each word she spoke. “He can be hot-headed at times, but he cares a lot when he wants to. When he does… it’s blissful.”
So… she really likes him. The forehead-scarred boy noted, smelling the same potent, sickeningly sweet aroma from her.
“So yeah, that’s Genya Shinazugawa for you.”
~~•~~
After Tanjiro was done recounting his conversation with Yorumi, all Genya did was sit down with his face completely red, embarrassed by his girlfriend’s compliments.
Yorumi, you shouldn’t have… The mohawk-haired boy thought with tenderness before snapping out of his trance, pointing at the redhead. “You broke my arm! Don’t tell me you forgot!”
“That was necessary. You were completely in the wrong for hitting a girl, Genya.” Tanjiro calmly answered with a smile.
“Don’t call me by my first name!” The half-demon scolded him with a blush, embarrassed by that past incident.
“These rice crackers are tasty. Want one?” The redhead asked, holding out one to Genya.
“Grah!” The scar-faced Slayer yelled, swatting the snack away into bits. “No! Get lost!”
Then, Tanjiro noticed something in the half-demon’s mouth.
“Huh? Your tooth…. Wasn’t it missing? At the hot spring…?”
Caught off guard, Genya simply paused in silence, realizing that he couldn’t really explain his abilities, especially to someone like Tanjiro.
“You must be mistaken.”
“I’m not mistaken. I still have the tooth.” The redhead defended, pulling out an already dirty tooth from his pocket.
“Why did you keep it, you weirdo?!” The half-demon shouted in disgust.
“No… you dropped it, so I wanted to return it.”
“You must be crazy! Throw it away!” Genya screamed as he immediately, and literally, kicked Tanjiro out of his room. “Get out!”
Once the door was slammed shut, the redhead couldn’t help but ponder what had happened.
“Why is he always so angry?” He questioned himself out loud. “He must be hungry?”
~~•~~
A little later, Tetsuhiro was walking underneath the moonlight, satisfied with his bath at the hot springs. After grumbling in his shed, working for the irritable Genya, it felt incredibly rewarding. However, he knew that he still needed to work and help other swordsmiths.
“I relaxed in the bath for too long. I have to work early in the morning.” He sighed before noticing something in the distance.
It was an expensive-looking vase with a floral design. Enamored by its appearance, Tetsuhiro approached the pot and put his hand near the hole.
“A vase? It could get broken. Who would put a vase out here?”
Before he knew it, his entire body was sucked into the vase with all his bones cracking to fit inside. The vase wobbled around after swallowing Tetsuhiro before spitting him out. Then, a demon appeared from it with the orifices on his face switched around.
“That tasted terrible! I knew it! The flesh of mountain swordsmiths… are much better for my art than my meals!” He complained as his mouth-eyes were bleeding. “But that’s all right… as long as we crush this place… hee! It is sure to weaken the Demon Slayers!”
Accompanying him, an old demonic man with a giant bump on his head was crawling on top of a rooftop.
“Must hurry, must hurry….” He cowardly panicked as he scurried. “Thanks to Gyokko, we found the village. But our Lord is angry! Hurry… hurry…! We must kill everyone! All those who oppose our Lord!”
~~•~~
Meanwhile, Genya was walking towards Tetsuhiro’s shed in the dark. Once he was near the door, the mohawk-haired Slayer looked around, hearing something strange before brushing it off as some birds or other woodland critters. Then, he opened the door, calling out his swordsmith in a calm manner. After all, he didn’t want to start another argument with him.
“Old man, have you finished it?”
Once he was inside, Genya realized that he was the only person in the shed.
“No one’s here…”
Then, he noticed his wakizashi on the table, walking towards it to grab it. The half-demon held and looked at it with determination towards his goal.
“Aniki… I have to do it.”
Looking at the already crafted bullets close by, Genya grabbed them and put them in his pocket before leaving. As soon as he shut the door, a loud boom came from the village.
“Shit! Demons!”
Immediately, he ran towards the commotion, realizing it was at the inn he stayed at. Many swordsmiths were already rushing to leave the building. Seeing this as an opportunity for a sneak attack, he climbed onto the walls, trying not to fall off. Once the half-demon was on the roof, Genya prepared his gun while seeing two demons from below. One of them had a red robe while wielding a khakkhara that shot lightning from the bottom. The other one was crouching down without a top, holding his fan. He also saw Tanjiro and an awakened Nezuko fighting off the two demons, currently being electrocuted.
In the midst of the battle, the mohawk-haired boy prepared his firearm and aimed it at the red-robed one’s neck. Upon impact, his head immediately went flying off, with the crouching demon being hit, albeit barely living by an inch.
What is that weapon?! Tanjiro thought with surprise. A gun?! It smells just like a Nichirin sword.
One of them’s still up. Genya internally groaned, reloaded his bullets before jumping down with his wakizashi.
“Ohhh… that was enjoyable.” The fan-wielding demon cheered.
The scar-faced boy charged towards him to finish the job with his wakizashi, but the redhead yelled to warn him.
“No! Genya! No matter how strong the weapon, this demon…”
Before he could finish that sentence, Genya had already cut off the topless demon’s head.
“... can’t be defeated!”
Upon hearing this, Genya’s eyes went into shock as two more demons started to appear. The previous pair were regenerating, as if their heads didn’t need to be decapitated.
“Every time you cut it, it just divides!” The Hinokami Kagura user continued loudly. “It’s rejuvenating! Getting stronger! It wants you to cut its head off!”
This demon isn’t worried that we’ll take its head… so that’s not its weak spot! Tanjiro internalized, observing what was going on. Now it has four separate bodies! It regenerates so fast! There must be a clue… where does it heal fastest? It must have a weak spot! Find it! Look closely! Something–
Before he knew it, Nezuko tried reaching out to him. The forehead-scarred Slayer snapped out of his trance and realized that he was being carried by one of the clones. Now, this one had talons for feet and wings on his back, taking the redhead away.
“Hahaha! How wonderful! It’s been so long since I’ve divided!” The bird-like demon cheered.
“Don’t worry about me, Nezuko!” The Hinokami-Kagura shouted from above. “Help Genya!”
Genya tried to intervene and chase after Tanjiro since he knew more about these demons. However, he was stopped when the fourth clone went in front of him and stabbed him in the stomach with a spear.
“You’re so weak it’s sad.” The spear-wielding demon commented solemnly.
Then, Genya looked at his eyes and realized something. Not only did each clone have red, green, yellow, and blue eyes respectively, but their pupils were the same. They all read “Upper Four.”
Shit! The mohawk-haired Slayer panicked before he was forcefully lifted into the air with the spear, worsening his wound.
“GENYA!!” Tanjiro cried out before calling his sister. “Nezuko! Help Genya! Please! Hurry!”
“You have the luxury of worrying about others.” The winged demon commented before opening his mouth wide.
From it, a sonic wave was blasted onto the redhead, causing his senses to go numb. Even so, he managed to cut off one of the bird-like demon’s talons, forcing him to fall. Now, only Genya and Nezuko were left to finish off the rest of the clones. With the duo outnumbered, the green-eyed one was holding the Kamado sister’s wrists tightly, preventing her from attacking him. Meanwhile, the mohawk-haired Slayer was holding onto dear life by grabbing the yari pierced through his stomach. However, both of them noticed something whenever the clones talked, especially when the bird-like one released a sonic blast.
Their mouths would have a kanji on their tongue corresponding to an emotion. The red clone had anger, the blue one had sadness, green had pleasure, and yellow had joy. In the distance, they could hear chaos, with Nezuko looking behind her to see some blacksmiths running away from some demons. Amidst whatever was happening at the village, both Genya and Nezuko knew that they were up against Upper Moon Fours. They had to focus on the situation in front of them.
“Haha! Hang in there, little girl! Just a little longer!” The shirtless demon taunted his opponent. “Hahaha!”
“Hey, what’s wrong?!” scolded the demon of anger, seemingly the leader of them. “Hurry! Rip her limbs off. This is annoying.”
“Don’t interfere! This girl is mine!” ignored the fan-wielding clone, too invested in his fight with Nezuko. “You and Aizetsu get lost!”
“I’ll finish this one off.” The spear-wielding demon, supposedly Aizetsu, replied.
However, when he tried taking out his weapon for Genya to bleed to death, the blade wouldn’t budge. The gun-wielding Slayer had his head low before revealing his menacing scowl at the demon, his mouth spilling blood.
“It’s stuck!” He yelled, immediately shooting the demon in the head. However, only the skin of Aizetsu’s nape was holding his head together with his body.
“Why is he hitting you, Aizetsu? How infuriating… and foolish.” The leader clone groaned irritably.
While trying to regenerate, the solemn demon’s body pulled a spear out of Genya’s stomach, causing him to spit out more blood. Once the blue-eyed demon finished healing, he looked at his target with pity while the mohawk-haired Slayer kept calm.
“Too bad you won’t die right away.”
Meanwhile, Genya kept mumbling his prayers, making sure he wouldn’t bleed out completely.
“I aimed for a vital spot so you’d die quickly. Maybe it didn’t work because you held the yari in place.” Aizetsu commented with remorse. “But now this will… kill… you?”
Ignoring the blue-eyed demon, the half-demon continued praying softly.
“Shaekoku… gijugikkodokuon… yodaibikushu…”
“What? The Amida Sutra?” The yari-wielding demon questioned. “How pious of you.”
“He’s still alive?!” yelled the red-eyed clone in disbelief. “Split his head, Aizetsu!”
“I know! Stop complaining!” Aizetsu responded, swinging his spear. “It makes me sad.”
The blade was about to slice Genya’s head from above, but the latter disappeared in a flash. The blue-eyed demon was confused at first until the mohawk-haired Slayer went behind him, raising his wakizashi towards his neck.
“I’ll cut off your head as many times as it takes to kill you! You worm!”
Before his blade could hit Aizetsu’s neck, the leading clone intervened. He slammed his khakkhara onto the floor, electrocuting the scarred Slayer.
“Geh!” He yelled in pain, his eyes going white.
Argh! There's no way to dodge this lightning! That staff-wielding jerk!
In the midst of his electrocution, Genya tried shooting at the angry demon. The latter had his arm hit, with his eyes turning fully red with rage. Taking advantage of the mohawk-haired Slayer being distracted, Aizetsu slammed his yari onto his opponent’s body. As the half-demon coughed up blood, he was thrown into the other room. Entering inside, Aizetsu realized that Genya was still alive, struggling to stand up as he continued to chant his prayers.
“How are you still alive? What in the world are you?” The solemn clone questioned, feeling pity towards his target.
Once he was done reciting, the mohawk-haired boy began to cackle manically out of nowhere, startling the blue-eyed demon.
“Heh heh heh… wahaha! I’ll tell you. My name is Genya Shinazugawa! Remember it!” He declared, raising both his firearm and his wakizashi with an unsettling smile on his face. “It’s the name of the man… who’s going to kill you!”
Wasting no time, Aizetsu aimed his spear for his Blood Demon Art towards the mohawk-haired Slayer.
Blood Demon Art: Weeping Spears.
Upon thrusting his yari, Genya could notice the slight shifts in the air through his mohawk before he dodged the attack. Immediately, sharp winds began to pierce the floor, tearing giant holes into the other door upon contact. Once he rolled away from the attack, the half-demon grabbed some vials of demon samples from his pockets. He swallowed some of them before Aizetsu could activate his Blood Demon Art again. Dodging the attack, he summoned a flesh obi and slammed the solemn demon across multiple rooms.
Wha-What? Isn’t that Daki’s Blood Demon Art?! He thought until he saw Genya in front of him, chasing him, with red sclera in his eyes. He’s… a half-demon?
~~•~~
One hundred and thirteen years ago, it was the previous Upper Moon meeting to announce Daki and Gyutaro becoming ranked as Upper Six. Aizetsu was still fused with the rest of the clones as the Upper Four demon named Hantengu, an elderly-looking demon with a giant bump on his head. When combined, he was a cowardly man, always kneeling or crawling to hide from everything. Muzan had recently closed the event, but everyone else remained to congratulate the two siblings.
“Congratulations, you two!” cheered a silvery-blond demon. “It felt like yesterday when I turned you both into scrawny demons! Now, you’re Upper Moon Six together! I raised you both well!”
It was Upper Moon Two, Doma, a man whom even Muzan resented. He ran a cult that produced tons of money and food for the demons, even turning both Gyutaro and Daki into demons and taking them in as his proteges. His eyes were colored like a rainbow, showing his Upper Two ranking on his pupils. Despite his lighthearted impression, the silvery-blond lacked emotion entirely, even extending it to his Blood Demon Art; frigid ice that can reduce a Slayer’s Breathing Style, freezing their lungs upon inhaling once.
“Oi, don’t talk to us like that…” groaned Gyutaro with his sickly voice. “Besides, I’m making Daki the face of both of us. I only want the best for her.”
“Really, Big Bro?!” asked his little sister excitedly, using her obis to hug him. “Thank you!!!”
“No problem…” He shrugged before being interrupted by an echoed voice from a vase behind him.
“Oh thank goodness your predecessor’s dead!”
Popping out of it was the upper half of a man with the orifices on his face switched around. However, the holes where his eyes were supposed to be at showed “Upper Five” as the pupils. His name was Gyokko, a personal favorite of Muzan’s because of his expensive Blood Demon Art: creating elaborate pots that could sprout dangerous sea life under his command. However, his personality was obnoxiously egotistical and high-class, annoying most of the Upper Moons, except Doma, who liked chatting with him.
“He dressed so awfully, and it’s nice to see that the good-looking one in the family is replacing him. Not to mention, a potential Tayuu!”
“Aw thanks!” Daki replied joyfully while Gyutaro scowled.
“Oi, you shouldn’t say such weird things to a lady.” A nearby voice scolded irritably.
Before he could react, the potted demon’s hand was torn off by a punch, startling everyone. From behind, it was a pink-haired demon with his pupils showing “Upper Three.” He was Akaza, another favorite of Muzan, albeit because of his loyalty and strength instead. This favoritism even permitted him to never eat women, a preference the Upper Moon Three doesn’t fully understand but made him protective of other female demons like Daki or Nakime.
Speaking of which, she was a woman with bangs covering her eye who controlled the Infinity Fortress, Muzan’s base. Although not an Upper Moon, her Blood Demon Art had made sure that she would control any aspect of the building once she strung her biwa. Despite her limited vision, she watched with apathy at the situation in front of her.
“HOW DARE YOU!!!” Gyokko screamed like a steaming kettle.
“You were being creepy towards our new member.” Akaza responded, gritting his teeth.
“I DIDN’T MEAN IT LIKE THAT!”
“Either way, Akaza.” A commanding voice spoke, silencing everyone in the room. “You should not have caused a scene after Muzan ended the meeting.”
As footsteps echoed throughout the fortress, no one even dared move since the strongest among them was approaching. The man had long red hair tied up in a ponytail like a samurai. His garb was made up of a purple haori with darker hakama pants holding his soldier. He had red fire-like markings all over his face, while having six eyes with red sclera. It was Kokushibo, whose pupils in the middle pair of his eyes read “Upper One.” Excluding Muzan, he was the strongest and longest-lived demon within their ranks. Not even Doma or Akaza could even match up to his strength.
Everyone was startled by his presence. Hantengu began hiding inside one of the leftover chests to protect himself. Similarly, Gyokko took cover in his pot. Nakime simply watched, but even she was sweating from dread. Daki looked confident that she could defeat him but trembled upon further inspection. Defending her, Gyutaro stepped in while pulling out his blood sickles.
“Now, now, Kokushibo…” Doma spoke casually, trying to de-escalate the situation with his hands raised.
Then, he suddenly stopped, causing Akaza to step back. The six-eyed demon glared at his colleague with disgust for weakness, popping veins on the latter’s forehead. Unexpectedly, the Upper One demon turned his head to the Upper Six siblings and spoke.
“There were some things Muzan forgot to mention about.”
“You mean the blue spider lilies?” muttered the ugly demon.
“No, but who should be killed immediately,” Kokushibo corrected. “Of course, there are the Demon Slayers, the Hashira, and the Ubuyashiki family, but these two are top priority. The first are any Sun Breathing users. Regardless of how small their blood relation is to actual users, eliminate them immediately before they can learn the Breathing Style. It’s a mockery of the authentic version.”
Hearing this, Hantengu took a little peek outside of this hiding spot to listen in better. He noticed the subtle hatred in this voice while mentioning the last statement. Meanwhile, both Upper Six siblings nodded their heads nervously in response.
“The second one is my descendants.”
Upon hearing this, Gyutaro’s eyes widened with shock, stunned at how his superior could casually talk about killing his family, but then again they were far enough from his lineage.
“Muzan fears the potential of them, but he has permitted me to turn any of the ones I encountered into demons. If they refuse, no matter how much you’ve beaten them, you have my word to kill them off.” The six-eyed demon clarified stoically.
“Y-Yes, Sir!” Both Daki and Gyutaro replied with hesitation.
“The third one, however, is half-demons.” Kokushibo continued, earning everyone’s confusion.
Half-demons? Hantengu thought from inside the chest.
“Half-demons are humans who can imitate demon abilities while being immune to sunlight. However, Muzan rejected using their blood because they could turn back into humans. Even so, the condition is sporadic among Demon Slayers, let alone humans, since the last one I fought was a hundred and eighty-seven years ago. Still, these half-demons pose a threat to our ranks.”
“Why is that?” asked Daki curiously.
“Because unlike Sun Breathing users or my descendants… they can turn your own Blood Demon Art against you.”
~~•~~
Finally, Aizetsu had the upper half of his head cut off by Genya’s flesh obi. Synchronously, the inn began to collapse from above. As the rubble fell on them, the mohawk-haired Slayer quickly gulped down strands of Nezuko’s hair and burnt the wooden debris that was about to fall on top of him. As the half-demon used his flesh obi to lift the rest of the wreckage, the Upper Four clone’s body stabbed the Breathless Tsuguko from behind. Still intact, Genya grabbed him by the collar and slammed him onto the ground as the bricks fell.
Once the wreckage was done, the scar-faced pulled out Aizetsu’s head, tearing off a piece from its upper half with his teeth and swallowing it. Now finished with both Daki’s and Nezuko’s samples, he needed more until he could actually defeat an Upper Moon once and for all. The rest of the solemn clone’s body rose from the dust, but Genya quickly grabbed the yari and used the Blood Demon Art against him.
Blood Demon Art: Weeping Spears!
Upon impact, holes were made in the blue-eyed demon’s body. As the solemn demon kept trying to regenerate and charge at him, the mohawk-haired boy kept spamming his Blood Demon Art against him, too desperate to come up with a new one at the moment. Now with his target’s back against a tree, the Breathless Tsuguko stabbed the spear through the clone’s target and reached the other side of the trunk. Exhausted and salivating, Genya walked up to the pinned clone. Once he was close enough, the half-demon ate more of the flesh from the neck to regenerate from his wounds. Then, he heard an annoyingly familiar voice.
“Genya!”
Looking back, the half-demon realized that it was the Kamado brother who called him, realizing that the redhead caught him eating Aizetsu’s body. Heck, his appearance didn’t help it at all. His darkened sclera, his drooling, his fangs, even his yellow-tipped hair. Now, Tanjiro discovered Genya’s secret: that he was a half-demon.
~~•~~
Author’s Note:
Thankfully, since I fused two chapters together from the original fanfic, the writing process was mostly short. I just added some filler stuff to either flesh out dynamics or make some interactions feel more organic. I hope you guys are ready for the next one though.
I also took an MBTI Test for Yorumi’s character and although I struggled a bit to get into her headspace, her results showed that she was an ISTJ-T. Not sure if I could do it for pre-existing characters, but I might just use it for my OCs while I could just rely on fandom explanations instead.
I Love You, Scars and All Chapter Thirty-Seven: Please Don't Leave Me
~~•~~
Chapter Additional Tags: Shinazugawa Genya Needs a Hug, Mentioned Shinazugawa Sanemi, Mentioned Kumeno Masachika, Parental Himejima Gyomei, Flustered Shinazugawa Genya, Sweet Kanroji Mitsuri, Kanroji Mitsuri is a Ray of Sunshine, Kamado Tanjirou is a Ray of Sunshine, Oblivious Kamado Tanjirou, Shinazugawa Genya-centric, Swordsmith Village Arc,
Chapter Content Warnings: Profanity, Self-Worth Issues, Shinazugawa Genya Swears, Past Child Abuse, Past Trauma, Past References to Domestic Abuse, Vomiting, Implied Sexual Content, Implied Eating Disorders,
Content featuring the following tags (Past Child Abuse, Past References to Domestic Abuse, Implied Eating Disorders, ) will start and end with (~~X~~) for those uncomfortable with these subjects.
~~•~~
Chapter Thirty-Seven was originally published on July 20, 2026
~~•~~
Links:
Masterlist
AO3
Wattpad
~~•~~
Finally, after days of waiting, Genya’s blacksmith had fully recovered from his illness, encouraged enough to repair his wakizashi and make his bullets. However, the Breathless Tsuguko was still stubbornly impatient, demanding to go to the Swordsmith Village himself. It would be easier for him to get his weapons directly rather than waiting for both the forging and delivery. All he needed to do was ask permission from Gyomei to visit the place. The mohawk-haired boy walked near the waterfall where the blind man was training, standing under the waterfall while casually carrying two large logs on his shoulders.
“Hey… Himejima-san?”
“Yes?” The Stone Hashira asked, unfazed by the weight of the water and logs on top of him.
“Is it okay if I could go to the Swordsmith Village?” Genya asked with some embarrassment, looking away from his master. “I know I've been missing out on my missions, but I want to get my weapons myself.”
“You do realize that the village is hidden from demons?” Gyomei reminded his Tsuguko. “They would have to conceal your sight and other enhanced senses, but even with that, the Kakushi guiding you will have to switch with each other to accommodate finding it for you.”
“I heard that, but… I need them right now.” The younger Shinazugawa tried to justify. “If I just waited there, I could get them immediately! Afterwards, I can just go to my next mission! Easy!”
“I see, but promise me you’ll just do that as soon as you get your weapons. I don’t want you to delay your missions, after all.”
“R-Right!” He stuttered loudly. “Thank you, Master!”
“The pleasure is mine.” Gyomei replied politely.
As the Breathless Tsuguko stumbled back to his room, almost like a child rushing to pack his luggage for a trip, the Stone Hashira couldn’t help but smile at how much things had changed since he encountered him.
Glad to see he’s doing better now…
~~•~~
Gyomei was called over as a last-resort support, being the only Hashira, let alone Demon Slayer, available nearby who could stop a horde of demons inside a barricaded warehouse. Apparently, a boy was apparently trapped with them. Smashing through the debris and splattered viscera, the Stone Hashira easily cleared through the area until he sensed something. There was only one demon left… and no one else.
The boy was safe, but something was off. There were already dead demons and a broken sword around him before Gyomei even arrived, as if there was a struggle between them. From the slight breezes coming from the open door, the boy was a demon, growling at him. Without hesitation, the tall giant swung his chained axe at the demon-turned child until the boy yelled at him.
“WAIT!”
Before he knew it, the kid had changed from demonic to human, with the Stone Hashira immediately retracting his weapon, inches away from impact. Once the blind man grabbed his axe back, the boy suddenly keeled over to vomit, ejecting chunks of demonic flesh bitten off. Coughing with tears, as bile stained his throat, the boy barely spoke while staring at the floor.
“I’m… human…!”
“What are you talking about?” Gyomei asked stoically, hiding his confusion.
“I… I… was cornered… they ate my hands… so I ate those demons…” The boy explained, slowly standing up and getting a closer look at the tall man. “Woah, you’re really strong for a blind guy.”
“Why were you here?” The Stone Hashira calmly queried, concerned yet wary as his eyebrows furrowed.
“To kill the demons here.”
“You came here on purpose?”
“Look, the only Demon Slayer around here is Koga-san, and he refused to come here.”
“The Wind Breathing Cultivator? Why wasn’t he attending?” Kazutora wasn’t even forced to retire. He could still do missions. Perhaps he had too many students?
“He was too… busy flirting with women to even attend.” The young boy scoffed, wiping his face.
So he snuck out in his stead? Gyomei guessed until he heard the Kakushi barge in.
“Lord Himejima! Is the boy alright?!” They yelled worriedly, already prepared with medical supplies.
“He’s… he’s fine.” Gyomei answered them calmly, unsure about what happened to the child.
“Wait, you’re the Stone Hashira?!” The boy exclaimed in shock before aggressively yelling. “HEY! TAKE ME WITH YOU! I CAN BE YOUR TSUGUKO!”
“Don’t you already have Koga-san?” The blind giant rebuked stoically, already on his way to leave.
“But you’re stronger than him! You’re probably the strongest Hashira right now! You’re working with Sanemi Shinazugawa, right–?!”
“I have to go.”
“WAIT! DON’T LEAVE!” The boy shouted as the Stone Hashira had already left his line of sight, instead being attended by the Kakushi members.
~~•~~
Days after their encounter, the boy would often sneak into the Himejima Estate, begging Gyomei to become his Tsuguko, only to be sent back to Kazutora by the Kakushi. However, with each rejection, he kept returning more resolved than ever. Growing more exhausted, Gyomei decided to confront the boy’s Cultivator once and for all.
“So that brat has been bothering you?” A man twice the Stone Hashira’s age asked gruffly, scratching the back of his shaggy hair.
“Yes, he keeps intruding on my Estate to become my Tsuguko, and I want you to keep a closer eye on him.” The tall man answered calmly.
“Look, why don’t you just take him in?”
“Isn’t he your student?”
“Pfft. Student?” Kazutora mocked, chuckling to himself. “I’ve only had two great ones; exceptional even. One of them is your colleague, Sanemi Shinazugawa, and he became a Hashira because my first one introduced him to me. Frankly, that’s enough for me. It’s almost as if I became a Hashira. Meanwhile, Genya here just cleans up the place.”
“For training?”
“Sure, let’s just call it that.”
“Then why aren’t you actually teaching that boy already? He could become another Hashira if you did.”
"That's impossible with that kid.”
“Then, why don’t you bring him to another Cultivator? I can recommend him on your behalf.”
“He can’t even use Breathing Styles, let alone cut a demon’s neck, so I sent him to that warehouse in my stead to prove himself. However, you did most of the work, according to the Kakushi, so he’s just stuck doing more chores as penile labor.”
What…? Gyomei thought with astonishment, his blank eyes widening.
The Stone Hashira knew that there were Demon Slayers like Shinobu who couldn’t decapitate demons, but never did he hear about people who couldn't use Breathing Styles. There were a few whose connections with their Breathing Styles were relatively weak, so their Nichirin blades wouldn’t change color, but not to the extent as Genya. Then again, that boy was an enigma with that transformation of his.
“For being my best student’s little brother, he’s rather pathetic, don’tcha think?”
“Shinazugawa-san… had a younger brother?” He said that all of his family members were killed by demons.
“Yeah, and I wouldn’t blame him for disowning the kid. Can’t you imagine being related to a weak brat like him?” The Wind Cultivator asked, pointing at Genya brooming the courtyard, tsking to himself.
Before he knew it, a shoji door opened behind Kazutora as he smirked towards that direction. Inside, a woman with unkempt hair and a half-worn kimono, hickies and bite marks adorning her neck, was holding it.
“Kazutora~ I thought you were going to show me that technique of yours~” She purred as the Wind Cultivator eagerly approached her, already forgetting his previous conversation.
“Really~? Then, I’ll show you~” He teasingly remarked, shutting the door.
Amidst the muttered impure sounds, the blind man approached the mohawk-haired boy, already pitying him.
“I take it, Koga explained everything to you…?” The younger Shinazugawa muttered with disappointment, still sweeping.
“Yes, he did.”
“So you wouldn’t take me in…? I’m the only student here not learning anything…”
Gyomei didn’t want to trust children again. They either abandoned him or got killed because of him. The scar-faced boy was already too dangerous to both the Corps and himself, but after hearing all the shocking news, he needed something good to happen.
“Come on, let’s get out of here.”
“Really?!” Genya exclaimed excitedly, already dropping the broom to follow the Stone Hashira. “I’m going to be your Tsuguko?!”
“We’ll first find your brother, but if not, then I suppose you’ll be my Tsuguko. I’ll also introduce you to one of my coworkers. She’ll check your health, considering your… abilities.”
For a moment, Genya wiped his eyes before following the tall man like a baby chick following a duck to learn how to cross the river.
~~•~~
Once preparations were made, Genya was finally able to go to the Swordsmith Village. Hashibami, albeit reluctantly, was ordered to get a Kakushi to take him there, cursing to himself while flying away. The Breathless Tsuguko barely had anything with him, only his empty gun, so he didn’t need to pack a lot for the trip. Then, he opened the door to see a Kakushi member in front, already quaking in the presence of someone taller yet younger than him, not helped by Genya’s intimidating appearance. Despite his agitated state, the Kakushi member introduced himself with a shaky hand in front of him.
“H-Hello there! I’m here to take you to the Swordsmith Village.” He spoke, trying not to stutter out of intimidation. “Well, I’m actually going to take you to a Kakushi member who will take you to another Kakushi member, and then another–”
“Just get to the point already!” Genya complained, startling the man in front of him.
“Either way, I’m your first step!” He panicked, pulling out a blindfold and some earplugs from his pocket. “However, you’re required to wear these on the way.”
The Breathless Tsuguko groaned as he complied with these demands. Once he couldn’t see or hear anything, the Kakushi member tried to carry Genya on his back, struggling to lift him.
“You can just drag me there, y’know?” He rebuked threateningly.
“R-Right!” He replied agitatedly, carefully dropping the half-demon’s as he grabbed his hand, panic-stricken.
Despite being blindfolded, Genya looked away from the Kakushi member with a scowl on his face, walking alongside him towards the Swordsmith Village.
~~•~~
Like his trip to Yorumi’s childhood village, it took many excruciating hours to arrive there. Due to the importance of the Swordsmith Village to the Demon Slayer Corps, it was cleverly hidden to avoid any demon attacks upon the residents. After all, they had skillfully crafted Nichirin weapons that were able to kill demons. Either way, it was a pain for Genya to go through.
With every Kakushi member exchanging him, the one bringing him to the other would usually warn the other about how scary he was. Consequently, they were extra cautious when handling the Breathless Tsuguko, making sure not to tick him off. Even at one point, a Kakushi member encountered a bumpy path and had to take one step at a time to cross it with Genya. Although he did this to avoid irritating the Slayer, it only made him more annoyed with the journey. Once Genya realized that they had suddenly stopped, he felt the earplugs being pulled out before someone spoke to him.
“Okay, you can open your eyes now.”
Immediately, Genya took the blindfold off and opened his eyes, witnessing large buildings around him. Meanwhile, all of the citizens, minus the Demon Slayers tasked to guard the place, were wearing hyottoko masks to hide their identities. Regardless, they were wearing different clothes, with one standing out.
“Wait a minute…” The misfit muttered to herself, approaching him.
Before the half-demon knew it, a curly brunette with a frilly chartreuse cardigan suitable for the latest fashion trends was suddenly in front of him. Her eyes were wide open as the mohawk-haired boy was left flustered and intimidated.
“You’re Genya-san, aren’t you?”
“Who are you?!”
“Oh, Yorumi hasn’t told you?” She asked, confusing the half-demon as she pulled away. “I’m Takeko Anabuki, the Uzuis’ swordsmith.”
“So… you work for Yorumi?”
“Yep, and I know you’re with the gal.” Takeko replied cheekily, flustering Genya as she tilted her head.
“Y-Yep…”
“Anyways, what brings you here?”
“Well, I heard Tetsuhiro just recovered, so I’m here to get my new sword and bullets myself.” He explained sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. “But I don’t know where he is, since…”
“Sure!” Takeko agreed, gesturing with her hand for Genya to follow. “Let me take you to him!”
“A-Ah! Okay!” He replied, following the eccentric woman to his blacksmith.
As they walked through the village, Genya noticed multiple swordsmiths forging swords for the Demon Slayers. Some of them were even making knives and other metalworks. His crow, Hashibami, landed on his shoulder, only to turn his head away from his master, irritating him. As they moved away from the buildings, they approached a small shack when Takeko opened the door. There, a man with a ponytail and white streaks was busy hammering down metal onto a small anvil, absorbed in his work.
“Tetsuhiro~!” She greeted coquettishly, startling the man in front of her.
“Anabuki-san!” He yelled at her, the metal he was hammering now ruined.
“Oops, my bad.” Takeko commented regretfully yet mischievously.
Although even more exasperated, his eyes widened upon seeing Genya.
“Oi, what are you doing here?”
“I’m just here to pick up my sword and bullets, old man.” He answered disrespectfully, impatient as ever.
Veins popped out of Tetsuhiro’s head, appalled by the Breathless Tsuguko’s manners.
“Oh, I just recovered from the flu, and you’re just barking orders at me.” He remarked, glaring at the mohawk-haired boy. “No gifts? No greetings saying ‘I’m glad you’re doing okay?’”
“Well, I’ve been resting for the past few days without killing any demons, so yeah. I don’t have time for that.” Genya defended, both of them scowling at each other as Takeko stared at them awkwardly.
“You little brat. I wonder how in the world Himejima-san took in a little bitch like you. It’s even worse that you’re related to Shinazugawa-san. At least, your older brother has the bite to back up the bark.”
“Why you–”
“Hey, hey, hey!” Takeko interrupted panickedly, putting herself in between the two. “Why don’t we take a break from this?”
“Didn’t you just interrupt me while I was working?!” Tetsuhiro shouted.
“Yeah, yeah, I’ll leave you to it.” She begrudgingly agreed before going outside. “Come on, I feel your girlfriend would kill me and Tetsuhiro if you two fought.”
“Fine….” He scoffed, glaring at his swordsmith before following Takeko.
“Bye bye~!”
“Just get out!”
Once they closed the door and walked away from the shack, the purple-wearing Slayer muttered under his breath.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me…”
~~•~~
Later in the evening, Genya was settled in his room at one of the inns in the village, impatiently pacing from wall to wall as Takeko watched him from the middle. Knowing about his temper, she was brainstorming on how to calm the younger Shinazugawa down, especially with a recent deadline looming over her head. Then, an idea popped up in her head.
“Sooo… we have some pretty good hot springs here.” The fashionable swordsmith tried to suggest it casually.
“I know.” He replied rudely, still irritated with Tetsuhiro. “There were signs all over the place. Why should I go there?”
“They’re really good. Tengen and his wives usually go there while waiting for their weapons. Well, until they started doing missions with Yorumi together. Besides, I have work to do.”
“What kind?”
“N-None of your business, kid!” She retorted defensively, already opening the shoji door. “Just go there or else… uh…”
“Then why are you so bothered by me? You could’ve just left already!”
“Because Yorumi cares for you,” Takeko answered firmly, surprising the half-demon, “and therefore, I care for you. You’re a stubborn brat, but I can’t let Yorumi worry too much because of you. She’s a Hashira and needs to prioritize her duties. Just take a break and go to the hot springs.”
“... Ugh fine!” He interrupted loudly, his blush growing bigger. “I’ll go bathe at those stupid hot springs!”
“Okay then, I’ll go now! Bye bye!” Takeko replied, returning to her cheeky tone before leaving the room.
Now all alone in his room, the Breathless Tsuguko let out an elongated and frustrated sigh before lying down on the tatami mat. As he stared at the ceiling, he kept pondering the fashionable swordsmith’s words, scoffing to himself.
“She’s a Hashira and needs to prioritize her duties.” I already know that. Am I… burdening her?
~~•~~
“Genya, it wasn’t your fault.”
“But it wasn’t the first time this happened. I almost lost control back when we saved Ruri.” The mohawk-haired boy shyly confessed. “I thought I could handle Upper Moon blood, but when I saw you bite your lip, I… I almost went berserk.”
The new Sound Hashira turned around and went closer to hold Genya’s face. The half-demon’s cheeks grew redder, with the tips of their noses almost touching. She sighed softly before speaking to him gently.
“Please… don’t blame yourself for that.” She tenderly begged, her hands holding his face as if he was the most valuable treasure in the world. “If anything, just blame Masahiko and Kirisame.”
~~•~~
No, Yorumi doesn’t think of me as a burden… but I make people think I am one to her…. I’m just one to Nemi. Fuck it.
Reluctantly, to distract his intrusive thoughts, he stomped out of the inn, intimidating some of the Slayers resting there as he passed by. However, while heading towards the hot springs, Genya was suddenly interrupted by a cheerful, feminine voice.
“Hiiiiiiii!!!!!!”
Suddenly, the mohawk-haired boy froze from anxiety as a braided woman appeared in front of him. It was Mitsuri Kanroji, the Love Hashira, approaching him with a gorgeous smile. The pink-to-green-haired woman was so cute that Genya couldn’t even look at him, only facing away from her as his mind went blank. Despite the younger Shinazugawa trying to ignore her, Mitsuri still tried talking to him.
“Nice to meet you! Hi! You’re so tall! You must be that boy I see with Yorumi! What type of Breathing Style do you use? How old are you? What’s your name?”
Feeling guilt for ignoring her, Genya tried looking at her to reply but accidentally looked at her exposed cleavage. Even more embarrassed, he immediately turned his back away from Mitsuri, causing her to pout.
“Awww…”
As the braided woman went downstairs, Genya sighed in relief before proceeding to take off the yukata and submerge himself in the thermal waters. The scar-faced boy groaned from relaxation while swimming in the middle of the hot spring.
This feels nice…. Maybe I should come here with Yorumi–WAIT NO! Why would you imagine her bathing with you like that, you creep?! He urgently thought to himself, straightening his posture. There’s some hot springs for girls, but why are you thinking about her in that way?! First, you peeked at a Hashira’s tits and now this! He internally scolded himself, pulling his mohawk in exasperation. Ugh, you’re just proving that bastard right! At this rate, you’re no better than Masahiko! Yorumi’s not some… some… fuck! Why can’t you do things right for once?!
No longer feeling relaxed, the half-demon’s emotions were mixed with anger, disgust, and guilt, impulsively punching himself in the face to punish himself.
“ARGH!”
Upon impact, Genya felt one of these teeth crack, pain vibrating through his jaw.
Shit! He thought, trying to pull out his broken tooth from his mouth.
Gagging from pain, the scar-faced boy forcefully pulled it out from his gums and threw the tooth away. Just as things couldn't get any worse, the mohawk-haired Slayer heard a familiar voice he didn’t want to hear.
“Genya Shinazugawa!”
He turned his back, only to see Tanjiro Kamado at the edge of the hot spring.
OH, COME ON! “DIE!”
“HAH?!” The Kamado brother gasped in surprise.
Ignoring the Breathless Tsuguko’s refusal, the redhead had placed his portable box on the ground and immediately stripped himself, jumping into the spring without hesitation. Once in the water, he swam towards Genya to greet him.
“Long time no see! How have you been?” He spoke from the bottom of his lungs. “You have the same surname as the Wind Hashira?”
Getting more pissed at Tanjiro, not being helped by their closer proximity, the scar-faced boy immediately shoved the Kamado brother’s head into the heated water while screaming at him.
“DON’T TALK TO ME!”
~~X~~
Night had finally arrived, and Genya returned to his room exhausted. After almost drowning Tanjiro, the redhead eventually left and moved to a different hot spring. However, the Breathless Tsuguko was still frustrated with the latter’s interruption, even skipping dinner with Mitsuri and the Kamado siblings if it meant avoiding him.
Now in his change of yukata, his hand hovered over his rumbling stomach, sighing with reluctance before ignoring it.
I’ll just sleep it off.
The half-demon was used to that feeling since childhood, even more so to save space for his abilities. Gyomei, Yorumi, and everyone at the Butterfly Estate made sure that he ate enough, but he still found a way to retreat to old habits under their noses. How was the younger Shinazugawa going to get stronger if he was undeservingly spoiled all the time? They shouldn’t waste their time worrying about him; Genya could handle it. He didn’t need history to repeat itself.
Going inside his futon, he stared at the ceiling with his eyes slowly drooping, thinking back to Tetsuhiro’s words in the afternoon.
“It’s even worse that you’re related to Shinazugawa-san. At least, your older brother has the bite to back up the bark.”
Shitty old man. He scorned in his head, being reminded of something before drifting to sleep.
~~•~~
It was evening at the old Shinazugawa household with only the children inside. The mother, Shizu, had to visit the doctor, receiving treatment for injuries she got from her husband, Kyogo. While waiting for their mother to return, Sanemi and Genya took it upon themselves to cook dinner for the rest of their siblings. It was mostly made up of a bowl of rice and some dried fish for each, but it was the best they could provide for their situation.
“Wow! This looks so good!” Sumi cheered, still optimistic about dinner.
“Yeah!” The rest of the younger siblings agreed with a smile.
“Thanks guys…” Genya expressed his gratitude.
“Come on, we have to hurry.” Sanemi reminded. “We can’t let the food grow cold.”
Immediately, everyone put their hands together and started the prayer.
“Thank you for the meal–”
Suddenly, Genya was kicked to the wall by a large foot. While shocked, everyone instinctively knew it was their father who did that.
“Oooi…” He said drunkenly. “Where’s the alcohol…?”
“Ow…!” Genya winced, feeling the impact on his back as he curled up.
“It’s not here, goddamnit!” The eldest son yelled, immediately standing up defensively.
Meanwhile, all of his siblings shivered in fear. Annoyed, Kyogo kicked Genya’s food tray in the air in a fit of rage. Some of the dishes even hit Hiroshi and Teiko in their faces. He was about to stomp on top of Shuya before Sanemi rolled over to protect the boy, sacrificing himself to the pressure of his father’s foot.
“Hey, old man! That was the last of our food!” The mohawk-haired boy yelled back, hitting him with all he got.
Then, the tall drunkard gripped his second-eldest son’s wrist tightly, infuriated by his insolence.
“Brat.” Kyogo hissed with annoyance. “Where the fuck is your mother?”
“She’s at the doctor’s, thanks to you–”
Suddenly, the tall drunkard held Genya’s wrist harder, bruising it as the mohawk-haired boy winced in pain, desperate to be free.
“Oi!” Sanemi yelled out, immediately running over to kick Kyogo in the crotch as hard as he could.
The tall drunkard fell onto the floor in pain before glaring at his eldest son. In retaliation, he smacked the white-haired boy onto the floor, causing blood to leak out of his mouth. All of the other siblings huddled in the corner with fear. Sanemi tried to get himself up while holding his injured cheek. Meanwhile, his father glared at him with cruel intentions.
“Why you–”
“Oi Kyogo…!” called one of Kyogo’s friends drunkenly outside. “There’s a new bar with booze selling nearby…! Let's go already!”
“Ugh… fine!” Kyogo groaned, slamming the door shut before going with his friends.
Once the group had left, Genya immediately rushed over to his older brother’s side with the rest of his siblings behind.
“Aniki! Are you alright?!”
“I’m fine, just eat my food instead.” Sanemi offered while holding his bowl with his other hand, trying to be unbothered by his cheek.
“But Nemi–”
“I told you I’m fine!” He yelled back, scaring his little brother.
Seeing what he had done, the white-haired boy sighed before apologizing.
“I’m sorry, just eat my food for me. For your big bro? For the sake of our little siblings?”
Genya hesitated for a moment before looking back at his younger siblings. They looked too scared to even eat, all of them just staring at him as if they were lost. The sight was honestly heartbreaking to him before replying to his older brother.
“Fine.” He said before grabbing Sanemi’s food and going towards his younger siblings. “Come on, let’s eat.”
“O-Oh okay….” They all said, still processing what happened. “T-Thank you for the meal!”
Although briefly interrupted, Genya was at least glad that his younger siblings were eating, but he couldn’t shake something off. He glanced back at Sanemi, who was just watching them, not even bothering to join them.
“Aniki, want some?” He asked his older brother gently.
“No, I’m good.” The eldest Shinazugawa refused arbitrarily as if it was conditioned to him.
As the mohawk-haired boy tried to place some rice on his older brother’s hand, the latter simply pulled away. Reluctantly taking a bite, a seed of guilt was planted in Genya.
~~X~~
“Aniki…” he muttered in his slumber with tears in the corners of his eyes.
No one but himself could hear his subconscious cry for help, all alone in his room. He no longer had his little siblings to protect. He no longer had his mother to help do the laundry. Finally, he no longer had his older brother with him. Even though Sanemi was the only family member left in the world, the Wind Hashira had ignored him for many years to even acknowledge him as such in Genya’s eyes. At that point, they were only brothers by blood.
“Please… don’t leave me… I promise I won’t be a burden…”
~~•~~
Author’s Note:
With my finals almost over, I might take a (hopefully) short break to recover after posting the next one, since it needs some minor revisions. I’ve been getting more lethargic lately and I’m worried that the writing process, along with other personal stuff, might interfere with it. I’ll still be writing the following chapters, but it will take longer, especially since publishing on my PC is easier than doing it on my phone.
Also, I originally wanted to write the Gyomei and Genya flashback in the previous chapter, but forgot to do so. I still hope that you enjoy it.
Chapter Content Warnings: Profanity, Self-Worth Issues,, Shinazugawa Genya Swears, Past Child Abuse, Past Trauma, Past References to Domestic Abuse, Past References to Childhood Sexual Abuse, Child Marriage,
Content featuring the following tags (Past References to Childhood Sexual Abuse, Child Marriage,) will start and end with (~~X~~) for those uncomfortable with these subjects.
~~•~~
Chapter Thirty-Six was originally published on July 12, 2026
~~•~~
Links:
Masterlist
AO3
Wattpad
~~•~~
After briefly visiting the Uzui Estate, Aoi, Kanao, and Genya went to the Butterfly Estate to recover. Despite suffering minor injuries, the two Butterfly Girls were eventually able to resume their duties there; thankfully, their workload had been recently reduced. Requested by Yorumi and with the Ubuyashikis’ approval, most of the surviving shinobis were transferred to Demon Slayer work, with many noncombatants relegated to housework there.
“How… have you been?” Genya shyly asked a new Butterfly Girl.
“It’s been great!” Ruri exclaimed excitedly, now dressed in her Butterfly Girl uniform.
Sitting down on a nearby stool, she adjusted her longer skirt slightly before asking the half-demon.
“But… how are you holding up?”
Lying down, the younger Shinazugawa just sighed deeply, staring at his raised, clenched arm as if he was still holding his wakizashi. Even after Genya’s recovery, he would still have to wait until his swordsmith made him a new one. The half-demon was wasting time instead of getting stronger, and he would be at risk of losing control again. As he kept moving it above himself, eyeing it before pulling back his sleeve, bemoaning his many conundrums.
“I’m… good, it’s just…” He replied softly, seeing bite marks for a moment before seeing his normal, scarred skin. “I need to train. I can’t get stronger if I can’t control myself. Even then, I need some good samples. Do you still have any?”
“No…”
“Well, something happened while we were gone.” Aoi interrupted, carrying his food on a tray.
It was grilled mackerel with shredded radish, a bowl of rice, and seasoned spinach. As she placed it atop the mohawk-haired boy’s lap, the pigtailed girl scoffed before he exclaimed, startling her.
“What?!”
“AH! Well, I can’t really–”
“Please…” The Breathless Tsuguko begged desperately. “I promise I won’t cause any trouble or tell anyone.”
“... Ugh, fine.“ Aoi reluctantly complied, sighing to herself. ”Apparently, Shinobu-san is working with some demons,” she said as Genya and Ruri opened their mouths in astonishment, “good ones, apparently. One of them is a doctor who personally knew Muzan Kibutsuji before she defected.”
Muzan?! Genya thought in shock, in disbelief of his luck. She must be powerful.
“Shinobu-san already informed us beforehand, so we’re just gradually moving our ally’s stuff here so that she can work with her for some medicines. Her assistant is also helping us out every night. Right now, they’re just in a shaded wing of the Butterfly Estate, guarded by his Blood Demon Art, but don’t do anything. Got it?”
“... Got it.”
~~•~~
Seeing an opportunity to gain some free demon parts while Aoi was on a mission, Genya searched for the demons’ office until he found a door covered in talismans. Some of them had eyes that moved as if they were flesh. However, with a breeze brushing through his mohawk, he sensed someone was behind him.
“Why are you sneaking around here?” Yushiro threateningly asked, narrowing his eyes as the half-demon turned his head.
“None of your business.” Genya scoffed irritably, veins popping on the pale-green-haired demon.
“It is my business if you keep staring at that door like that. You’re not subtle about that.”
“Oh yeah?”
“You overgrown brat…!”
“Yushiro.” Someone behind him softly spoke.
Immediately obedient, he swiftly moved aside for his master, Tamayo. She was holding her cat, Chachamaru, in her arms as she looked at Genya, who was instantly flustered upon locking eyes with her. Noticing this, the pale-green-haired demon glared at the half-demon, obsessively protective of her.
How dare you look at Lady Tamayo like that, you bastard. He thought with daggers in his eyes, unnoticed by the younger Shinazugawa.
“You must be the half-demon Shinobu-san told us about.” She realized, looking up to his tall height.
“Y-Yeah…” The scarred boy responded shyly, struck by her beauty. “I–”
“You must be here for our samples.” Tamayo concluded, surprising Genya.
“I knew it! You’re here to steal from us!” scolded Yushiro, pointing at him accusatorily.
“Yushiro.” She gently scolded him before plucking a few strands of hair blocking her face, handing them to the Breathless Tsuguko. “Here, take these.”
“LADY TAMAYO!”
“You must be training your abilities. Our Blood Demon Arts aren’t combat-oriented, but I hope that they would still assist you.”
Great… The half-demon thought in disappointment, still taking them. It’s still samples though…
“Thanks…”
“Yushiro, please give some of your hair to Genya.”
“Wh-What?!” He exclaimed, startled at first before immediately obeying her request. You better be thankful that you received such an offer from Lady Tamayo.
“Thanks…” The mohawk-haired boy thanked him gruffly before storming out of the hallway without a second thought.
“Oi!! Apologize to Lady Tamayo, you brat!”
“Yushiro, please. He was probably in a rush.” Tamayo tried to calm him down.
“But still! He disrespected your honor!” He yelled, still angry towards Genya.
“Come on, now. Let’s just go.” She sighed, prompting more obedience from her assistant. “We need to hurry.”
~~•~~
Once the Breathless Tsuguko finally recovered, he got to test out Tamayo’s and Yushiro’s abilities. Now in the Himejima Estate’s yard, it was nighttime with Gyomei observing him nearby. The cats were also there, with some on Gyomei’s lap. Closing his eyes, Genya took in a deep breath while practicing Repetitive Action, remembering the night that started it all. Startled by the memory, he quickly opened his eyes, his breathing becoming more frantic until he grasped the hair samples.
Swallowing the pale green ones, his sclera quickly shifted red, and his other free hand summoned a talisman from nowhere.
“Woah!” He exclaimed, surprised at what just happened. So it was that weird guy’s Blood Demon Art at the door…
Some of them had eyes drawn while the rest were written with certain characters. Testing the Blood Demon Art, Genya first tried it on himself while placing the normal talisman on his forehead. Suddenly, one of the cats got scared and scurried away.
“Gyomei, what happened?!” The younger Shinazugawa shouted anxiously.
“Well, I could still sense you…” Gyomei noted, petting one of the cats to calm him down, “but the cats are scared.”
The Breathless Slayer tried to facepalm, realizing that his hand was mysteriously missing. He proceeded to look around himself, seeing that the rest of him was gone. Remembering the talisman, Genya removed it from his forehead, and his physical body reappeared, scaring the cats.
“Hey, hey, hey! I’m back!” He yelled to the cats, trying to calm them down.
One of the felines went closer to the tall Slayer in an attempt to intimidate him. However, he decided to test the eye talisman. He put it on his head, but nothing worked. Looking at the cat beside him, Genya decided to place the normal talisman on the cat. Once he put it on, the scarred Slayer was now seeing himself from the ground.
“Huh?!” The younger Shinazugawa panicked, seeing his reaction.
Immediately, he took both talismans off, and he could now see through his own eyes. The mohawk-haired Slayer sighed and pulled out the black hair strands to test them. He gulped them in and didn’t know what to do. A little disturbed by what was going on, the cat scratched Genya’s finger.
“Hey!” He shouted with his finger bleeding a little.
Then, fragrance started to release from his wound, prompting the cat to run back to Gyomei. The other cats started to mewl out of disgust as Gyomei commented. Slowly, they started to fall asleep, with yawning purrs from their bodies.
“Fuck, these Blood Demon Arts aren’t good enough…” Genya noted, a little disappointed. That demon lady was right…
“Still, we must train these abilities.” Gyomei encouraged to his Tsuguko’s surprise.
“Huh?! Why?!”
“Because you promised to double your training.” The blind man reminded as the mohawk-haired boy groaned.
“Right…”
~~•~~
After days of excruciating exercise, Genya had practiced both Blood Demon Arts, but he was nonetheless impatient. His blacksmith was still sick and he wanted to try out his skills with a combative Blood Demon Art. The younger Shinazugawa knew the only closest available source, but he was hesitant because of who she was related to. After all, her older brother was the one who broke his arm.
Once it was night, he waited for an unfamiliar girl to appear at the Butterfly Manor. From what he had heard from Kanao, another third demon would appear to look outside before the sun rose. Sooner or later, a girl with a bamboo muzzle appeared. Her pink eyes were drooping as little as they glittered under the moonlight. It was Nezuko Kamado, the younger and remaining sister of Tanjiro Kamado.
“H-Hey!” called Genya, still feeling a little awkward.
Frightened, the Kamado sister started to run away, unused to the stranger.
“Hey, wait!”
As the scar-faced boy chased the demon girl, she started to shrink to the size of a child. Despite her small stature and tiny legs, Nezuko was still faster than Genya, irritating him further.
“Stop!” He cried out until they both reached Tanjiro’s room.
The redhead was still in a coma after what happened in Yoshiwara, but Nezuko and the other Butterfly Girls still kept looking after him. Before he could stop her, the demon girl had already locked herself inside her older brother’s portable box.
“Oh come on!”
“Huh?!” muttered a groggy voice.
Genya looked at the bed, but realized that Tanjiro was still asleep, only speaking in his coma.
“Who are you…?” He murmured, with his eyes closed, invested in his dream.
The mohawk-haired boy sighed with relief and looked back at the box, realizing he was too aggressive towards someone he had just met. Embarrassed yet desperate, Genya sighed and sat down near the hidden Nezuko.
“Look… I heard how powerful you are from Yorumi. Remember her?” He asked and the box shook a little. “I’ll… take that as a yes.”
The Breathless Tsuguko grunted in frustration, feeling uncomfortable with talking about these things with someone he just met. However, he was too determined to get stronger.
“She told me how you can burn demons with your blood. How you almost defeated an Upper Moon. How you helped remove the poison from everyone… I’m thankful that you were able to save Yorumi.” He said, with a blush across his face before realizing that he was getting off track. “I… want to share your power. I can’t even cut a demon’s neck so I… eat demons and can copy their abilities before I turn back into a human. It’s just… I want to make Aniki proud…”
Suddenly, the box opened up and Nezuko popped out. Without a muffled word, her hands went atop her head as she pulled out some of her hair. Some tears leaked out of her eyes from pain, but the demon girl still handed them to Genya.
“Huh?!”
Nezuko could tell who the mohawk-haired Slayer was related to. She hadn't seen Sanemi since he had stabbed her multiple times and tempted her with his blood during the Hashira Meeting. The Shinazugawa brothers’ purple eyes and noticeable heights made it obvious to see their blood connection, but she noticed some differences. Sanemi was more aggressive and, while Genya shared some of it, it was more based on insecurity. A little disturbed but relieved, Genya slowly took the hair strands from her hands.
“Th-Thanks…”
“Hmph!” She replied cheerfully with a muffled voice.
Once he finally got what he wanted, Genya left Tanjiro’s ward and headed back to the Himejima Estate to continue training.
~~•~~
Later, he was training near the Stone Hashira’s engawa, holding Nezuko’s hair strands. He was gripping tightly onto them while facing a giant boulder. Breathing in to collect his breath, he gulped in the hair and his body began to change. Out of the samples he had eaten, Nezuko’s was the strongest so far. Falling to the ground, his body grew larger as he processed the demon samples in his body.
The right side of his forehead grew a sharp horn. His topless body began to grow vine patterns while similar broken patterns surrounded his eyes. Once he transformed, Genya had never felt this powerful before. It was overwhelming but exciting for him.
As expected of someone strong like her…. He thought, as he stared at his palms, remembering how Nezuko’s Blood Demon Art worked based on what he was told. So if I do this…
While clutching his fingers into his palms, his fingernails began to pierce through his skin, with his blood igniting into flames. With fists wielding demonic fire, the half-demon charged towards the boulder and punched it as hard as he could, immediately shattering the huge rock into thousands of pieces. Getting more excited, the younger Shinazugawa looked at the other boulders nearby and smashed them as well. The Breathless Tsuguko kept rampaging toward them until they were only demolished from their original forms. Genya just stood in awe of his newfound strength, huffing and puffing from exhaustion, until he heard someone.
“Nice work.” A familiarly flat yet somewhat teasing voice complimented.
Immediately flustered, Genya looked behind him to see Yorumi with her arms crossed and her back against a nearby tree. She was admiring his shirtless and toned body, blushing hard despite her stoic face, not helped by how much his body had changed under Nezuko’s demonic power. From the mohawk-haired Slayer’s muscles to his height, the new Sound Hashira was enjoying the sight.
“You’re hot.” The new Sound Hashira flirted bluntly while walking towards him, earning her boyfriend’s embarrassment.
“Like the weather, right?” He guessed, only to be met with silence. “Right…?”
“Sure.” She only gave a slight chuckle.
“Yorumi!!”
Hearing his embarrassment combined with the sight of his flushed face, the youngest Uzui couldn’t help but laugh more, charming the Breathless Tsuguko.
“Never heard you laugh like that before…”
“Well, there’s a first for everything.” She replied, now calmed down.
The flames in Genya’s fists were extinguished before the short-haired kunoichi started to hold his hands. Her fingers gently intertwined with his as they both stared at each other, now stronger than ever. Transforming back, he shut his eyes, slowly returning to his regular self. Opening his eyes revealed the new Sound Hashira kissing him on the lips.
“Thanks….” He replied with a soft, yet subtle smile before getting flustered.
“Hey… do you wanna do some light sparring?”
“How so?”
“I don’t know, you’ll just do some punches and kicks while I block them.” The youngest Uzui clarified before realizing something. “Don’t worry, I can handle myself. It’s just training. I’ll be fine.”
“... Sure.” The younger Shinazugawa replied with some hesitation, brushing aside his worries.
With some distance, the mohawk-haired boy kept using his fists and legs to land a hit on the short-haired kunoichi. Using her hearing, she blocked each attempt at the right time, hearing their impact from the friction.
“You’re getting stronger.” She stoically noted, unfazed yet impressed.
“Thanks.” He responded before striking up a conversational topic. “So… how’s Hayate and Haruki?”
“Oh, um!” Yorumi panicked before speaking solemnly. “Hayate is doing fine. He’s having no problems with Haruki. He even made him attend school. So far, he’s doing well with his lessons.”
“That’s… good to hear.” Genya grunted as he continuously tried to land a hit on her.
“However, Haruki still hates me…” The short-haired girl continued, worrying the half-demon. “Whenever I would try approaching him, he would climb the nearest tree and sit on top of the branches. I would try yelling at him to respond, but he would ignore it. Even when I would climb up the tree to talk to him, he would move on to the next one.”
The scar-faced boy noticed her looking down, still blocking his blows despite her quivering as if on the verge of tears.
“Hayate told me to ignore it and that he’ll get used to me soon, but it made me have some doubts…”
Then, Genya stopped exercising, getting more concerned for his girlfriend.
“Do you wanna talk about it?” He asked gently.
“Sure….” She said as the pair sat down and leaned against a tree trunk, looking at the moon. “So… Hinatsuru is pregnant.”
“Really?!” Genya exclaimed excitedly. “That’s good for her!”
“I know, it would be nice to see Tengen settling down to have a family, but… do you think I’m an asshole?”
The half-demon’s eyes widened out of shock. Astounded at what the new Sound Hashira had said.
“What do you mean by that, Yorumi?”
“It’s just… I’m not sure if I’m a good aunt, let alone a good mother in the future.” She answered with tears in the corners of her eyes. “I was born later than the rest of my siblings because the previous attempts failed. After that, I was basically trained and cultivated to be a mother on top of being a murderer. Not to mention…”
~~X~~
“This is Yorumi Uzui, child. She originally abandoned us, but she finally returned.” Masahiko answered stoically. “You know, she could’ve been your mother.”
What the fuck/hell?! All three Slayers thought in united shock until they noticed Yorumi’s reaction.
With trembling knees, her heart began to crumple from the inside out, stunned by his audacity. Only hearing her erratic pulse ring in her head, she was on the verge of throwing up, sweating even more, but couldn’t. The youngest Uzui couldn’t let her former fiancé see her vulnerable, never again.
“R-Really?! I mean… really?” The beauty-marked boy asked, excitedly at first, before changing to a formal tone, not even noticing her distress.
~~•~~
“I’m fine.” Haruki brushed off as the pigtailed girl started disinfecting his fingers. “I just… want to talk to Yorumi-san.”
“... Why…?”
“Because aren’t we family?”
Upon those words, the fuchsia-eyed girl faltered, bile rushedly climbing her throat. Trying to contain it, she started choking as Genya kept patting her back until she stopped.
“What’s wrong?” He innocently asked, his fingers wrapped with bandages.
“Nothing, she’s just surprised.” The Insect Breathing user tried to reassure him, taking occasional worried glances at the short-haired girl.
“But why did she leave?”
“Your father and I… had differing opinions on the future, so I left.” Yorumi sadly answered, facing away from the Ariuma boy.
“But you could’ve been a great mother to me, and my siblings.” He rebuked naively, startling the new Sound Hashira more.
~~•~~
“Okay, we’re done. You’re good to go.” Aoi said to Haruki, trying to keep up a cheery tone.
“Thank you.” He said stoically before leaving the room, stopping for a moment to speak to the new Sound Hashira. “However, you do seem strong, so you could’ve been a great mother.”
Once Yorumi closed the door and placed the chest back in front, she looked back at her friends with fear in everyone’s eyes. Hers, especially, with snot, spit, and tears leaking from the corners of her eyes, nostrils, and lips. Wiping the residue, the youngest Uzui slowly composed herself before speaking.
~~X~~
The short-haired girl was starting to cry more, with tears pouring down her cheeks. Urgently, the younger Shinazugawa kept wiping his face as she sobbed before Yorumi spoke with a sniffly voice.
“It’s… complicated. This… kid saw me as his mother. It sickens me, and yet I pity him. I pity his naivety and his current state. I… I…”
“It’s fine, Yorumi. Maybe… he’ll understand your situation once he’s older and he’ll learn to forgive you.” Genya tried to comfort.
“I know, but what’s to say that I’ll mess up again with Tengen’s child… or even my own?!”
Seeing his girlfriend’s distress, Genya held Yorumi’s cheeks and wiped away her tears. The short-haired kunoichi stopped sniffling at the gaze of his soft expression, his eyes more focused on her happiness.
“You’re… one of the kindest people I’ve ever met.” He spoke gently with all the love he could say. “Even though we had a rough first meeting, you were always there for me. You saw me for me, despite the fact that I eat demons. Although you can be blunt and stoic at times, I… I love you.”
The short-haired girl’s fuchsia eyes sparkled upon hearing the mohawk-haired boy’s declaration. She could feel her cheeks growing redder and her heart fluttering in her chest.
“Th-Thanks…” She sniffled.
“No problem.” He replied before asking Yorumi something, remembering some of her earlier words. “Hey… you said something about being a mom in the future?”
“Oh that, well… I don’t know, to be honest.” The new Sound Hashira confessed, still conflicted. “Would I betray the very reason I fled from home? Would I only prove my mothers and father right? That I was only meant to be bred like cattle? Even then, what if I just… become them?”
“I don’t think you’re cattle.” Genya replied aloud, only realizing it once he saw her confused reaction. “I mean, if anything, as long as it’s… your choice… out of your own volition… and you’ve learned what not to do… then you being a mom wouldn’t be hypocritical.”
“How… profound.” Yorumi responded, astounded before asking. “Do you think I would be a good one though?”
“U-Uh!” He stuttered out loud, immediately blushing. “I-I think, fuck… you would be a great one. I mean, I had a dream that we…”
“We what?”
“Um, fuck..."
~~•~~
“By the way, Dad, Uncle Tengen and Aunts Hinatsuru, Makio, and Suma are visiting today.”
Genya’s jaw dropped upon hearing the news, which implied something strange. Apparently, he was married to Yorumi and… even had children with her. Now, the children’s appearances made more sense to him.
What the fuck… Genya thought to himself, overwhelmed yet… overjoyed to the point of blushing.
~~•~~
“Hey, sweetie.” She said snarkily yet lovingly, giving a domineering smirk.
“H-Hey Yorumi…!” He flusteredly greeted, noticing how pretty she was, before the gas stove was working in front of her. “L-Let me, um, help you cook.”
“Okay then.” The short-haired kunoichi replied, her voice more tender.
Blushing hard from her flirtatious tone, the half-demon kept handing his wife ingredients or anything she requested while she cooked, catching a few glimpses of Yorumi. She appeared similar to the one he knew, only more mature, with slight changes. The fuchsia-eyed kunoichi’s hair cascaded to her collarbones, and her body language was more relaxed yet confident.
“Oi, eyes up here.” She playfully and bluntly chastised him.
“R-Right!” Genya nodded, facing the other way out of embarrassment.
“Oi, stop flirting back there! We’re starving here.” Makio shouted to remind them.
“Besides, don’t you two have six kids already?” Tengen teasingly yelled, side-glancing at them.
~~•~~
“I’m sorry that I told you to talk to your brother.”
“No! It’s fine, you just estimated what I was thinking.” He tried to justify it with a bashful expression.
“But still,” she said, slowly getting mad, “who in the world dares to visit a family member’s home just to get mad at them and leave?”
She groaned and calmed down a bit from looking at Koto. Genya did the same, but had a more somber expression on his face.
“Still… do you think… I deserve this?”
“Deserve what?”
“This house, the kids… you?”
Hearing his reluctance, Yorumi held his cheek tenderly and put her forehead against his own.
“Of course, Genya,” she answered calmly, dropping any sarcasm or bluntness, “you’ve made mistakes, but what’s important is that we move beyond them.”
~~•~~
“… were married, had a nice house, and raised a brood of kids.”
Silence followed as the two looked at each other with realization, their cheeks blazing red, pondering on the Breathless Tsuguko’s words.
“You want to… me?” Yorumi asked in astonishment. “This is… me you’re talking about.”
“Yeah… that dream made me realize I had feelings for you.” He confessed shyly. “You would be better than I would as a father… or any family member at all…”
“Genya…” The youngest Uzui softly chastised him before leaning against his shoulder.
“What…?”
“Why don’t you take your own advice as well?” She answered, her finger playing with his mohawk tenderly. “You would make a great father and husband.”
“... Sure.” The younger Shinazugawa agreed, his chin leaning against her. “Yorumi?”
“Yeah?”
They both laughed until he noticed that Yorumi was leaning towards him. Genya got flustered upon looking at her puckered lips, gulping his saliva nervously before preparing to kiss her until…
“Can I kiss you?”
“Sure…”
With a tender kiss on the lips, the both of them continued watching the stars as an idea had lain in the new Sound Hashira’s head.
~~•~~
Author’s Note:
To be honest, this chapter’s title could be a work-in-progress. If anyone has better suggestions, please comment them down and I’ll make a poll on Tumblr for everyone to vote on.
Recently, I’ve been getting exhausted from academics and other personal stuff. Nothing too serious, but it’s tiring. Still, I hope that I’ll be able to publish the next chapters on time. Thank you for reading.
Chapter Content Warnings: Profanity, Self-Worth Issues,, Shinazugawa Genya Swears, Past Child Abuse, Past Trauma, Past References to Domestic Abuse, Misogyny, Blood and Gore, Infertility,
~~•~~
Chapter Thirty-Five was originally published on July 3, 2026
~~•~~
Links:
Masterlist
AO3
Wattpad
~~•~~
Once Haruki finished crying, Aoi, Kanao, and Genya brought him to the other side of the river, which is being supervised by Ruri, the villagers, the guarding backup, and the Kakushi. Returning to the now-destroyed Uzui estate, the Flower Tsuguko noticed Yorumi grabbing papers from a chest she recalled seeing in Kirisame’s office.
“Kajis…?” She read one of the documents out loud from afar, watching her place the files in her obi.
Hearing them approach her, the short-haired kunoichi immediately composed herself, acting as if nothing was bothering her. However, even with the newly applied medicine and bandages the blue Butterfly Girl had applied to her, the half-demon could see the bite marks and scratches on her forearms and shins that he had painted her body with when he lost control. Combined with her previous laceration from the Upper Six brother, a pit of guilt was growing in the mohawk-haired boy’s stomach.
“How is he?” Yorumi asked a little solemnly.
“He’s fine, he just needs some rest.” Aoi stated softly, sensing some awkward tension.
“… Let’s move then.” The new Sound Hashira said, already crouching down to open a hidden trapdoor in the floor.
Walking ahead, the youngest Uzui followed the lanterns swirling around a staircase. Meanwhile, Genya worriedly and quickly went second and chased the short-haired woman downstairs. Sighing, Aoi rubbed her forehead in frustration and followed the couple with Kanao behind her. As they descended underground, the half-demon couldn’t help but ask if the new Sound Hashira was okay. A lot of things were plaguing her mind with seemingly no break. Genya wasn’t good at comforting others, but he at least wanted to help the short-haired girl in some way.
“Hey… do you want to talk about it…?”
“Talk about what?” Yorumi replied, ignoring what happened previously.
Noticing her scarred and bitten arm up close, the half-demon furrowed his brows and paused for a moment. Hearing his hesitation, she retracted her arm and exhaled softly.
“Genya, it wasn’t your fault.”
“But it wasn’t the first time this happened. I almost lost control back when we saved Ruri.” The mohawk-haired boy shyly confessed. “I thought I could handle Upper Moon blood, but when I saw you bite your lip, I… I almost went berserk.”
The new Sound Hashira turned around and went closer to hold Genya’s face. The half-demon’s cheeks grew redder, with the tips of their noses almost touching. She sighed softly before speaking to him gently.
“Please… don’t blame yourself for that.” She tenderly begged, her hands holding his face as if he was the most valuable treasure in the world. “If anything, just blame Masahiko and Kirisame.”
“... Sure.” The younger Shinazugawa gently replied, the tip of his nose pressing against hers. "But what about what happened to Haruki--?"
“Hey!” Aoi interrupted, pointing behind them. “You guys are close to the floor.”
Following her finger, the couple realized that the staircase had ended. In the room, countless barrels that smelled like umeboshi were stacked on top of each other. However, there was a narrow hallway in between the stacks for the group to pass through. Sighing, Yorumi went down and passed through the slim passageway, being followed by the rest. After a few moments of walking through the stacks, they finally reached a more open area where they saw Kirisame in front of something or someone chained up to the wall.
The older Uzui was already covered in blood, his hands being the most dirtied as he stared coldly at whatever he imprisoned here. It was a demon with its arms and legs chained up, but the rest of its body was just a giant mass of flesh and viscera. Some of its facial features were seen, but unrecognizable as those of a human.
“Yorumi is ruining everything again.” Kirisame spoke mockingly to the demon, mostly monologuing to himself. “After eight years of abandonment, she finally came back for me, no, for my plans. For once, I’m important and not second-place. She came to stop me, not you.”
In response, all the fleshy demon could do was groan exhaustedly and moan in anguish, somehow sounding familiar to Yorumi.
“Of all people, why are you whining? Didn’t you say that with great pain comes great strength? Hypocrite. Alas, it only worked for me.”
“Father…?”
“Great, the whole family is reunited.” Kirisame remarked, turning around to see the group. “Well, most of us. Not even Father’s favorite will even get to see him, especially now that he’s exposed for the man he truly is.”
Gasping for air, the former Uzui head’s flesh began regenerating as he kept angrily making grunting noises, trying to order the current one. Even more irritated, the older Uzui simply ripped out his voicebox without a second thought, blood gushing out before he carelessly threw the organ away. Hearing the veins pop out of her brother’s forehead, Yorumi tried talking to him.
“Brother–”
“DON’T CALL ME THAT!” Kirisame bursted out unexpectedly. “I’M THE HEAD OF THE CLAN NOW! NOT TENGEN! I AM! YOU DON’T EVEN HAVE THE PRIVILEGE TO BE RELATED TO ME ANYMORE!”
“... I know.” The youngest Uzui agreed reluctantly, her eyes looking away from him for a moment. “But still, Father wouldn’t make a plan this…”
“Sufficient?” He tried to finish, his voice now calmer. “Father was a fool for not looking at the bigger picture. We would live for centuries. We wouldn’t run out of resources. We won’t go extinct!”
“But you’re still killing your own people. That doesn't help with your immortality plan.” Genya called out.
“Nonetheless, these umeboshi will help us repopulate, thanks to that man’s blessing. We’ll just take some new demons under our wing, and they will replace the ones we’ve lost. I wouldn’t need to breed.”
That man?! All four Slayers reacted, their eyes widened out of shock until Aoi noticed something strange.
“... Why did you mention that you wouldn’t need to breed?“
“What?” Kirisame muttered, his tone insulted by her audacity.
“Of all things important, why would you mention that you specifically wouldn’t have to breed? Don’t you have wives?”
“What are you saying?!”
“They’re not here anymore, so you could reproduce… through turning people into demons?”
“Stop it!”
“You wouldn’t go this unless… you had problems with…”
“Fertility.” Kanao blurted out loud in realization. “Ginseng boosts spermatogenesis, astragalus improves sperm mobility, goji berries protect sperm from oxidative damage, butterbur promotes sperm cell proliferation.”
“The plants in your office…” The pigtailed girl had an epiphany. “You’re infertile–”
In the blink of an eye, Kirisame furiously threw a shuriken at the Insect Breathing user’s face before it was blocked by Yorumi’s cleaver, being reflected to the Uzui head. As the star was stabbed into his face, he pulled it out with veins popping out of his forehead.
“You were always such a pain…” He bemoaned, his tone rising.
The short-haired kunoichi then glanced back at the pigtailed Slayer, both knowing what to do next. Sensing tensions rising, both the Slayers and Kirisame simultaneously charged towards each other. Before the former could attack, the latter spewed out a pungent breath that surrounded the room.
Blood Demon Art: Illusions of the True Self.
Forming from the fog, clones of Kirisame appeared and jumped up to surround the new Sound Hashira and her companions. Immediately, Yorumi and Kanao took the defense and raised their swords.
Flower Breathing Second Form: Honorable Shadow Plum!
Sound Breathing Third Form: Spinning Kotsuzumi!
Blocking using these attacks, the clones immediately backed away and exploded upon being slashed. However, despite their defenses, Kirisame kept making more at their expense. Looking for another solution, the Flower Tsuguko carefully observed the copies for any weaknesses her group could exploit. She looked closely at every little detail of both the clones and Kirisame until she realized something.
“I don’t know what you and Aoi are planning, but I have an idea.” The youngest Kocho suggested amid the battle. “Genya and I will handle the clones while you two attack Kirisame.”
“I see.” The fuchsia-eyed girl commented, immediately slashing a copy’s neck.
“We just need an opening for us to split!” The Insect Breathing user grunted, nimblly avoiding an attack.
Desperate to get the battle over with, Genya closed his eyes and inhaled heavily. Holding his girlfriend and the side-ponytailed girl by the arms, the clones were about to attack all of them. Aoi was going to yell at him for seemingly killing them all but wanted to focus more on saving them. Then, the half-demon exhaled his breath to perform one of Masahiko’s Blood Demon Arts.
Blood Demon Art: Hellborn Mist!
From the strength of the gust, most of the clones were blown away and crashed into multiple barrels, exploding them. Seeing this, a vein popped out of Kirisame’s head as everything was shrouded by dust. With the smell of plums escaping from broken kegs, it masked wherever they were going. Meanwhile, Kanao rubbed her eyes intensely, trying to get rid of dirt while the youngest Uzui looked at the half-demon.
“Go, you can beat the shit out of him now!” Genya yelled hurriedly.
“Thanks, Sweetie. Let’s go, Aoi-chan.” She softly replied in response, a small smile forming.
“R-Right!”
She then held the blue Butterfly Girl’s hand as she pulled her closer until she was carrying her on her back. Once they both disappeared in a flash, more clones charged towards them from the surrounding mist. Defending the Breathless Tsuguko, Kanao went in front of one of them and decapitated him. Once he exploded, she was blown away from the impact and bumped into the younger Shinazugawa.
“A-Are you okay?!” He asked worriedly, a little flustered by another girl so close to him.
“I’m fine!” She reassured him, focusing her sights on the clones. “But we need to be careful when dealing with them!”
“R-Right!” He answered, pulling out his gun to shoot one of them.
As his target blew up, another came and bit his wrist, dropping his firearm. Seething through his teeth in pain, Genya grabbed his wakizashi from behind his back and pushed it onto his attacker’s neck. With his other arm, the half-demon kept jamming his blade as the clone bit harder. Once he was done, the wakizashi broke into pieces as the demon’s head fell off.
“Shit!” He swore, grabbing the clone by his collar before throwing him away as hard as he could.
Afterwards, the clone exploded near a stack of barrels. Meanwhile, noticing this, Kanao jumped onto some stacks of barrels as more clones chased after her. With enough demons targeting her, the Flower Tsuguko dove down to swing her sword, gracefully decapitating her targets.
Flower Breathing Third Form: Wisteria Maiden!
From their multiple explosions, they kept destroying the kegs one by one. After all, the side-ponytailed girl needed to ruin the Uzui patriarch’s plan as much as she could, even at the cost of their lives. Once the fog cleared, Kirisame noticed only Genya and Kanao, realizing that Yorumi and Aoi were missing. Before he could attack them, his youngest sister came from behind and held the tip of her blade to swing the other cleaver towards her older brother.
Sound Breathing Second Form: Rising Shamisen Rhythm!
With explosives hitting the blade, Kirisame was severely damaged, cautiously touching his neck. Relieved that it was still intact, the older Uzui was more annoyed than anything, moving his tail towards Genya and Kanao to scare them. However, the new Sound Hashira used her chain to move her cleavers, protecting the two.
Sound Breathing Sixth Form: Echoing Bell Tree of Dawn!
Getting more irritated with his sister, the Uzui head focused most of his attention on her while ordering his clones to attack the half-demon and the Flower Tsuguko. They both exchanged blows with each other, from scratches to wounds. However, there was a certain pigtailed Slayer at the end of the wall behind the older Uzui.
“Now!” Yorumi yelled out desperately.
Before Kirisame could turn his head, Aoi had used all the strength in her legs to charge towards his back, using all the momentum to deliver a devastating stab into his heart.
Insect Breathing Dance of the Bee Sting: True Flutter!
Despite being resistant to poison, all of the demonic shinobi’s muscles went numb, instantly making his body drop down on the ground. He glanced a bit to the side to see that Genya and Kanao had already defeated all of his clones and destroyed every barrel in the basement. As the duo approached Kirisame’s paralyzed body, Aoi explained to him.
“Shinobu-san has made this painless toxin that I’ve kept here with me. She learned that I was learning her Breathing Style, so she gave me this as a gift. It’s meant to paralyze your movements and slowly kill you as you writhe in pain, according to her.” She said as she pulled out a vial containing some liquid. “She typically used it against demons who surrendered, but Yorumi wanted to keep you alive for longer, so I used the maximum amount for your case.”
“Why…?!” Kirisame choked out exasperatedly.
“I… I wanted to apologize.” Yorumi answered shamefully.
A-Apologize?! The other three Slayers thought with surprise.
“For what?!”
“Abandoning you.” The youngest Uzui clarified stoically, her voice sounding more solemn.
“Liar. You never wanted to apologize. That boy just wanted to cover for you, so that you could ruin everything for me and drag all of us down! You always did!”
“Why you…” Genya muttered with hostility, about to approach him until the new Sound Hashira held him back with her arm in front of him.
“Yeah, but… you made me realize we should have.” The short-haired kunoichi stoically continued, ignoring his insults with a more honest-sounding tone. “You reminded me of someone who is the same age as you were when we left. He was nothing like you; shy, skittish, empathetic, but he hated himself for being weak, unlike his older brother.”
“What does some brat have to do with me…?”
“He made me realize how young we were back then. Like him, you were a kid who suffered under Father’s expectations. All of us did, even Tengen.” She answered stoically.
“... He was sentimental, especially towards you.” The Uzui head answered coldly.
“If anyone was to blame, it’s Father, not Tengen. My years outside this place taught me that.” Yorumi retorted calmly, glancing at her friends. “You were still loyal to him, but leaving here could’ve done the same thing for you.”
Nothing came out of Kirisame’s mouth, except slight trembles could be heard. For the first time, she saw her older brother, the most cruel one to her outside of their father and mothers, cry in front of her. His body was still paralyzed with purplish marks surrounding his stab marks, but minor shaking could be heard from the hairs on his skin.
“I knew him longer than you and yet… he took you instead.” He softly confessed, his eyes watering and his words choking up. “I became the head of the clan, but… I felt nothing. I was still treated like his inferior copy.”
“Then, I should’ve considered you when he asked me to leave with him and his wives. Or at least came back before Muzan turned you into… this.”
Finally calming himself, Kirisame paused, pondering what his younger sister said. It was partially because of her regret, but something else caught him off guard.
“He didn’t turn me into this.”
… What?! All four Slayers mentally reacted, stunned from his correction.
“Then who?”
“... Upper Moon One.” He answered, his voice getting weaker.
Outside of Muzan, Upper Moon One was the strongest demon alive, even being said that he was stronger than Upper Two and Three combined. Hell, after he assassinated a previous head of the Ubuyashikis, he became the reason the Kakushi now exists. Of all of Muzan’s Twelve Moons, let alone Upper Ranks, he had the highest kill count, especially when it came to Hashiras.
“I encountered him during a mission with Father and his wives. The man thought that all shinobis were extinct, but he couldn’t pass up such an opportunity.” Kirisame continued sluggishly, his pulse slowing down.
“Brother! What is he like?! What is his Blood Demon Art?! Brother!” Yorumi asked frantically, repeatedly shaking him.
However, he wouldn’t answer, only chuckling to himself. The youngest Uzui couldn’t tell if he was doing it to spite her or to distract himself from his inevitable death, all of her adrenaline and desperation rushing into her ears, unable to tell the difference.
“... Sister…” He finally muttered with one last breath, all the light in his fuchsia eyes now gone.
“Brother…? Brother!” She tried calling out, only to be met with silence until she heard something behind her.
Now freed during the ruckus, Arashi was writhing on the floor, licking off his son’s spilled blood without a hint of dignity. Slowly regenerating, he finally spoke.
“If I were you, I would’ve interrogated first instead of the sentimental talk.” He condemned coldly, not even facing his son’s corpse, not out of grief for him but rather shame. “But he was right about everything… that he was Tengen’s inferior copy, that you held him back.”
“Those… were what stuck with you?” Yorumi asked, gripping her hilts.
“Even then, it was his fault that you succeeded him in strength–”
Gritting her teeth from both frustration and fear, in the blink of an eye, the short-haired girl was suddenly in front of him. She raised her cleavers high and slammed them onto her father, explosives thrown towards him.
“DIE!!!!!!!!” She cried out from the bottom of her lungs, all of her bottled-up emotions, ever since she started this mission, reaching its boiling point.
Her companions continued to watch Yorumi with pity, seeing her slam her bombs more onto the former Uzui head, even when his body had already disintegrated. Veins were popping out of her forehead while some tears escaped from the corners of her eyes. She was even carelessly getting some more scratches on her arms, opening her bandages.
“DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE–!”
Before she knew it, Genya was already hugging her, moving her hands to let go of her hilts. Overwhelmed with complicated, conflicting emotions, she finally sobbed wildly against him.
“It’s okay… you’re okay.”
While she kept crying loudly, Kanao and Aoi sat on each of Yorumi’s sides, holding her comfortably. Despite the valuable information Kirisame could’ve provided, they knew that the new Sound Hashira had enough of this horrible place. However, she wasn’t sure if it was all over.
~~•~~
The next morning, they were able to find all of the demon blood-infused umeboshi and burned them all at the Uzui estate. The village was mostly intact, now under the Demon Slayer Corps. Meanwhile, the villagers were able to stay, but the Kakushi were still suspicious of them, building stations to survey them.
Incredibly exhausted from the constant combat, the four Slayers decided to ride a train from the nearest town. Now bringing Ruri and Haruki with them, most of them were asleep. The Iwayama kunoichi was sleeping against Kanao’s shoulder with Haruki napping on her lap, holding Yorumi’s hand on his left. On the other side, Aoi was in the window seat, Genya was near the aisle, and Yorumi was in the middle, writing down a letter. Amidst the half-demon’s snoring, the new Sound Hashira spoke out of nowhere, only facing what was in front of her.
“Aoi?” She muttered with a croaky voice.
“Yeah…?” The Insect Breathing user replied, surprised that she was still awake.
“Am I normal?” She asked, not even facing her.
The pigtailed Slayer paused for a moment before comfortably placing her hand on her shoulder.
“Even with whatever messed up shit there is here, you are still normal.”
~~•~~
“WAAAAAHHH!” Both Ruri and Suma wailed while hugging each other, now reunited at the Uzui Estate.
“I MISSED YOU, BIG SIS!”
“I MISSED YOU TOO!”
Suddenly, glass shattered in one of the hallways, scaring the Iwayama sisters.
“AH!”
“I don’t wanna live with some weaklings!” yelled Haruki bitterly, facing the retired Tengen along with his other two wives and Hayate.
Yorumi kept staring at the boy from behind, too nervous to get near him, staying with Genya, Aoi, and Kanao next to her.
“Look, kid. You should be playing with other children your age, going to school, not in the Demon Slayer Corps.” The former Sound Hashira sighed, feeling awkward from interacting with Haruki.
“But you trained her! You made her your successor!" He questioned back angrily. “Hashira, even?!”
Immediately, he ran as he pushed Makio and Hinatsuru away. The blonde-banged kunoichi got irritated while the ponytailed woman looked at the child with concern. Before she knew it, the purple-eyed Kunoichi rushed towards the bathroom, holding her mouth as the red-robed kunoichi followed her. Meanwhile, Haruki then grabbed a wooden sword and hit Genya by the nape.
“Ow!”
“See! I can be good at slaying demons!” He yelled with egotism in his voice. “You can train me to kill all of them! I can give it my all to become strong! Even if it costs my life–!”
“No.” Tengen insistently refused, shocking the boy. “You’ve suffered enough.”
“But you gave that bitch a chance to become one!” The beauty-marked boy screamed while pointing at the youngest Uzui. “Why her, not me?!”
“We made a promise,” the short-haired kunoichi answered stoically, “and… I learned about how horrific our clan’s values were–!”
“SHUT UP! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!” He cried while running outside.
“Wait!” Aoi shouted, chasing the boy with Kanao following him.
“We’ll… calm him down.” Genya reassured her as he passed by his girlfriend, patting her back gently. “Just don’t pay attention to his words.”
“Okay….” She replied while the mohawk-haired boy went to the backyard with the rest.
“I’ll come too.” The Thunder Cultivator followed.
As the Ariuma boy kept punching a tree in frantic frustration, his knuckles starting to bleed, the blue Butterfly Girl tried pulling him away but was pushed.
“Hey!” Kanao called out as she caught Aoi, about to approach him, until Hayate slowly went in her stead.
“It’s nice to meet you, Haruki-san. I’m Hayate Kamimura.” He greeted him calmly.
“What do you want…?” The beauty-marked boy asked suspiciously, glaring at him.
Pulling out something from his pocket, Haruki took a defensive stance, raising his fists until the Thunder Cultivator pulled out some spinning tops. They were metallic shades of yellow, blue, pink, purple, and green with the kanjis for “tie,” “hollyhock,” “chestnut,” “night,” and “field.”
“Do you like koma?”
“What are those?” The beauty-marked kid questioned dubiously, scowling at the toys.
“Well, they’re toys I made. I thought you would like them.” Hayate explained, only to be met with silent judgement from the Ariuma boy. “Here, let me show you.”
Slowly crouching down, the cane-wielding man grabbed a string, tied it to one of the tops, and let it loose as it spun atop some flat ground. The three Slayers and the shinobi boy watched him, but the kid was more amazed, unused to such a sight.
“W-Wha–?” He exclaimed then stopping himself, realizing how excited he was getting.
“Come on, I’ll teach you.” The Thunder Cultivator warmly offered, giving the beauty-marked boy the rest of the komas to choose from.
Hesitantly, Haruki was about to pull away until Genya patted him in the back, grabbing the purple one.
“Wanna try?” The pigtailed girl asked, looking at the Flower Tsuguko, nodding in response.
While Hayate, Haruki, and the rest were playing with spinning tops, Yorumi and Tengen were watching from a distance. Sitting together at the engawa, the youngest Uzui couldn’t help but wonder about her other brother’s final words.
“I knew him longer than you and yet… he took you instead.” He softly confessed, his eyes watering and his words choking up. “I became the head of the clan, but… I felt nothing. I was still treated like his inferior copy.”
“Big Brother, why didn’t you bring Kirisame with us?”
“I thought he wanted to stay.” The former Sound Hashira confessed solemnly. “He was beginning to act like Father, so I thought he would be better off if I only left with you.”
“Well, he certainly wasn’t…” She retorted solemnly.
“… Yeah, I regret not bringing him here with us when we had the chance. He used to be more compassionate, but I guess… jealousy and Father’s treatment affected him.” He regretted his past choice before realizing something. “But… why did you go back there?”
“Because it was concerning Lord Oyakata, and I was the only one who could infiltrate the place. Besides, none of the other Hashiras know the words of shinobis like we do. They would be killed before they even set foot there.” The new Sound Hashira retorted.
“I know, but Amane-san told me that you accepted without hesitation. Why else did you go there? To get him?” Her predecessor continued, only to be met with silence. “Yorumi…?"
“... I wish I did.” The fuchsia-eyed girl sighed, pulling out some documents from her hidden pockets before giving them to Tengen.
Reading them, he could recognize some of the names written there. They were made up of their former victims, including new ones during the time that they were gone.
“I’m thinking about finding their loved ones and donating a portion of my salary to them. If we’re doing the same for Hayate and the ones you remember, I might as well add more to the list.” Yorumi answered, still not facing her eldest brother.
“I see…” The former Sound Hashira noted with a pause, astonished that he couldn’t remember most of the names. “But… is that all, right…?”
Remaining silent, Yorumi continued to watch Hayate and Haruki bonding over the komas, even laughing. Tears were building up in the corner of her eyes, worrying her eldest brother even more.
“Yorumi… what was the real reason you went back?”
“I thought… if I reminded myself of everything that happened there just by being there… by talking to Kirisame… by being within the same presence of Masahiko… I would make up for all the bad that I did…” She finally confessed out loud, her voice trembling. “If I punished myself, then I wouldn’t feel guilt for experiencing a pinch of joy. That I was experiencing what our victims should have had—“
Choking on her words, the silver-haired shinobi opened his arms, only for his youngest sister to immediately embrace him. As she broke down crying, the former Sound Hashira heard the Kunoichi Trio and the Iwayama girl appear behind him. The ponytailed kunoichi wiped her mouth as tears started building in her eyes. Then, as if it were contagious, everyone was starting to weep. Hinatsuru and Makio had lost their entire families, while Suma and Ruri only had each other. Crouching down, they all huddled together and cried, acknowledging the hell they all grew up in. However, they couldn’t help but mourn everything and everyone they lost. They found a new family, but it was still home, and that’s what made it complicated.
~~•~~
Author’s Note:
Following this arc and the next chapter, it’ll be about the Swordsmith Village, but it will center around Genya as a protagonist there. Certain characters will return, so I hope I can bring justice to his dynamic with them. Thank you for reading.
I Love You, Scars and All Chapter Thirty-Four: Ambush
~~•~~
Chapter Additional Tags: Demon Slayer Aoi, Shinobi, Protective Shinazugawa Genya, Mentioned Uzui Tengen, Good Friend Tsuyuri Kanao, Kanzaki Aoi Needs a Hug (Kimetsu no Yaiba), Good Friend Kanzaki Aoi (Kimetsu no Yaiba), Kanzaki Aoi is So Done (Kimetsu no Yaiba), Shinazugawa Genya is Bad at Feelings, Shinazugawa Genya Needs a Hug, Soft Shinazugawa Genya, Mentioned Uzui Tengen, Mentioned Kamado Tanjirou, Mentioned Hashibira Inosuke, Mentioned Agatsuma Zenitsu, Minor Hashibira Inosuke/Kanzaki Aoi,
Chapter Content Warnings: Profanity, Self-Worth Issues,, Shinazugawa Genya Swears, Past Child Abuse, Past Trauma, Past References to Childhood Sexual Abuse, Sexual Harassment, Past References to Domestic Abuse, Misogyny, Child Marriage, Victim Blaming, Blood and Gore,
Content featuring the following tags (Past Child Abuse, Past Trauma, Past References to Childhood Sexual Abuse, Sexual Harassment,) will start and end with (~~X~~) for those uncomfortable with these subjects.
~~•~~
Chapter Thirty-Four was originally published on June 23, 2026
~~•~~
Links:
Masterlist
AO3
Wattpad
~~•~~
Hours had passed, and all the other Slayers hadn’t left Yorumi’s old room. All they did was eat the rations they’d brought over while anticipating any incoming attacks. Once night fell, Yorumi kept attentively watching over the shoji door with her ears perked. Now awake alone, the fuchsia-eyed girl had forgotten how small her old room was. She had become used to the one back at the Corps’ Uzui Estate; twice the size of the room, decorated with elaborate patterns, soft pillows and blankets, a closet full of stylish clothes and practical gear, and a gifted bonsai tree by the window being tended by the Muscle Mice. At first, the youngest Uzui was unused to these luxuries, but now, she was starting to feel nostalgic for them.
As always, she had volunteered to watch over everyone as they rested because not only was she more comfortable with overnight missions, but also she was too tenacious to let someone else do so. However, there was someone else who was equally, if not more, stubborn than her.
“Why are you still awake…?” She asked softly and concernedly, sensing someone moving from behind her.
“Well, I’m quite full, and I can’t let you stay up all the time. Not like last time.” Genya replied groggily yet gently as he crawled towards her until he was face-to-face with her. “Can we talk now…?”
“... If it will help you sleep.”
With a heavy sigh, the mohawk-haired boy moved to lean against the wall beside the short-haired kunoichi. Her hand overlapped with hers as she held one of her chained cleavers, her grip loosening a bit.
“I’m worried for you.”
“I could say the same thing about you three. Shinobu-san trusts me with the safety of both Kanao and Aoi. And obviously, Gyomei does with you.”
“I know, but Uzui-san and his wives would also be worried for you. They would trust us to look after you, especially… considering this place.” The half-demon rebuked softly, struggling to find the right words before unintentionally spelling his thoughts out loud. “This place sucks.”
“I know.” The fuchsia-eyed girl agreed, her poker face faltering upon turning her head to his face. “I hate it here.”
“Then why did you come here? If you hated this place so much, why did you?” He asked, his face closer to hers with soft, unguarded eyes.
Hesitant but weak to that tender look of his, her cheek brushed against his left as she whispered the answer to him, his pupils contracting from shock. Once she pulled away, Yorumi kept looking away from his gaze once they returned to those cute, dilated, purple eyes.
“So you’re…?”
“It’s fine, I can still handle it.” She answered shamefully, now facing him with their lips inches away from each other. “I…”
However, the youngest Uzui couldn’t fully admit all the fears in her head. She could die in the very hell she once escaped from. The friends she requested to bring with her could be killed under her watch. Her brother would hunt down Tengen and the Kunoichi Trio during their peaceful retirement. Her village could take over Japan with an iron fist. Masahiko could do worse. She couldn’t show weakness here when everyone around her could take advantage of–
“AHHHHHHHHHH!” A distant scream sounded, alerting the couple and the now-awake Butterfly Girls.
“What was that?!” exclaimed Aoi.
Upon hearing that shriek, Yorumi immediately pushed the chest blocking the vent inside before opening it.
“It looks like no one was inside, but what is that?” Kanao observed, kneeling to see.
“My ancestors constructed these passageways in cases of emergency.” The new Sound Hashira answered, crawling inside as her voice slightly echoed within. “I’ll come back once I find out the source of that scream. In the meantime, wait here and be on your guard.”
“Got it, but…” Genya heard, catching the short-haired kunoichi’s attention. “Promise me you’ll come back safe, Yorumi.”
“Don’t worry, I will.” She reassured him, going back to go through the vent.
Struggling to move through the vents now that she was older, the youngest Uzui kept following the sounds of startled, agonized screams. However, she could hear a new noise, specifically a heartbeat. Finally reaching the source of the commotion, the new Sound Hashira peeked through the dojo’s vent, only to see Kirisame towering over a fallen, bloody Masahiko writhing in pain. However, the older Uzui’s appearance had noticeably changed.
Yorumi knew that he was already a demon, but she didn’t expect what he would look like in his new true form. The horns on top of his head reassembled a crown with the two biggest ones being shaped like a dragon’s. He had claws at the ends of each finger with scales on both forearms. Surprisingly, for the youngest Uzui, Kirisame had a dragon-like tail choking an already-dead child with it.
“Masahiko, get up.” He commanded the Ariuma head, slowly getting up.
Blood was dripping out of the brown-haired shinobi’s mouth as his children, including Haruki, watched behind him, scared out of their minds. There were shinobis lined up on the opposite side of the kids, but they had exotic eyes and bore sharp fangs, signaling they were demons. However, by listening to their heartbeats, she could tell that some of them were recently transformed.
Before she knew it, Masahiko’s appearance began to change, growing taller with horns from his head to his spine. Fur covered his body until it reached his forearms and shins. Opening his eyes, they were now yellow with rings surrounding his pupils like an owl stalking its prey.
“Now, eat.” Kirisame commanded, holding the dead child towards him with his tail.
With a gulp, the brown-haired shinobi bit off the flesh of his child, eventually giving in to the temptations. His children quivered in fear as they watched their father eat their sibling. When one of them started to cry, their head was immediately crushed by a nearby shinobi, silencing the others. Once Masahiko was finished, he looked at the Uzui head with cold determination.
“My blood is strong enough to give you your own Blood Demon Art.” Kirisame explained, turning towards the children with disgust. “For this training, I’ll give you a ten-minute start. Now go.”
In a flash, the rest of the children ran out of the door, fleeing for their lives. Then, the Uzui patriarch looked at the Ariuma head with bitterness.
“Why aren’t you doing anything? Test your Blood Art! It could be the one we’re looking for!”
Looking for? Yorumi wondered in the vent.
Without hesitation, Masahiko sighed, creating a stench from his exhalation that spread across the room. As the demonic shinobi smelled it, their claws grew longer, with their pupils contracting like a cat’s. Drool was spilling out of their mouths while Yorumi watched in horror. She could hear the increase in power the demons now had as her brother complimented her former fiancé.
“Good work, it seems like it is the one we’re looking for.” Kirisame halfheartedly praised, watching his pawns look around the room like animals. “It’s not as accurate as I wanted, though.”
“Then, I’ll train it better.” He answered, noticing the demonic shinobi staring at the vent. “But what should we do about our guests?”
“You can kill the three Demon Slayers, but for my sister…” The older Uzui replied, hearing hasty noises slowly disappearing from the vent, “Do whatever you want with her.”
“Good…” Masahiko noted with a sinister grin. “Now, run.”
~~•~~
Back in Yorumi’s childhood room, everyone else was waiting for her to come back. Aoi was anxiously pacing back and forth while Kanao kept staring at the shoji door, awaiting an ambush. Meanwhile, Genya was staring at the vent, his hand holding his chin as his finger kept tapping. The tall Slayer contemplated closing it, but he feared trapping Yorumi in case she was being chased. Too distracted by his own thoughts, the Insect Breathing user was panicking with the Flower Tsuguko trying to calm her down.
“Aoi, please.” The youngest Kocho begged softly.
“How can I?! Yorumi is still out there! We should’ve been awake this whole time!” shouted the blue Butterfly Girl. “For all we know, she could be dead!”
“Still, we should have faith in Yorumi.” Genya said, sweating bullets.
“But you’re also—“
“Of course I’m scared for her!”
Upon cue, the vent echoed from a distance. Anxious out of their minds, the three Slayers prepared their weapons as they stood defensively in front of the opening. Their muscles tensed once the sound grew closer and closer. Then, a covered hand appeared, and it was Yorumi. Instinctively, the mohawk-haired Slayer rushed over to her while her arms hung down from the vent.
“Yorumi!” He cried out, carrying her down to the floor.
Once she was down, the short-haired kunoichi kept breathing heavily from anxiety while the Butterfly Girls went to her aid.
“Are you hurt?!” asked Aoi frantically.
“No… but Masahiko found me.” Yorumi anxiously answered with tension in her voice. “We were right. He’s planning something dangerous. My brother turned him into a demon and… killed one of his children. He found me and, as expected, ordered everyone to kill us.”
“Shoot!” swore the pigtailed Slayer, walking around the room aimlessly until she was called.
“Wait!” The short-haired kunoichi cried out, gesturing to Aoi to come closer with her hand.
Once the blue Butterfly Girl was close enough, Yorumi whispered something in her ear. The former was shocked and whispered back anxiously, only for the latter to defend whatever she was saying. Watching the hushed conversation, Kanao and Genya were curious but saw Aoi nodding in response. Then, the short-haired woman looked at the side-ponytailed girl.
“Kanao, you and Aoi can focus on saving the humans in the village around us. I’ll search for them with my hearing while you two safely bring them outside. If they try to attack us, knock them out and bring them outside this place. I can’t use my explosives unless I’m reassured that there are no humans in this house.”
“Of course.” The Flower Tsuguko replied while Yorumi went closer to Genya.
From her obi, she pulled out two vials of blood, both labeled with “Upper Moon Six” on the glass
“W-What are those…?” The tall Slayer asked concernedly.
“Blood samples of Upper Moon Six. Well, technically two halves of Upper Moon Six.” Yorumi answered bluntly. “Considering my brother can clone himself, we need some Blood Demon Arts focused on long-ranged attacks. One of them can summon some durable obis while the other can control poisonous blood.”
Sighing, she placed her forehead close to his as they touched. She fought the Upper Moon Six siblings before. After all, the new Sound Hashira defeated them, but that was because she had assistance during that fight. Yorumi knew how powerful the weakest Upper Moon was, but she didn’t know how powerful her brother had become. For all the short-haired woman knew, he could be as strong as Upper Moon Five or higher. However, she wasn’t mostly concerned about his or the siblings’ strength, but rather the half-demon’s safety.
“It’s risky, but I know you’re strong enough to handle Upper Moon blood.” Yorumi encouraged. “Just please… be okay after this.”
“I understand…” Genya replied softly as he took the vials from Yorumi’s hand, gulping down each one.
After consuming the Upper Moon Six siblings’ blood, his body began to change. His mohawk grew longer with yellow tips. Once he opened his eyes, even his pupils turned the same color with black sclera surrounding them. At first, Genya was growling while battling his demonic urges until he finally kept control of himself. Everyone sighed in relief while Yorumi went to kiss him on the forehead to praise him. However, this moment had to stop.
Immediately, her ears began to perk up as she faced the door. Seeing this, Kanao tapped on Aoi’s shoulder while both of them and Genya looked at the closed door. Instinctively, the new Sound Hashira stood up and walked closer, only for a demonic shinobi to charge at her. Before he could attack, Yorumi immediately cut off his neck without using any of her explosives, due to the cramped spacing. Looking at the hole in the shoji door, the short-haired girl looked at her companions.
Instantly, Yorumi kicked the shoji door so hard that it crushed the demons on the other side of it. Before they could push back, she sliced through the door and decapitated each of them with cold efficiency. Meanwhile, the surrounding shinobis tried to attack the short-haired woman from behind, only for the three Slayers to defend her. Using his powers, Genya had grown two purple obis from his arms to slice the ninjas on both sides. Meanwhile, the Butterfly Girls ran atop the sashes on opposite sides as pathways to attack their opponents. Kanao rushed through the demons, decapitating them with graceful and circular slashes per target.
Flower Breathing First Form: Cherry Blossom Breeze!
Meanwhile, Aoi bounced off the obi and the walls repeatedly to stab each demon she encountered, killing them with wisteria poison.
Insect Breathing Firefly Dance: Firework Hunting!
Once both girls killed their opponents, both Yorumi and Genya took over in killing the other demons. Seeing this, Kanao and Aoi ran off to save the other humans in the building.
“Attack them!” One human shinobi shouted, only to be kicked in the head by the Flower Tsuguko, passing out immediately.
“I’M SO SORRY! I’M SO SORRY! I’M SO SORRY!” The pigtailed Butterfly Girl apologetically shouted, struggling to wrap her arms around a ninja’s neck before stabbing his left thigh with a syringe, injecting them with a serum.
“H…Huh?” He muttered groggily, his movements numbing down before falling unconscious.
“Shoot, I picked the wrong one. Ugh!”
“What do you mean by that?” The side-ponytailed girl asked curiously, already tightly tying her knocked-out opponents’ wrists and ankles with rope.
“I meant to inject a small dose of anesthesia or at least one of Shinobu’s concoctions so that he could confess whatever’s going on.” The Insect Breathing user bemoaned, dragging the fainted shinobi by the arms. “But instead, I panicked and now look!”
“Well, from what I could tell, they’re not the types to easily confess whatever is happening. They would rather die than let that happen.”
“Then why did I act so recklessly…? Why didn’t she bring Shinobu-san instead? Why was I even here in the first place?” Aoi lamented, her eyes furrowed with shame.
Seeing her friend blame herself, the Flower Tsuguko didn’t know what to do, simply holding some unconscious shinobis with ease. For years, she had suppressed her emotions to survive, but at the cost of being unable to process them, both from herself and others. She couldn’t even cry during her eldest sister’s funeral, only standing away from her grieving older sister and the other Butterfly Girls. However, things were different, and now, she could make her own decisions without the flip of a coin, approaching Aoi.
“... It’s because you care a lot.” The youngest Kocho explained from the bottom of her heart, her hand holding her shoulder in reassurance. “Even though you used to be so scared of her, now, Yorumi chose to bring you because she recognizes that you’re not only a competent Slayer and doctor, but also a very empathetic person. No matter how much you scold people or get intimidated by a patient’s anger, you manage to look after them despite that. She admires that quality of you a lot.”
“R-Really?”
“She trusted you with something secret, didn’t she?” She reminded her, somewhat confused, while tilting her head.
“R-Right?” The pigtailed girl replied with a more encouraged tone, hiding some bashfulness.
Despite her rocky start with both Yorumi and Kanao as children, they were slowly getting along with each other, just as Kanae would’ve wanted.
~~•~~
“A-AH!” yelled a familiar voice, running away from a demonic shinobi.
Outside the Uzui household, some demon-turned-ninjas were chasing after Ruri, stepping over the makibishi that she had overthrown without a wince of pain. Other villagers were also fleeing, confused at what was happening. Everyone tried to cross the river, but some were either swept up by the crashing rapids or already ambushed and eaten. With the stones across the stream almost swallowed by the high tide, the Iwayama kunoichi wasn’t going to risk drowning, pulling out her kyoketsu-shoge before tossing both the double-edged and curved blades towards their targets, elegantly moving the chain as if it were fabric.
However, the demonic shinobis easily broke it, dunking her head into the water. While she drowned, struggling to raise her head from the rapids, the demon pinning her down neared his face near her neck, ready to eat her. Just in time, his head was immediately blown off by a gunshot, disintegrating the body.
Immediately rising from the river, coughing up water, Ruri saw Yorumi battling against the demons chasing after her, surrounding herself with her chained cleavers, swinging around her. Now, in a more open area, the youngest Uzui threw her explosives before cutting through them and the shinobis’ necks. Too in awe at the short-haired kunoichi saving her life, Ruri didn’t notice the mohawk-haired boy in front of her.
“Hey… hey! Hey!” Genya called out, catching her attention.
As soon as she saw his black sclera, fangs, and the viscera across his face, the Iwayama kunoichi instinctively grabbed what remained of her kyoketsu-shoge to swing at him.
“Woah! Woah! Woah! I just saved your life!” He yelled at her in self-defense, showing her his gun.
Noticing the smoke coming out of the barrel, Ruri let go of her weapon and immediately hugged the half-demon, bawling her eyes out.
“What the—?!” He exclaimed, already blushing from the close contact with her soaked body.
Yep, she’s definitely Suma’s sister. Yorumi observed with a tinge of jealousy, approaching the two as she lifted Ruri away from Genya, giving him room to wipe his face. “Ruri, are you alright? We heard more screaming outside the Uzui estate, so we had to head here.”
“Oh, um, I’m fine.” She replied, a little startled.
“What’s going on? What is my brother planning? How did demons arrive here? Please, I need to know what’s going on now that everything is falling apart.” The new Sound Hashira asked more firmly, the dewy-eyed kunoichi getting more hesitant.
“Please, you’re safe with us now.” A faraway voice reinforced, and everyone turned around to see Aoi and Kanao carrying tied-up shinobis.
Gulping down her saliva, Ruri had her eyes furrowed, unsure whether to say the truth. She would be a traitor, but Kirisame still considered her as one now. What would doing that change anything?
“After you, your brother, my sister, and her co-wives had left, when he turned fifteen, Kirisame became the head of the Uzui clan, but Arashi-san was still hands-on with the clan.” She finally responded. “Then, one night after a mission, the Uzuis returned, but only Kirisame arrived as a demon with the corpses of Arashi-san’s wives. Afterwards, he killed anyone who defected from his rule over the village, including entire clans like the Mochizukis and the Takanosus.”
So they’re really dead. Not to mention Makio’s and Hinatsuru’s clans. Those hallucinations were probably real then. The youngest Uzui thought to herself, unsure of how to feel about it. “What about Arashi?”
“He was brought by Kirisame, mutilated, but I don’t know where he is. Kirisame is probably keeping him somewhere secret.”
“What about the map of Tokyo?” The Flower Tsuguko questioned softly.
“Well… Kirisame and the reminders of every clan are using their homes to store umeboshi–”
“Umeboshi? Why umeboshi?” The pigtailed girl asked confusedly.
“They have demon blood.” The half-demon answered, realization written all over his face. “On the way here, I could smell it from every empty, boarded-up house. You’ve been harvesting plums just to make umeboshi, and their acidic smell could mask the blood mixed with them, storing them inside each estate. I just couldn’t sense it when we arrived because I wasn’t transformed yet.”
The three Slayers were appalled at the news, looking at the Iwayama kunoichi, hoping that she would disprove the younger Shinazugawa’s response. However, Yorumi had a small pit in her stomach, knowing that Genya could be right, but wanting any excuse for it to be false. Not because she didn’t trust him, but she didn’t want what she suspected to be true. The new plum trees, the boarded-up estates, the map of Tokyo circling the most populated areas. Kirisame wouldn’t go this far, even Arashi had limits to his plans.
“... He’s correct.” Ruri solemnly confirmed. “For years, we’ve been tirelessly harvesting plums under Kirisame’s orders, using each empty estate to store jars full of demon-blood-infused umeboshi. What we planned was to disguise ourselves as a food company and sell the umeboshi to some unsuspecting humans.”
“... What?” Kanao muttered out loud in disbelief, the other Slayers around her in shock.
“However, he’s been searching for a Blood Demon Art, so he’s been giving his blood to strong shinobis here, and it seems like he finally found one.”
“So now he’s using that technique to cull out the weak, the traitors, and the obstacles first.” Yorumi realized, groaning to herself as she turned away from the rest of the group. “Of course, he’s just like Father. No, he’s worse.”
Angry at herself for not noticing it, she bit her lip with intense pressure, causing it to bleed.
“Yorumi!” Kanao shouted anxiously, coming towards the fuchsia-eyed girl to wipe her lip.
While the Butterfly Girls were scolding the new Sound Hashira to her annoyance, the half-demon couldn’t help but notice the scarlet droplets on her bottom lip, smelling a subtly sweet aroma. He knew that she wasn’t a Marechi, after all; they’ve been in several missions together where she would sometimes bleed, but this was different.
Is this… because of the Upper Moon Six? Then how come I haven’t felt this…? The younger Shinazugawa wondered before fixating on the fuchsia-eyed girl, losing track of his thoughts.
The short-haired kunoichi looked delectable, the echoes of her pulse calling out to him. The mohawk-haired boy wanted her, no, he needed her. Her pulse was getting louder in his ears, tempting him to eat—
“AHHHHHHHHHH!” Genya suddenly screamed, his head now submerged in the river, catching everyone’s attention.
“Genya!” Yorumi called out, hurriedly rushing to his aid.
“… I’m fine.” He replied as his newly washed face rose from the water, no longer losing control.
“Good.” She replied fondly, tenderly holding his cheek as he began to blush.
While the scarred Slayer was frozen, the short-haired kunoichi knelt and grabbed some sticks to light a small fire with some gunpowder. Ignited, it sparked with a red smoke swirling in the air.
“I’ll signal our crows to come here with the Kakushi and some backup Slayers. Right now, we just need to save as many people as we can. Just incapacitate any humans attacking us, decapitate any demons, burn each house with umeboshis inside, and bring every human to the other side of the river. Ruri, you can watch over everyone while Kanao, Genya, Aoi, and I search throughout the village.”
“O-Oh okay then!” The dewy-eyed kunoichi obeyed attentively, getting caught off guard.
“Then, once everyone is gone, we’ll go to Kirisame’s office.”
“Why?” asked the younger Shinazugawa.
“For generations, there's been a hidden door there, but only heads of the clan were allowed inside.” Yorumi explained stoically. “Besides, there’s something I need.”
“What is it–?” The Insect Breathing user tried to ask concernedly.
“Let’s go.” The new Sound Hashira interrupted, already heading back to the village.
With everyone worried but acknowledging that they need to hurry, the other four reluctantly followed her, dreading what would soon happen.
~~•~~
A few hours later, they had evacuated most of the villagers to the other side of the river. With the combatants knocked out and tied, Ruri, along with some Corps members who had recently arrived, was left in charge of looking after the villagers. However, they couldn’t find Haruki among the children they’ve found, presumably dead like the ones they couldn’t save. Walking back to the Uzui estate, everyone was mostly exhausted.
Kanao was mostly rubbing her eyes, Aoi was yawning while pushing her back, and Genya was eating another piece of demon flesh before gagging. Meanwhile, Yorumi was seemingly unfazed, her eyes deadly focused on heading to Kirisame’s office.
She’s… not even tired…? The pigtailed girl thought behind her. We’ve been doing this for hours and yet… we’re the only ones exhausted? Genya and Kanao’s are more manageable, but… here I am; out of my league. Or… is she…? “Is she okay?”
“What?” The youngest Uzui asked bluntly, already opening the door.
“Yorumi, look,” the youngest Kocho said, skipping over to meet the fuchsia-eyed kunoichi in the hallway. “Are you alright?”
“How so?”
“But your eyes… they’re… intense. Your breathing is erratic, and you’re sweating more.”
“When did you get so… concerned?” She asked flatly, confusedly, opening the door.
“Yorumi, please. You seem distressed. Let… us…”
Before Kanao could finish her concern, all four of them paused upon seeing Masahiko standing in front of them. With his hands behind his back, smoke seemingly surrounded him as he awaited his former fiancée. The atmosphere was pungent like corpses rotting in a gutter, but the smell was the least of their worries.
~~X~~
“Good, you’re still alive.” He noted coldly with a hint of intrigue. “Your corpse would’ve been sufficient enough, but I like the real thing.”
Repulsed by his response, the three Slayers immediately guarded the new Sound Hashira.
“Wait! Guys!” Yorumi shouted, her tone coming off as more worried than intended.
The two Butterfly Girls were in front of her with their blades drawn defensively. Meanwhile, the Breathless Tsuguko held his wakizashi and double-barreled gun aimed for the Ariuma head’s neck.
“Stay away from her!” Kanao wanted protectively.
In response, the youngest Uzui’s former fiancé sighed longingly with frustration, observing her friends’ determined looks and stances. However, he kept focusing on the new Sound Hashira, slyly grinning at her appearance.
“… Why won’t you marry me?”
“I… I—“
“S-She’s not interested! Take a h-hint!” shouted Aoi, her voice cracking.
“I’m one of the strongest shinobis in our village. I would’ve blessed you with protection under my name and strong, healthy children.” He continued slyly, ignoring the blue Butterfly Girl. “But then, you left us, and I was left with substandard wives who were quick to die. However, you’re still here, so our arrangement still exists.”
“No…” The fuchsia-eyed girl bluntly retorted, but her tone was more scared.
“But that… strange group you’ve got there. A lost, cowardly nurse, a spoiled, socially inept princess, and a freak who’s neither human nor demon. Sooner or later, that lot will either drag you down with them or even stab you in the back.”
“Shut up, you hypocrite. At least I can trust them.” The short-haired kunoichi insulted, glaring at Masahiko.
The Butterfly Girls clenched the hilts of their blades, while Genya growled furiously. However, something was bothering the Flower Tsuguko. As she looked back, she could see the half-demon’s breath even though it wasn’t even winter. People with normal eyes couldn’t spot his invisible breath, but with her gifted eyesight, Kanao realized that Masahiko did something strange.
“Then, why is he looking at you like that?” He asked Yorumi, pointing at someone beside her.
Hearing this, she heard intense snarling beside her, cracking her stoicism. The short-haired kunoichi turned her head, only to see that one of her worst fears had come true. What Yorumi saw was Genya looking at her with saliva frothing from his mouth. He continued to glare at her as if she were his next meal, growling like a feral animal while all she could do was freeze.
“Genya…” She muttered, trying not to cry.
Despite her attempted plea, he was still acting wild in front of her.
“You there, don’t kill her yet. I need her as a demon.” Masahiko commanded the now feral younger Shinazugawa. “Just… prepare her for me. After all, I want to enjoy the best bits for all eternity together.”
“Yorumi–!” murmured Kanao worriedly, but it was too late.
~~X~~
The mohawk-haired Slayer had already tackled Yorumi, breaking through the wall nearby like a rabid wolf. All the new Sound Hashira could do was push him away or run, avoiding any conflict with him. Before the two Butterfly Girls knew it, the duo was gone, and Masahiko was in front of them. Aoi then tried to leave them, but Kanao grabbed her shoulder, stopping the pigtailed girl.
“So I was right. You are a coward…” said the brown-haired shinobi, walking towards them.
With every step Masahiko went closer, the blue Butterfly Girl kept internally panicking. She wanted to get Yorumi back, but she knew that she would be killed immediately if she tried to leave. Her breath slowly became heavier and heavier, unsure of what to do.
What should we do?! Somehow, this man can control Genya, and he could handle Upper Moon flesh! What level would he be if he could do that?! We’re doomed! I can’t beat him–!
Immediately, Masahiko tried slashing at her face with his hand infused with smoke until Kanao pushed Aoi away, using her momentum to twirl her sword around herself defensively.
Flower Breathing Fourth Form: Crimson Hanagoromo!
Pushed through the wall, cut into pieces, the Flower Tsuguko looked over to the blue Butterfly Girl, rushing before the yellow-ringed-eyed shinobi could regenerate.
“Aoi! We need to fight together!” The youngest Kocho urged, facing the pigtailed girl.
“But… but… I’m a burden! I’m the same weak girl who couldn’t even join a mission after my Final Selection!” She hesitantly responded, gripping her hilt tighter. “I underestimated the situation and got too prideful. I should’ve stayed behind like I always did–”
“No, you haven’t!” The Flower Tsuguko rebuked, her tone becoming more passionate. “You’re… incredibly helpful. You’re diligent and more knowledgeable whenever you work back home. You’re more sociable and sensitive. There’s a reason Yorumi included you alongside me. You cover for things even I’m not good at.”
Encouraged by the side-ponytailed girl’s words, memories of Tanjiro and the rest clicked in her head.
“That doesn’t matter. You helped me, Aoi.”
“Thank you, Aoi-chan! You’re really good at this game of tag!”
“GYAHAHAHAHA! Your cooking has satisfied the King of the Mountains!”
Then, she remembered her newfound promise to herself.
“I can be someone in the field who can heal and fight at the same time!”
“Really…?” The Insect Breathing user asked again, still doubtful.
“Yes, so please help me–” The youngest Kocho reaffirmed softly before she sensed someone behind her.
Already healed himself, Masahiko had quickly snuck up behind her with his claws sharpened to slash down the side-ponytailed girl. In a split second, Kanao knelt and cut off the brown-haired shinobi’s arm with an upwards stroke. Before he could use his other arm, Aoi had thrusted her sword deep into his heart with the wisteria poisoning from the tip now festering within his bloodstream.
Insect Breathing Dance of the Bee Sting: True Flutter!
As she pulled out her sword, Masahiko pulled away, his poison resistance suddenly waning.
“What the…”
“Just a little rusty.”
“Why you…”
He tried swinging his tail towards the pigtailed Slayer, but Kanao had sliced it off with her katana. They both backed away from their opponent, looking at each other with determination. Even without Yorumi by their side, they were focused on working together to defeat the Ariuma head.
“How dare you, you wenches….” He insulted, frustratedly, his tail now slowly regenerating as he held his temple before swinging it at the Butterfly Girls.
Defensively, the Flower Tsuguko blocked it with rotating slashes successfully protecting both of them.
Flower Breathing Second Form: Honorable Shadow Plum!
Only receiving small yet slowly healing scars, it was enough to piss Masahiko off as he charged towards them. Synchronously, the two Butterfly Girls leaped ahead and attacked him.
~~•~~
Meanwhile, Yorumi was fighting off a feral Genya. No matter how much she tried to yell at him, his demonic urges continued to take over his entire being. The building was mostly empty with only herself, her companions, and Masahiko inside, seeing the opportunity of using her explosives. However, she didn’t want to harm the mohawk-haired Slayer. Not because he was too strong for her to handle, but because the short-haired kunoichi couldn’t bring herself to do so.
“H-Hey…” He stuttered, trying to act cool. “If I lose control one day… and try to hurt someone innocent… will you decapitate me?”
Yorumi didn’t want to kill someone she loved again. Instead, she kept running away as Genya chased her ferociously. Her gloves and the bottom of her pants were already riddled with bite marks and scratches. Tears were building up in her eyes while she watched her boyfriend’s feral state destroy everything in his path, as if he were truly becoming a full demon. Once the mohawk-haired boy was near her, the fuchsia-eyed kunoichi looked at him with fear, not for her life, but for his.
“Ge—“
Words tried to escape her horror-stricken mouth, but the half-demon immediately jumped onto her, pinning her to the floor.
“ARGH!”
“Of course, but I promise you won’t.” She rebuked stoically.
In self-defense, all Yorumi did was hold him far enough away from her with her arms. However, the younger Shinazugawa kept pushing himself closer to her, snarling at her ferociously. Despite his growling and spit falling onto her, all she saw was Genya’s entire being disappearing in front of her. From his brash behavior to his soft smile, it was too much for her.
Once he was done, the mohawk-haired boy turned his head over to Yorumi with bloodlust and hunger. His constant salivating had mixed his drool with the blood stuck on his mouth and fangs. However, all the short-haired shinobi could do was freeze, feeling his heart unexpectedly race. Not from fear or adrenaline, but something she hadn’t felt before in her life.
“I…” she tried to say, but sniffed, “I… don’t want to lose you. I’ve lost too many people at this point… I’m tired of hurting the people I love…. I’ve killed Oriko… and scared Tengen for who knows how many times… I know I came here on my own… but I’m scared! I’m scared for everyone I brought here, including you!” The new Sound Hashira begged out of desperation while Genya slowly but still struggled against her. “I love you so much that my heart breaks at the thought of cutting your neck…. I love seeing your smile… your soft, messy hair… your scar… your stubbornness… your flusteredness… your gentleness… everything, flaws and all! Just please… please go back to being that boy I love!”
As Yorumi shut her eyes, she continued to hold her boyfriend away from her until her arms were getting exhausted. At that moment, she was about to accept her fate, not letting herself kill the Breathless Tsuguko. However, she heard him wince and realized that he had stopped moving for a while. When the short-haired girl opened her eyes, Genya was just there staring at her, as if he had blanked out. Then suddenly, tears dripped down from his eyes to his cheeks.
“Y-Yorumi…” He stuttered out, realizing what he had almost done.
“Genya!” She cried out, instantly hugging him.
Once he was in her embrace, he returned the favor with his arms, but cried against her shoulder.
“I’m… sorry!!” He sniveled loudly, guilt piling up in his stomach. “I’m sorry that I lost control!! I should’ve been stronger! I should’ve killed Masahiko before he–!”
“It’s fine…” Yorumi answered, nuzzling her face against his mohawk lovingly, “Let’s just kill the bastard…”
~~•~~
Back at Kirisame’s office, most of the room was destroyed by the two Butterfly Girls and Masahiko, if one could still call it a room after how much the walls were destroyed. After being stabbed by Aoi’s poison multiple times, it was gradually affecting him with his movements and regeneration becoming more sluggish. Getting numb from exhaustion and his contaminated bloodstream, he didn’t want to die at that moment, especially to a bunch of children. With his pride threatened, Masahiko began to be more determined, so he inhaled and huffed out a gust of red smoke, summoning another Blood Demon Art.
Blood Demon Art: Hellborn Mist!
The girls braced themselves to be attacked by the mist, only for two bloody disks to appear and spin around. While the yellow-ringed-eyed shinobi had blocked them on time, his Blood Demon Art dissipated, clearing the view for two figures to appear. All three looked at them and saw Yorumi and Genya, the latter now in control of himself with a piece of cloth covering the lower half of his face.
“Thank goodness…” Kanao commented with relief.
“Oi, you’re finally here!” yelled Aoi excitedly.
~~X~~
“And here I thought that you were finally going to be mine…” Masahiko bemoaned, creeping all the Slayers as their stances became more defensive.
“What the…?! Are you insane?!” The Insect Breathing user shouted.
“Why would she be yours?!” The Flower Tsuguko retorted.
“At first, you were simply… underdeveloped. You were relatively skilled for kids your age, but I knew you had potential.” He casually confessed as if it were a fond, nostalgic memory to him, ignoring the two Butterfly Girls. “Then, I saw you after many years, and I was right. You did grow into… such a fine, young woman. If you lost the muscles, sarashi, and especially the rebellious act, you would’ve been a perfectly submissive and breedable wife; my favorite wife.”
“Fuck off, creep.” Genya tried to threaten him intensely, growling at the Ariuma head as he aimed his firearm at him.
“You want to take what’s mine, don’t you?” He jeeringly noticed, smirking at the younger Shinazugawa. “Well, I had her first, but then again, I can’t blame you for desiring a woman like her.”
“Masahiko, shut up already.” Yorumi warned insistently, burying all the repulsion and fear in her veins from releasing.
Ignoring her plea, his hands mockingly gestured about her appearance as he listed down her attributes with the light in his eyes sparking lust before his time became more sensual.
“Pretty face, ample breasts, slender waist, childbearing hips, and a plush ass. We both have the same tastes, don’t we?”
“I’m not like you and I’ll never be.”
“Are you sure? I thought you would understand me as a fellow man. Not even the other girls you’re with aren’t as well-endowed as she is, correct?”
Everyone, especially the half-demon, stayed silent with only slight growls. Their stances became more defensive, with their feet pressed against the ground hard.
“… At least I see her as a person, not some twisted fantasy.”
“Of course, you’re too young to understand a man’s desires.” The Ariuma head brushed off before shifting his attention back to the short-haired girl. “Nonetheless, I’m glad your brother gave me his blessing to make us official–”
Before the brown-haired shinobi could finish his sentence, one of the new Sound Hashira’s cleavers had cut through Masahiko’s face, before being quickly pulled away with her chain.
“What…?”
“Do you even hear yourself? I was a little girl who had the world against her because I needed to be some obedient baby factory in chains. I have had that fact drilled into my skull ever since I was formed in the womb.” Yorumi stoically remarked, regaining some confidence. "All you did was overpower me when you were a teenager, belittling a literal eight-year-old. Somehow, despite being an immortal demon, you’re nothing more than a pathetic manchild. Why on Earth would I bend down to a power-hungry creep like you?"
“So be it… I’ll just do it myself.”
~~X~~
Enraged with her reply, Masahiko charged towards his former fiancée, but she swung her other chained cleaver to counterattack.
Sound Breathing Sixth Form: Echoing Bell Tree of Dawn!
Moving back, he landed on the wall and jumped off to attack her. Meanwhile, the new Sound Hashira grabbed her chain to retrieve the thrown cleaver, running towards the Ariuma head with both in her hands. There, the three Slayers followed her as both shinobis fought against each other. Masahiko used his claws while Yorumi used her blades when two blood blades appeared to claim the former’s neck. Noticing this on time, the brown-haired man backed off and huffed out his second Blood Demon Art.
Blood Demon Art: Hellborn Mist!
Instantly, all four Slayers were pushed through walls and landed outside, finally destroying the manor. In the midst of the rubble, everyone stood tall with determination.
“Genya,” Yorumi said as he faced her, “when you see me disappear in a flash, protect the girls with the sashes.”
“Okay….” He replied reassuringly.
“Yorumi…” Both Kanao and Aoi muttered worriedly.
“Just trust me.”
Concerned but determined, the Butterfly Girls nodded their heads and faced their opponent. The pigtailed Slayer leaped up in the air while the side-ponytailed Slayer rushed off with the couple. The Flower Tsuguko charged towards the shinobi while performing circular slashes surrounding herself. On the other hand, bloody sashes began to sprout from Genya's arms while he shot them out of his skin. In the blink of an eye, Masahiko was immediately surrounded by them as they prepared their attacks.
Insect Breathing Butterfly Dance: Caprice!
Flower Breathing Seventh Form: Osmanthus Reaching for the Moon!
Sound Breathing Third Form: Spinning Kotsuzumi!
Blood Demon Art: Binds to Hell!
Instantly, the demonic shinobi was hit with an upwards spinning attack by Kanao. Once it was done, Masahiko began to regenerate himself, only to be hit with explosives, stabs, and blood-covered obis. Upon receiving damage, his arms were almost falling off, with his skin growing more purple from the wisteria poison. He was about to attack the four until Yorumi yelled out.
“Now!”
Upon her command, Genya summoned sashes from his body and grabbed both Butterfly Girls with them, holding them close as the other sashes covered them all like a cocoon. Once they were protected in a ball, the short-haired kunoichi moved at the speed of light as she threw her bombs in the air. Masahiko kept looking for her, but she was too quick on her feet. When he finally caught a glimpse of his sister, he tried to slash her face with his bare claws, only to miss until his body and the bombs were sliced.
Sound Breathing Seventh Form: Requiem.
Immediately, Masahiko exploded into vermillion explosions as his head lopped off. His now charred body dropped onto the ground as it slowly disintegrated. Once they heard that the coast was clear, Genya unwrapped the obis protecting himself and the Butterfly Girls before noticing some of the Ariuma’s leftover flesh and blood, keeping them for himself. Meanwhile, Yorumi simply walked over to his dissipating head.
With his bloodshot eyes glaring at her, all ego was stripped from him. She could tell that he was already cursing her without a mouth.
“You bitch. You whore. You did this to me. If you try to forget me, I will haunt you in your sleep. Whenever you’re with that boy, I hope he dies right in front of you. I hope your friends will get slaughtered because of you. I hope that Tengen and those wives of his will burn in Hell with you. Then… I’ll meet you there. This time, I will make you my wife for all eternity...” His dying whispers scorned, but the fuchsia-eyed girl didn’t want to listen to even a second of his voice any longer. “No matter how much you’ve grown, you will still be that same little girl–”
Without even letting him finish, Yorumi simply and slowly stomped atop his head. With each loud thud, the youngest Uzui kept silently smashing his skull until he was no more, his ashes now riding the wind towards the gates of Hell. However, there was an observer nearby in the distance.
“Father…?” muttered a familiar voice.
Realizing this, all four Slayers moved their heads to see Haruki with minor injuries, looking shocked at the sight. Instinctively, Aoi ran towards the boy to treat his wounds.
“Haruki! Are you alright?! Where have you been?!” She asked worriedly.
“I was hiding in the vents… and then the rubble.” He replied blankly while staring at Yorumi.
Pushing the pigtailed Slayer away, he moved towards the new Sound Hashira with tears in his eyes.
“You killed Father!”
“But he tried to kill you!” Kanao yelled, trying to defend the unresponsive fuchsia-eyed girl.
“Still, she destroyed the family legacy! Our village! We’re all going to be extinct because of you!” Haruki screamed angrily, glaring at a silent Yorumi. “I thought I could trust you, but she abandoned us as Father said! Left us to suffer! Now, she came back only to destroy all of us! You killed my father! You… you murderer!”
Hearing this, Genya couldn’t help but remember a younger version of him. He recalled how he accused Sanemi of killing his demon-turned mother. He thought back to how he didn’t have all the context back then, immediately regretting his mistake once he found out. Now, the half-demon was watching the same thing happen with Haruki and Yorumi. The beauty-marked boy kept grabbing and throwing dirt at Yorumi while yelling “murderer” repeatedly. Meanwhile, she did nothing against this, only gripping both her cleavers’ hilts tightly.
Having enough, he went towards the boy and shut his mouth with his hand.
“Please…” begged Genya, not knowing what to say next.
He didn’t know what he should say, still internalizing that fateful night and morning, but he didn’t want someone to repeat the same mistake he had made. In response, all Haruki could do was sob as his cries were muffled by the Breathless Tsuguko’s hand. All the Slayers watched with pity for the boy while Yorumi looked down on the ground with disappointment. Her heart couldn’t handle another young life ruined by her family. Now, all they needed to do was to kill Kirisame.
~~•~~
Author’s Note:
So far, this chapter was extensively long since I didn’t know when exactly to break it apart, but I didn’t want another situation where whenever I reread the fanfic, there are certain chapters where it felt like they should’ve been fused together. I’ve also had difficulty trying to focus and balance Kanao’s growth with making her own decisions, Aoi’s insecurity about her cowardice and skills, and Genya’s complicated feelings over his half-demon abilities with the plot of this fanmade arc. Not to mention, I sort of rage quit on finishing an essay for one of my courses to write a new one. Thank you for reading.
I Love You, Scars and All Chapter Thirty-Three: Aren't We Family?
~~•~~
Chapter Additional Tags: Demon Slayer Aoi, Shinobi, Protective Shinazugawa Genya, Mentioned Uzui Tengen, Good Friend Tsuyuri Kanao, Kanzaki Aoi Needs a Hug (Kimetsu no Yaiba), Good Friend Kanzaki Aoi (Kimetsu no Yaiba), Kanzaki Aoi is So Done (Kimetsu no Yaiba), Shinazugawa Genya is Bad at Feelings, Shinazugawa Genya Needs a Hug, Soft Shinazugawa Genya, Mentioned Shinazugawa Sanemi, Mentioned Kochou Shinobu, Mentioned Kochou Kanae,
Chapter Content Warnings: Profanity, Self-Worth Issues, Shinazugawa Sanemi Swears, Shinazugawa Genya Swears, Past Child Abuse, Past Trauma, Past References to Childhood Sexual Abuse, Sexual Harassment, Past References to Domestic Abuse, Misogyny, Child Marriage, Panic Attack, Thalassophobia, Vomiting,
Content featuring the following tags (Past Child Abuse, Past Trauma, Past References to Childhood Sexual Abuse, Sexual Harassment, Panic Attack,) will start and end with (~~X~~) for those uncomfortable with these subjects.
~~•~~
Chapter Thirty-Three was originally published on June 12, 2026
~~•~~
Links:
Masterlist
AO3
Wattpad
~~•~~
Throughout the entire night, Yorumi made sure that she was in front of her friends while following the rest of the shinobis, cautious of when they would attack. She couldn’t hear a whisper from anyone, doubting her observations until she noticed Masahiko. Though subtle, he was side-eyeing at her, slowly lingering from top to bottom. As if something slimy had slipped into her spine, the new Sound Hashira immediately grabbed onto Genya’s arm to distract herself.
Caught off guard, the half-demon looked over to Yorumi, only to notice the juxtaposition between her stone-cold expression and the tight grip on her hand. To calm her hand, his thumb rubbed circles against her fingers as a sign of being there for her. Meanwhile, Kanao could tell that something was especially suspicious about the Uzui patriarch, given what she saw at the treetops. Aoi was mostly sweating nervously, unfamiliar with being in such a situation for two years, until she looked up, terrified at the sight.
“Ah… ah…!”
Pulling at the Flower Tsuguko’s sleeve, she caught the attention of her three companions as they all looked upwards to see a waterfall with nets dangling above a rough river. On each side were shinobi atop branches holding ropes, partnered with another to cut them down. However, the most horrifying part was that there were children inside of them, blisters piercing their fingers as they tried to claw out their escape. Some of them were calling for help out of desperation, seeing the group below. Although the four Slayers were horrified by the sight, especially Yorumi, the ninjas they were traveling with were unfazed.
“Ever since your brother, his wives, and you left, we’ve started to train our young to escape traps.” Masahiko stoically spoke. “The rules are to cut the nets down with only their bare hands until sunrise. If they fail, they’ll be cut down into the waterfall to die.”
“The previous head started it with Yorumi as a test subject.” Kirisame coldly admitted, shocking the Slayers more. “She was honestly slow. But honestly, this practice helped us weed out the weak. At least, you made one contribution to us, Yorumi.”
Meanwhile, she couldn’t answer his remark, only trying not to shake. She glanced upwards to see the children, some of them the same age she was, before immediately looking down.
Help them! No, I can’t. We would ruin the mission. But they suffered like I did. But–
“Yorumi!” called Masahiko, grabbing her attention.
The short-haired kunoichi then realized that her brother and the other shinobis were already on the other side of the river, walking without them. Her older brother glared at her before being handed a wide-brimmed hat by her former fiancé. Kanao looked closer at them, squinting her eyes to investigate further, until they left her line of sight. Discovering something interesting, she was about to tell Yorumi, but Aoi patted her shoulder, glancing at the other shinobis glaring at them. Instead, the side-ponytailed girl would have to wait until the four of them were alone as the Breathless Tsuguko approached the short-haired woman.
“Yorumi…” asked Genya gently. “We can leave this place if you want.”
“It’s fine.” She replied after holding herself together for a moment. “Let’s just get this over with.”
The mohawk-haired boy’s hand was about to reach out for her before he was suddenly picked up and bridal-carried by Yorumi. Before the short-haired kunoichi jumped towards the stones in the river, she looked over to Kanao and Aoi.
“Do you want me to carry you two?”
“Um, no thanks.” The pigtailed Butterfly Girl declined. “We were trained by Shinobu-san to do this kind of stuff.”
“Oh okay.” Yorumi bluntly replied, jumping from rock to rock while focusing both her sight and ears on the streaming rapids.
Once she and the other Butterfly Girls were on the other side, the new Sound Hashira carefully put the half-demon down before all of them walked to the hidden shinobi village. All of this while the sun started to rise.
~~•~~
As they entered the village, led by Yorumi, they saw children training in the early morning. There were giant man-made walls for the kids to climb, despite the height difference being impossible for their age. Blood stains even decorated them, some seemingly left unwashed for years, nauseating all the Slayers but the youngest Uzui while they walked past them. There were also farmlands, but there were very few farmers. There were more plum trees than fields, with more of them harvesting, unlike how Yorumi remembered. All of them looked overworked with bags under their eyes. Meanwhile, the houses looked like normal cabins, except those for exceptional clans, as they were mansions adorned with symbols. However, she noticed how most of them were barely populated and had their windows boarded up.
Once they had entered the Uzui estate, everything was dim, with only lights guiding them through the hallway. There were no decorations, unless the boarded-up windows on the walls and doors counted. As they followed the oil lamps above them, with Yorumi using her memory of the interior layout, she suddenly stopped.
“What’s… wrong?” asked the Insect Breathing user before meeting eyes with whoever made the fuchsia-eyed girl freeze in her steps.
~~X~~
In front of them in the hallway was Masahiko, leering at them, especially at Yorumi. Defensively, Aoi stood her ground with a furrowed face, pressing her feet hard on the ground. Kanao paid close attention to any action the shinobi could make, in case of an attack. However, Genya was the most focused as he protectively put his arm in front of his girlfriend, but he was unexpectedly swatted by her. Her face remained stoic, but her swipe felt erratic.
“Hello, Yorumi.” The brown-haired shinobi greeted her as casually as someone like him could.
“Masahiko.” She replied coldly, her tone trying to be calm.
Before they knew it, he suddenly appeared before them, holding the new Sound Hashira’s chin with an iron grip. The half-demon wanted to intervene, but the youngest Uzui side-glanced at him and then the other girls. At the corner of her eye, her constricted pupils were warning them.
“Do not interfere. This man is dangerous. I do not want you three to get killed because of me. Please.”
Reluctantly, the mohawk-haired boy only growled, not even scaring Masahiko as he kept forcibly tilting the fuchsia-eyed girl’s head from left to right. Meanwhile, Kanao and Aoi couldn’t help but notice how old the brown-haired shinobi was, the former even noting that he was Tengen’s age. The Breathless Tsuguko already knew that, but the horrifying realization had just settled in.
“So you’ve been playing the hero while you were gone? I thought you were too scared to kill.” The brown-haired shinobi asked as the tip of his finger moved to her jugular vein like a dagger, eyeing the golden feather-printed buttons on her uniform top.
“I have limits and demons are the exception. They kill innocent lives.” She bluntly replied, sweat building up on her nape.
“What would that make us then?”
“... Demons wearing human skin.”
“Well, the difference is that they can’t age, but I suppose aging has its own… benefits.” Masahiko rebuked, his finger moving downward until it reached her sarashi, uncomfortably lingering on it. “You’ve… grown up, ever since we were engaged.”
Engaged?!
This fucking bastard... “Why you–?!”
“Don’t you have your wives?” The short-haired kunoichi interrupted, her hand in front of the half-demon defensively.
“They’re gone now, but it doesn’t erase our previous relationship.” He answered calmly, tugging the fabric a bit, strong enough that he could tear it off with just his fingertips if he wanted to.
Goosebumps popped out of Yorumi’s skin, especially around her collarbones. Every urge in her body wanted to rip his arm off with her bare nails, but she couldn’t. She could risk her friends’ lives just by attacking one of the strongest shinobis in her village. The new Sound Hashira had already knew about his strength before she left, so what’s to say that he became more powerful? All the youngest Uzui could do was scream inside her head, hoping that the brown-haired shinobi had a twinge of basic decency.
Let me go. Let me go. Let me go! LET ME GO—
“Father?” A little boy’s voice muttered from behind the Slayers.
Letting go of Yorumi, Masahiko noticed a young, soaked boy approaching them. He looked unsettlingly like the shinobi in front of them: brown hair, a thin nose, and, if he got older, a sharper jawline. The only differences are that the child had beauty marks across the cheeks and green eyes.
“Haruki.” The Ariuma head spoke passively as his son went by his side. “He’s one of my late wives’ sons.”
“I can tell.”
“W-Who’s this, Father?” asked Haruki, persisting with the cold of his drenched body.
“This is Yorumi Uzui, child. She originally abandoned us, but she finally returned.” Masahiko answered stoically. “You know, she could’ve been your mother.”
What the fuck/hell?! All three Slayers thought in united shock until they noticed Yorumi’s reaction.
With trembling knees, her heart started to crumple from the inside out, stunned by his audacity. Only hearing her erratic pulse ring in her head, she was on the verge of throwing up, sweating even more, but couldn’t. The youngest Uzui couldn’t let her former fiancé see her vulnerable, never again.
“R-Really?! I mean… really?” The beauty-marked boy asked, excitedly at first, before changing to a formal tone, not even noticing her distress.
“Yes, indeed.” His father replied, a glint in his eyes, waiting for the short-haired girl to completely fall apart. “Now, she came back to be yours–”
“Why you–?!” Aoi tried to yell.
“Ariuma-san, where’s Yorumi?” interrupted a kunoichi in the distance. “He’s been waiting in his office for a while now.”
“Right.” Masahiko replied while passing by the four, only to hold the new Sound Hashira’s bare shoulder, even caressing it. “Good luck, Yorumi.”
“I…” Haruki tried to speak, losing track of his words for the first time in his life as he looked up to the fuchsia-eyed kunoichi. “I… look forward to seeing you again.”
As soon as the father-and-son pairing had left, the youngest Uzui intensely focused on her hearing to make sure of that fact, she hastily buttoned the top of her uniform to the panic of the half-demon.
“Yorumi, what are you–?” He tried to ask, moving in front of her.
“Let’s just go already.”
“But–” Aoi tried to rebuke.
“Please.” She begged bluntly, swiftly turning around with her sclera somewhat reddened on the verge of tears.
Reluctantly, the pigtailed girl and mohawk-haired boy stepped down, following the youngest Uzui as she tried wiping her eyes. Meanwhile, Kanao kept noticing how she uncomfortably tried fixing her collar.
~~X~~
Finally reaching his office, it was a dark room with candles surrounding the area and scriptures on the walls. Kirisame sat there near his desk with tons of vials on top of it. He was busy writing down something on a map, not even looking at his youngest sister.
“What took you so long?” He asked coldly, his irritation still heard.
“... I was talking to Masahiko.” She downplayed, with a subdued tone, refusing to detail more before changing the subject. “Since you’re now head of the family, where are your wives and kids?”
“None of your business.” The Uzui head snapped coldly.
“Then what happened to Father and our Mothers?”
“They’re dead.”
Well, that’s a lie… I think. I don’t know how the afterlife works. Seeing our Mothers could’ve been near-death hallucinations, but… it could explain why I haven’t seen them.
“Since you’re so curious, Yorumi, answer me this.” The older Uzui spoke, his back now turned away from the group to pour himself some tea. “Why did you come here?”
Fuck, I haven’t thought this far. What should I say? He’s already catching us up! We saw a demon around here? No, it’s too obvious. There’s already more at this point! We were searching for rare herbs? Maybe? I mean, we have two Butterfly Girls here, so they could back it up—
“Yorumi wanted to take you with her and Uzui-san.” The younger Shinazugawa impulsively answered in the short-haired girl’s place on the spot.
At that moment, Kirisame still had his back facing towards him, only he was frozen with a cup in hand.
“… Why?”
Shit/Shoot. All four Slayers thought in unison.
“Because Big Brother regrets not bringing you with us.” Yorumi continued, her hand clutching her heart, attempting to secure the lie.
“Then why isn’t he here? And why did you bring these… coworkers of yours?”
“They’re my friends and I thought that I could introduce them to you. As for Tengen, he’s now retired from the Corps with his wives, but he wishes that we could be a family again, so… I came here in his place to get you.” The short-haired kunoichi corrected sternly, being honest for once. “Father and our Mothers have done horrible things to us and I believe that we could escape their influence. Come with us. Bring your wives and kids and they’ll live a better life than the one we had. Let’s just… get away from this miserable place.”
With extended silence, Kirisame paused, only making a few sounds just to drink his tea. Awkwardly, Kanao tried looking away but noticed something strange. Atop the Uzui head’s desk, there was a map of Tokyo with encircled areas around populated areas. Not only that, but there were wilted potted plants left there for seemingly years. Ginseng, astragalus, rehmannia, goji berries, and butterbur. All were left without water or sunlight. The Flower Tsuguko could’ve sworn she knew their medicinal properties, but before she could recall, the older Uzui placed his cup down and laughed.
A wicked laugh that Genya, Aoi, and Kanao were unnerved by, looking at the youngest Uzui to see if it was typical of him. Instead, she only stared back at them with the same expression, equally disturbed by his sudden outburst. She had never heard him do that, let alone imagine doing. Slowly, Kirisame stopped cackling before immediately slamming his fist onto the table, breaking his cup into pieces.
“Kirisame!”
“Well, you’re a little too late for that. You have some nerve to come back to this ‘miserable place’ for that pointless reason after abandoning us.” He answered, ignoring the shards and scalding tea on his hand. “I suppose Father was a fool to consider Tengen as his heir now that he’s retired. If he were at least dead, I would’ve forgiven him.”
“But Brother–!”
“Don’t call me that.” He interrupted, angrily raising his tone without even shouting, as his youngest sister was immediately submitted into silence.
“Hey! You shouldn’t do that to your sister!” The Flower Tsuguko finally scolded, ignoring the fear going on in her head.
“Kanao—!”
“I’m the head of the family now. I have the authority to.” The older Uzui justified coldly, surprisingly cordial. “I suppose you went through a pointless journey. You may stay here for the night, and you’ll leave first thing in the morning.”
“... Yes, Brother.”
“You there.” Kirisame called a kunoichi guarding the door. “Take Yorumi and her companions to her old room.”
“Yes, Sir.” She obeyed, pushing the teenagers, including the curious Kanao and the reluctant Yorumi, out the door.
~~•~~
While being led to Yorumi’s old room by a grunt, creaking from the aged wooden planks could be heard. Genya was mostly looking down at them with blushed cheeks, avoiding any glances at the unknown lady in front of them. The hallway looked seemingly long, and only awkward silence and dimly lit oil lamps were around them. That is, until the kunoichi spoke, stopping in her tracks.
“So you’re Yorumi.”
“Why…?”
“Well,” she tried to explain, turning around, “I’m Ruri Iwayama.”
Examining her closely, albeit the half-demon more shyly, she had a similar figure and attire to the other kunoichis in the village they had seen so far. Only, she had a face that made her look as young as them, with rounder cheeks and a shorter nose. However, Yorumi’s eyes widened upon realization, recognizing her blue, dewy eyes and her surname.
“You’re Suma’s sister.”
It was Tengen’s former arranged fiancée before Suma interrupted and married him instead.
“How is my older sister? Is she safe with my former fiancé?” Ruri asked quietly, continuing to walk ahead.
Former fiance?!
“She’s fine with no major injuries, just retired with her husband and co-wives. In fact, they’re quite happy together, even planning on having children.” The short-haired kunoichi casually mentioned. “What happened to you?”
“I remarried years later, but… my new family is gone now.”
“What about the Iwayama clan?”
“... I’m the only one left.”
“What about… everyone else?”
“... We all follow Kirisame Uzui.” The dewy-eyed kunoichi answered vaguely, finally reaching Yorumi’s old room.
As she opened the door, all four Slayers entered as the new Sound Hashira looked back at her.
“Just be careful.” Ruri warned before softly shutting the door.
Now inside, the youngest Uzui immediately rushed to push an old chest in front of the shoji door. Moving aside, Genya, Aoi, and Kanao noticed how plain and dreary the room was. Barely lit, the walls were mostly covered with scratches from stuck kunai and shuriken stabbed onto the wall. The only things that told it was a child’s bedroom were the small futon and the carved out circle with little round pebbles inside on the floor.
Meanwhile, Yorumi was compulsively double-checking the boards in front of her windows before going on her knees to check a mysterious vent. Anxiously, she pushed another chest in front of it before looking at her confused companions.
“What? Have to make sure no one will attack or eavesdrop on us.”
“Yorumi, are you fine—?”
“I’m fine,”
“But you’re sweating more than usual, your eyes are reddened, and not to mention you buttoned up your collar–” Kanao observed worriedly.
“Yorumi, Masahiko—“
“Let’s just–!” The short-haired girl retorted before noticing her own raised tone. “Ahem, let’s just discuss the mission.”
Hesitantly, Aoi and Genya were about to raise their voices, concerned yet frustrated with Yorumi’s reclusiveness. However, they couldn’t, not only because they were inside the lion’s den, but also because she was already too distressed to discuss what had happened. The youngest Uzui needed time to cool down.
“My/Your brother is a demon.” Both the new Sound Hashira and the side-ponytailed girl spoke out at the same time, pausing for a moment.
“When we were ambushed in the forest, I noticed multiple pairs of eyes that looked exactly the same. Every little detail in those eyes looked identical to each other. Your… ex-fiance and the other shinobi who attacked us were human, so it’s most likely that your brother has a cloning Blood Demon Art.” The Flower Tsuguko said.
“What about Ruri and the other shinobis we saw here?” Genya asked.
“They’re all human.” The youngest Kocho reassured him.
“There’s also the fact that everything here is all boarded up. They’re trying not to let sunlight enter inside.” The short-haired girl noticed with a steady beat. “My brother was even rushing to go back home before sunrise. However, something is bugging me.” Yorumi then faced the youngest Kocho and asked. “Kanao, you have good vision, even during the dark. Did you see what my brother was writing on his desk?”
“Well, it was, I think… a map of Tokyo?”
Upon hearing what the side-ponytailed girl said, everyone’s jaw dropped. They didn’t know why Kirisame planned to go to Tokyo. They knew he was a demon, but they didn’t know what kind of chaos he would bring to the capital of Japan. With his cloning Blood Demon Art and his army of shinobi, who knows how much collateral damage will be there? However, something else was bothering Kanao.
“There were also some herbs atop his desk. They weren’t poisonous though.”
“What kind?” Aoi questioned, chiming in.
“Ginseng, astragalus, rehmannia, goji berries, and butterbur, but they were all dead.”
“Ugh, if only I had my book with me.” The pigtailed Butterfly Girl bemoaned.
“Why did that stick with you?” The youngest Uzui stoically snapped.
“I don’t know, it seemed important to him six or seven years ago, but he’s no longer taking care of them.”
“Aside from that, despite being the head of a shinobi clan, why would your brother barely hide his plans from us? He seems dangerous, but Kanao wasn’t killed or attacked when she called him out. I’m not a ninja, but they seem like rookie mistakes.”
“… He’s going to kill us tonight.” Yorumi concluded, shocking the three Slayers. “My family considers me to be the weak link, so I’m disposable in their eyes. Besides, I left them years ago, and they won’t allow me to do it again. Tonight, they’ll break our bones, cut open our stomachs, and then slit our throats. Once we’re dead, they’ll probably target my brother and sisters-in-law next. And then…”
She was shuddering with each word, worrying everyone in the room. Her boyfriend tried to reach a hand out for her, but a knock was heard on the door. Out of fear, everyone but Yorumi went to the very back of the bedroom. Genya held his gun, aiming his sights towards the door. Kanao and Aoi pulled out their swords from their sheaths as they prepared an attack before the short-haired girl spoke.
“Wait, it’s Haruki!” She exclaimed before pushing the chest in front of the door aside.
~~X~~
Sliding the shoji door open, Haruki was standing attentively. He was still drenched, but his hair was lightly dried, probably using a towel hurriedly before coming here. Moving aside for the other Slayers to see with their weapons put away, they all realized how young the beauty-marked boy was, seemingly a little after Yorumi, Tengen, and the Kunoichi Trio had left. They also noticed the blisters on his fingers. Some of them were even bleeding.
“What are you doing here?” The youngest Uzui asked cautiously.
“Oh my goodness!” Aoi exclaimed with worry, immediately letting him inside as she examined his fingers. “Are you alright?!”
“I’m fine.” Haruki brushed off as the pigtailed girl started disinfecting his fingers. “I just… want to talk to Yorumi-san.”
“... Why…?”
“Because aren’t we family?”
Upon those words, the fuchsia-eyed girl faltered, bile rushedly climbing her throat. Trying to contain it, she started choking as Genya kept patting her back until she stopped.
“What’s wrong?” He innocently asked, his fingers being wrapped with bandages.
“Nothing, she’s just surprised.” The Insect Breathing user tried to reassure him, taking occasional worried glances at the short-haired girl.
“But why did she leave?”
“Your father and I… had differing opinions on the future, so I left.” Yorumi sorely answered, facing away from the Ariuma boy.
“But you could’ve been a great mother to me, and my siblings.” He rebuked naively, startling the new Sound Hashira more.
“What happened to your mother…?” The mohawk-haired boy asked concernedly.
“She’s dead. I don’t remember her that much but Father said that she was useless, so I suppose she was. The same goes for my other mothers.” He bluntly answered without remorse as if he was talking about the weather, shocking Aoi, and especially the Breathless and Flower Tsugukos.
Both had experienced unstable and abusive childhoods: Kanao with her parents and Genya with his father. She learned how to suppress her emotions to survive against the threat of death around her, while he learned that he and his older brother were responsible for the family, including each other. They were saved from that lifestyle: the Kocho sisters and Butterfly Girls for Kanao, and his mother and Sanemi for Genya. Although a part of that hellish past will stay with them, along with several setbacks afterward, they had grown beyond that through the bonds they had made since then. Seeing that little boy react so casually and callously to his mother’s death, it unnerved them. However, the fuchsia-eyed kunoichi was unsurprised by his response.
“So you love your father more than your mothers…?” The short-haired girl asked, her voice slowly getting better.
“... I’m loyal to Father.” Haruki answered with a slight pause, both it and his diction being unnoticed.
Nonetheless, everyone was still unnerved by the child’s response. Any child under his conditions would’ve hated his life, but Haruki was either in denial or too brainwashed by his family to even consider. They didn’t know or understand why, but all the Slayers felt pity for the beauty-marked boy.
“Okay, we’re done. You’re good to go.” Aoi said to Haruki, trying to keep up a cheery tone.
“Thank you.” He said stoically before leaving the room, stopping for a moment to speak to the new Sound Hashira. “However, you do seem strong, so you could’ve been a great mother.”
Once Yorumi closed the door and placed the chest back in front, she looked back at her friends with fear in everyone’s eyes. Hers, especially, with snot, spit, and tears leaking from the corners of her eyes, nostrils, and lips. Wiping the residue, the youngest Uzui tried composing herself before speaking.
~~X~~
“We’ll stay here for the rest of the day. The food and drinks they will serve will most likely be poisoned–”
“But Kanao and I could help detect–”
“They are tasteless and invisible–”
“Yorumi–”
“I’M NOT RISKING ANYONE’S LIFE, ESPECIALLY YOURS!” Yorumi suddenly burst out, causing Genya to instinctively wince. “... I’m sorry, I don’t want you three to get killed because of me.”
Immediately apologizing and regretting what she just did, the fuchsia-eyed girl tightly hugged the half-demon. It wasn’t suffocating, but from her grip, he could tell that she wanted to cry but couldn’t. Tonight, her family and every shinobi in the village were going to kill them and start their plan.
~~•~~
Author’s Note:
To be honest, in the original fanfiction, I had forgotten about Suma’s younger sister outside of how she was supposed to marry Tengen instead, so I decided to make her a character here in this reboot. She doesn’t have an official name, so I give her one as well as a minor role later on in this arc. Thank you for reading.
I Love You, Scars and All Chapter Thirty-Two: Welcome Back Home
~~•~~
Chapter Additional Tags: Demon Slayer Aoi, Shinobi, Flustered Shinazugawa Genya, Mentioned Kocho Kanae, Shinazugawa Sanemi is Bad at Feelings, Shinazugawa Genya Needs a Hug,
Chapter Content Warnings: Profanity, Self-Worth Issues, Shinazugawa Sanemi Swears, Shinazugawa Genya Swears, Past Child Abuse, Past Trauma,
~~•~~
Chapter Thirty-Two was originally published on June 2, 2026
~~•~~
Links:
Masterlist
AO3
Wattpad
~~•~~
“Hello, Himejima-san.” Yorumi greeted Gyomei calmly at his front door.
“Good afternoon, Yorumi-san.” The Stone Hashira replied, his head tilted to meet her height.
The two Hashiras stood facing each other, with some of the cats watching them. From the corner of the short-haired kunoichi’s sight, Genya picked up one of them and listened to their conversation.
“I presume that you heard from Lord Oyakata, but I’d like to borrow Genya for my mission.” The youngest Uzui stated bluntly before listing down, her tone becoming more admirable. “He has good aim, he’s endurable, and his demon eating has improved. Just… please…”
Thinking for a moment, with only the sound of meowing being heard, the tall man kept switching his attention towards the desperate Yorumi and the hidden Genya. He could hear the faith and urgency behind the youngest Uzui’s request, but also a hint of fear. The kind of fear that needed someone close, someone to protect her, but is too prideful to admit it outright. Sensing the slight hairs on her skin rising, Gyomei sighed before turning his head to the half-demon’s direction.
“Genya, please come out. I know you’re there.” He called out calmly as his Tsuguko shyly pulled into the short-haired kunoichi’s line of sight. “Yorumi wants you to join her for her mission.”
“Okay, Himejima-san.” He bashfully replied, scratching the back of his head before following the new Sound Hashira.
Now, walking beside her, the mohawk-haired boy couldn’t help but notice Yorumi gripping his hand tighter than usual. Her thumb kept tracing his scarred skin and rough palm lines interchangeably, her fingernail tickling him a bit.
“Y-Yorumi?” Genya spoke out a little more bashfully than intended.
“Yes?” Yorumi wondered, worried for him instead of whatever was going on in her head.
“U-Uh, are you– fuck, are you okay?”
“Am I doing something wrong?”
“N-No! It’s just you look… like something is bothering you. Do you, um, wanna talk about it?”
Still conflicted, the short-haired kunoichi droopily leaned her head against the mohawk-haired boy’s shoulder, her lips downturned and quivering. Although the half-demon blushed from the closer contact, her fuchsia eyes weren’t wet and shaky, only frozen with some blinking. No tears were close to shed, but the youngest Uzui finally spoke.
“It’s personal.”
“How personal?” Genya repeated, concernedly.
“We’re going to my home village. Where I came from before Tengen and I were recruited into the Corps.”
“Oh shit.” Damn it, Genya! Why did you have to react like that?!
“Yeah, ‘oh shit,’ indeed.” Yorumi bluntly quoted before noticing that the half-demon had wrapped his arm around her waist.
Although he was unnoticiably red from the gesture, his hold wasn’t too uncomfortably lingering. No finger dared to move upward or downward. There wasn’t even a slight pinch of her flesh. Instead, his hold was more like a silent declaration, as if it was saying.
“I love, trust, and care for you, no matter what. I will help you at every opportunity I get if you say the word.”
With warmth flowing from her heart to her cheeks, the new Sound Hashira held his hand atop her waist, interlocking his fingers.
~~•~~
“And why would you want both Aoi and Kanao?” Shinobu asked doubtfully with that signature sickeningly sweet tone of hers.
“Well, Aoi has medical expertise I may need, and I’d like her to bring some food and drinks for the trip. Meanwhile, Kanao is quite the perceptive and meticulous character. Her sight could balance out my hearing, not to mention her combative skills.” Yorumi stoically replied, only to be met with silence and a polished smile.
“... Is that all?”
“... Yes…”
“You could just ask some of the Hashiras to join you now that you’re one of us.”
“Thank you, but… I’d like to be around people I’m more familiar with.” The new Sound Hashira insisted, her voice becoming unusually shy.
For a moment, Shinobu was about to refuse, concerned for both her girls. Kaguya had informed her in advance about the youngest Uzui’s mission, but the Insect Hashira was still unsure. Although Aoi had gone back to doing missions, it had been over a year since she hunted down demons, and that was for her Final Selection. Even though the pigtailed-Butterfly Girl was personally taught by the short woman through training and study, it didn’t change that she had recently changed her Breathing Style from Water to Insect. Kanao, on the other hand, despite being more experienced… she couldn’t risk losing another sister.
As if on cue, certain words had echoed into her head, as if to convince her.
“Since Shinobu doesn't want to befriend her, why don’t you bond with her, Aoi?”
“Still, I’m just hoping that she’ll outgrow it. It’s only a temporary solution, but with Yorumi, I’m just hoping that they’ll become good friends.”
She would’ve wanted it… Shinobu scolded herself, always weak to that recognizable yet evanescent voice, before begrudgingly complying. “I’ll call them and tell them the details of the mission so that they can choose whether to come with you or not. At least you’re asking permission this time.”
“I know. Thank you.” The short-haired kunoichi replied as the butterfly-clad woman went back inside to call her girls.
~~•~~
While Yorumi and Genya were waiting by the Butterfly Manor gate, Aoi and Kanao finally appeared with their supplies, both accepting to participate in the mission. As requested, the pigtailed Slayer had prepared some food and refreshments in a basket, putting down on the ground to rest for a moment. Everyone was now ready for action as they carried their weapons: Aoi’s needle-like sword, Genya’s wakizashi and double-barrel gun, Kanao’s katana, and Yorumi’s chained cleavers and arsenal.
“We’re ready, Yorumi-san.” The blue Butterfly Girl declared, dusting off the Butterfly Estate uniform atop her Demon Slayer one to bluff before lifting her basket. “Believe me, you can trust us.”
“That’s good to hear. Let’s go–” The short-haired kunoichi responded, turning away to go there as hastily as possible.
“Yorumi…” interrupted the youngest Kocho shyly yet concernedly, “... are you alright?”
“I’m fine, it’s just– it’s… a very dangerous place. Not only are there reports of demon activity, but the other shinobi clans have been trained to take human lives without hesitation. Even the children can slit your throat. It’s a place where we shouldn’t let our guard down.”
While listening, the new Insect Breathing user gulped down her saliva from anxiety, remembering her fears from the Final Selection. On the other hand, the Flower Tsuguko’s eyes looked down with some emptiness as they furrowed. However, the Breathless Slayer continued to look at Yorumi with determination while she continued explaining.
“Before we arrive, make sure not to consume anything served to you and stick with me because you could get poisoned or assassinated. At night, we’ll take turns to watch over those sleeping to avoid any ambushes. Remember to be careful, everyone–”
“If you wanted everyone to be safe, you shouldn’t have invited weaklings.”
Hearing a familiar gruff voice, Yorumi looked over to the nearby foliage to see Sanemi appearing.
“A-Aniki?!” exclaimed the scar-faced Slayer.
“Don’t call me that.” The Wind Hashira insulted as he approached the short-haired kunoichi. “I understand you bringing the Insect Hashira’s Tsuguko as well as a Butterfly Girl, but why that weakling? He can’t even cut down a demon.”
From the side, the three companions didn’t know what to do. Kanao knew she could stand up for herself, but remembered the Wind Hashira was close to Kanae, making her feel conflicted. On the other hand, Aoi kept scowling but wanted to keep a level head, sharing the same sentiments as the Flower Tsuguko. Even without personal ties, they both knew how Sanemi was one of the strongest Hashira within their ranks, making it a losing battle. Meanwhile, all Genya could do was be stunned at his brother’s words. The white-haired man kept using the same words, but it still stung the same as the last. That is, until Yorumi backed up her decision.
“I see his potential.” She bluntly answered, still wanting to hide his half-demon abilities. “Despite your many years of experience, I see his other qualities as good as being able to decapitate a demon. He’s still strong like the rest of us, just in different ways your stubbornness can’t see. From where I come from, even the tiniest needle can kill someone. Genya is that needle.”
Sanemi growled upon hearing this comeback. His teeth gritted as his breath seethed through the thin gaps.
“You little shit, you dare endanger my br–”
Before he could finish, Yorumi had already grabbed Genya’s arm and gestured to the other girls to follow them.
“Come on, let’s go.” She ignored her senior’s threat. “We’ve had enough of this oaf.”
As they walked away, all they could hear in the distance was Sanemi’s aggravated screams. It was uncomfortable to hear, especially for the scar-faced Slayer. Although he was no longer hearing his older brother’s insults, he still wanted to talk with him on equal grounds. Meanwhile, Yorumi was more irritated than ever, still hearing that oxymoronic mix of concern and aggression from the Wind Hashira’s words.
What is with that man…?
“Do you think… Aniki will be proud enough to call me his little brother soon?” He softly asked his girlfriend.
“He sort of did.” Yorumi answered, surprising her boyfriend.
“Huh?”
“I heard it, but I interrupted him. I’m sorry that you wanted to hear him so badly.” The new Sound Hashira apologized solemnly, her fingers intertwining with his. “I hate it when he slanders you.”
“He… also looked scared for you.” Kanao backed up, moving beside the couple with Aoi. “His veins were popping out of his head from anger, but there was a hint of fear in his eyes, twitching.”
“I see… that’s… a first step.” Genya answered, trying to be optimistic.
Suddenly, he was tugged closer to the short-haired kunoichi. Their sides were now touching each other as the tall Slayer grew redder.
“Let’s… hope that idiot will come to his senses.” Yorumi tried to comfort, pecking him on the lips. “Shall we?”
“Of course.” Kanao replied softly.
“You bet.” Aoi responded.
Meanwhile, all three girls were looking at Genya, who was choking on his saliva from shock. The tall Slayer was stunned by the kiss and how cute the gesture was, butterflies fluttering inside his stomach. He kept punching it to stop the overstimulation until Aoi had to smack his back as support. The mohawk-haired boy fell a little forward from the impact but replied.
“Sure…”
~~•~~
It was beginning to grow dark. Although they took a train instead to save time, thankfully without any incidents, she had forgotten how long the distance was ever since she left her clan. The new Sound Hashira still remembered the directions back home, but before she traveled with her older brother and sisters-in-law, who were trained to move across distances with minimal breaks. Even Sakonji was used to traveling such lengths before he retired, despite his age. Instead, her companions were people who weren’t experienced with such strenuous trekking.
Aoi grew so tired that she dropped down onto the ground from the basket’s weight and her shaky legs. To lighten her load, Yorumi had to carry it in her place. Meanwhile, Genya constantly took breaks to catch his breath, forcing the only two unexhausted parties to carry their completely drained companies; Kanao carrying Aoi and Yorumi carrying Genya.
Eventually, even the youngest Kocho was starting to get tired from traveling so long that her breath got more fatigued.
“Y… Yorumi…?” The Flower Tsuguko panted, pausing her hiking. “Would it be alright… if we could just… stop… for now…?”
Stopping on her trail, Yorumi kept listening to her surroundings. Outside of the typical sounds of birds chirping around the forest, what caught her attention the most was Aoi’s light snoring, Genya’s breath tickling her nape, and Kanao’s subtle wheezing. The new Sound Hashira was considering her choices: move ahead with three exhausted companions or wait until the next day to continue. They were so close, but they were so tired.
“Fine, can you see anywhere we could rest nearby?”
“Um, there’s a cave overthere.” The sideponytailed girl pointed in the distance.
Trekking towards it, once they were inside, both Tsugukos placed both Genya and Aoi off their backs and onto the ground to lean against the wall. Kanao was trying to start a fire while Yorumi crouched down to their level in front of them.
“Oi. Oi! OI!” The short-haired girl called out, snapping her fingers until the two of them woke up.
“HUH?!”
“We’re resting here for the night. The next day, we’ll continue, but for now, I’ll go out and survey around the area.”
However, before she could get up, the half-demon suddenly grabbed her hand, about to stand up.
“No, I’ll look around.” The younger Shinazugawa insisted.
“But I–”
“You need rest, and besides, Genya must’ve been heavy for you to carry, especially with those swords of yours.” Aoi added, moving towards the Flower Tsuguko to help her start the fire.
“Hey!”
“It’s fine, but–”
“Please. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“I can go with him if you want.” Kanao offered, finally lighting a small campfire before standing up to dust off her skirt. “I still have enough energy to walk around a bit. I’ll make sure to be thorough with my search.”
“... Fine. Just be safe.” Yorumi complied, defeated yet terrified, as she tenderly held both his cheeks before letting him go.
Leaving outside to survey through the surrounding flora, both the side-ponytailed girl and mohawk-haired boy were stuck in awkward silence, focusing on searching around to even discuss with one another. However, the placidity was starting to get uncomfortable for even these wallflowers.
“How did… you and Yorumi make things work?” The Flower Tsuguko asked out of the blue.
“Huh?” The Breathless Tsuguko gasped in surprise.
“I mean,” Kanao tried to explain, “like… you two have many differences. You use a gun; she uses chained cleavers and bombs. You’re reckless and loud, she’s reserved and cold. You act shy towards girls, and she’s more blunt. You look more intimidating, while she looks more attractive.”
“Hey!”
“There’s also how Uzui-san is close to Yorumi, while Shinazugawa-san–”
Before the side-ponytailed girl could finish, the mohawk-haired Slayer’s face darkened with dejection. Kanao panicked uncontrollably in silence, realizing that she accidentally struck a nerve. Still, she calmed down to apologize.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have used that as an example…”
“It’s fine… it still kinda counts as one.” He answered back, still downcast.
To change the subject, the Flower Tsuguko finished her question.
“But… how did you two become a couple?”
The scar-faced Slayer sighed, reflecting upon his relationship throughout the years. From their first meeting to their first date to their current state, there were a few bumps in the road, but it was mostly comfortable. He remembered how Yorumi beat him regularly whenever they sparred ever since they were first introduced. He cringed when he thought about how he acted during the Final Selection, being glad that the youngest Uzui called him out in hindsight. He laughed when the short-haired kunoichi kicked Tanjiro onto the ground multiple times while rehabilitating him. Genya loved Yorumi, scars and all.
“Well… we have our own similarities.” He finally answered. “We were both kids… protected from the cruel world by our older brothers. We’re both stubborn, yet we crave love, and we have a hard time expressing it. Of course, we’re not perfect. I make dumb decisions before thinking, while she keeps things to herself. As long as we’re learning to better ourselves, then we’re doing great.”
“That’s great to hear… romantic even,” Kanao noted before worryingly saying. “But there’s something that concerns me.”
“What is it?”
“What if you lose control and try to eat her?”
In response, Genya’s eyes widened with anxiety. Of course, he knew that Kanao was aware of his demon-eating abilities. After all, he regularly visits the Butterfly Estate, and the Flower Tsuguko was Shinobu’s younger sister, but that fear has always haunted the Breathless Tsuguko. Even without that deal they made at the waterfall, the younger Shinazugawa recognized that Yorumi was strong enough to fend for herself. He just couldn’t bear the thought of endangering her life. He didn’t want to be like his father.
“Then, I’ll bang my head so hard that I regain my human consciousness.” The half-demon determinedly answered, leaving the Flower Tsuguko somewhat confused.
“Not sure if that would work…” she begrudgingly confessed, “but I can see your conviction–”
At that moment, Kanao had spotted some eyes above the trees. Once she stopped, Genya took note and looked up. Using her gifted sight, the side-ponytailed girl detected more than fifty pairs of eyes. Some of them looked the same to a disturbing degree. Instinctively, Genya pulled out his gun and tried to shoot them, making sure not to aim at vital parts in case they weren’t demons. After each shot, some of the eyes disappeared, whether by moving or disappearing. Before they could counteract, their opponents went down to the ground, revealing themselves as shinobi in dark blue garb.
“Make sure to eliminate both of them.” A cold voice ordered from above. “They appear to be Demon Slayers. They’re forbidden from fighting or killing humans.”
Shit…! Genya thought as one of the ninjas charged towards him.
In self-defense, the Breathless Slayer punched their face, but by an inch. Before he could process it, his opponent had gone underneath him and kicked him onto the ground, pinning him down with his other foot. Genya struggled to get the shinobi off him, but noticed the second one going behind Kanao’s back. To help her out, he shot down a tree near her enemy to alert her. In response to the loud sound, the Flower Tsuguko looked back and elbow-jabbed her opponent. Seeing that Genya was still holding his gun, the ninja stomped on his wrist, gradually adding more pressure.
“GAAAAHHHH!!” The scar-faced Slayer cried out in pain.
Just then, two more shinobi jumped down to Kanao. It seemed hopeless until a flash of blue attacked the ones above. As they landed on the ground, the Flower and Breathless Tsugukos realized that it was Aoi who came to their rescue.
“Just when I finished cooking!” She whined angrily, kicking one of them in the ass before yelling at the treetops.
Putting aside her initial fears, the pigtailed girl charged towards the shinobis already ganging on her, kicking one aside with her sword tip dangerously close to the other’s face.
“Thank you, Aoi.” Kanao spoke fondly.
“Don’t mention it.” The Insect Breathing user reassured her, and mostly herself, tired of being a coward, especially now as the medic on the field. “Hey! You cowards better get down here! You need to pay for what you’ve done to my friends!”
“You’ve got to be kidding me–” The shinobi kicked away muttered before suddenly feeling something squishing their head.
Once they looked up, they saw Yorumi holding onto a branch with her hands as her eyes glared down on them. They then realized that it was her hands squeezing their head. Before the shinobi could react, they were already being choked as the short-haired kunoichi’s arm muscles tightened her grip.
“Go to Hell.” She threatened as she swung her upper body backwards before going forward, throwing the shinobi away from Genya’s body.
Upon releasing her target, the fuchsia-eyed girl let go of the tree branch with her legs and jumped down in front of her boyfriend, and looked behind.
“Are you alright?” The new Sound Hashira asked softly, concerned for him.
“I’m fine….” He grunted, holding his injured wrist. “I just need a little time to recover…”
Once he got up, another ninja dropped down to attack the couple before being punched by Genya and then kicked by Yorumi. At that moment, the same cold voice ordered from above the trees.
“Alright, stand down!”
Upon hearing this command, the shinobis on the ground stopped and bowed down to their knees. Once they all finally submitted, the three Slayers looked confused while the new Sound Hashira’s eyes shuddered upon what she saw. Jumping down, two eerily familiar figures appeared before Yorumi, both of whom she had hoped to never encounter again. The older one had dark brown hair, while the younger one had black short hair. Yorumi recognized them as Masahiko and Kirisame: her former fiancé and older brother.
“Welcome back home, Yorumi.” The older Uzui greeted the Slayers ominously.
~~•~~
Author’s Note:
For those who read the original fanfiction, you’ve probably noticed some differences. Notably, at the end, it was originally both Arashi and Kirisame who greeted Yorumi. However, thinking about this a fanmade arc in hindsight, I ultimately made Kirisame the major antagonist because I changed the central conflict from about being Yorumi’s mother (who is now more neglectful of her) to her guilt complex about being a murder, choosing that the latter was more interesting, especially after she gained more confidence in her abilities and has a newfound purpose in protecting people. Don’t worry, Arashi will still be there, just not as much as in the original. Thank you for reading.
Chapter Content Warnings: Profanity, Self-Worth Issues, Blood and Gore, Discussions of Grief, Infertility, Grief/Mourning,
~~•~~
Chapter Thirty-One was originally published on May 25, 2026
~~•~~
Links:
Masterlist
AO3
Wattpad
~~•~~
One night in the mountains, Yorumi was searching deep in the forests for a giant demon. Apparently, despite its sheer size, it was known to camouflage within its surroundings and eat Slayers before disappearing underground at sunrise. Due to its proximity to a certain place, Yorumi immediately accepted the task, expecting it to be a quick and easy mission. She hoped that she would finish immediately to move on to the next one.
Walking through the flora, the new Sound Hashira was simply strolling, closing her eyes to focus on her hearing.
Where is it? It shouldn’t be near an area like this. The youngest Uzui internally worried.
For a moment, she paused and stood in the middle of a small, open area. Blitzing towards her, a demon twice her height raised his claws at her, snarling with saliva spilling from his mouth. In the blink of an eye, Yorumi countered with her chained cleavers, blocking the attack with her blades above her.
“HUH?!” The drooling demon exclaimed.
Looking at her opponent, he had his bones piercing out of his joints like spikes, trying to stab at her with his knee, but missed. Before the demon could attack again, the fuchsia-eyed girl pushed harder, cutting through the large demon’s wrists. Frightfully backing away, he started to grow out of nowhere, reaching the stature of a two-story building. Looking down at the comparatively minuscule Sound Hashira, the giant couldn’t help but grin excitedly at her.
“How many big demons have I encountered so far…?” bemoaned Yorumi, crouching and pressing her feet down on the ground to build momentum.
However, the towering demon’s ears twitched, turning him away from the short-haired kunoichi, only to lick his lips. Watching him stomp slowly before sprinting, Yorumi realized that he had found it: the Wisteria Estate in the mountains.
Shit! She mentally panicked, releasing all her momentum to chase her target. Please! Please! Please be safe!
~~•~~
“Remember, even though you need the arm strength to cut off a demon’s head, what makes Thunder Breathing shine through is your leg strength.” Hayate reminded his students loudly. “You need blinding speed to catch demons off guard and kill them as soon as possible.”
“Yes, Sensei!” All the students in the dojo yelled obediently.
Nodding in response, the Thunder Cultivator’s ears suddenly caught something before ordering his proteges.
“Another strength of Thunder Breathing is hearing. You need to find any weak spots as soon as possible. Now, run.”
Suddenly, the wall behind them was destroyed, and all the students immediately fled the building. Seeing the number of people inside, the giant demon dashed towards them to attack. Exhaling a long sigh, Hayate pulled out his sword from the cane and sliced the demon’s hand with five consecutive slashes.
Thunder Breathing Second Form: Rice Spirit!
“WHAT?!” He exclaimed exasperatedly, bumping his head against the ceiling. From the sheer force, the rest of the building was about to crumble. Before the debris could hit the cane-wielding man, he horizontally diced it, a slow pause, followed by multiple smaller slices, reducing them into bits.
Thunder Breathing Sixth Form: Rumble and Flash!
In the nick of time, with the towering demon caught in the impact, the Thunder Cultivator retaliated again, vertically cutting him in half.
Thunder Breathing Fifth Form: Heat Lightning!
However, losing his balance, he fell to the floor with his weaker leg getting the better of him.
“How irritating—“
Before the giant demon knew it, his nape felt the sensation of metal slicing through his spinal cord. As his head fell forward, it rolled towards Hayate’s feet as the rest of his body fell. While it turned into ash, the Thunder Cultivator saw Yorumi behind their opponent, approaching the corpse. Wiping the sweat on her face, the youngest Uzui’s demeanor suddenly changed upon seeing Hayate, her and her brother’s old Cultivator, in front of her. One of the consequences of her former line of work.
“Kamimura-san…”
“Yorumi.”
An awkward silence was stuck between the two. The short-haired kunoichi kept wiping herself off the blood splattered on her forearms and waist. Hayate cleaned his sword with a handkerchief before sheathing it back into his cane. Looking back at each other, they couldn’t think of anything to say. What should they say?
Last time, she distressed the Thunder Cultivator with the truth that she helped kill his brother, his only remaining relative. Even then, Tengen and especially Kyojuro were there to mediate everyone down. Now that her eldest brother was retired and the Flame Hashira was gone, Yorumi couldn’t find the right words to spit out until she threw caution to the wind.
Forget it, this is getting unbearable. “So… have you been receiving the money?” The youngest Uzui asked, her voice coming off softer than intended.
“Yes, as your brother promised…” Hayate finally answered, using a familiar, awkward-feeling tone.
“... I’m sorry about your Estate–”
“It’s fine, I can request Lord Oyakata to send some Kakushi to rebuild my home.”
“But where will you stay in the meantime?”
“I can stay at a different Wisteria House or at Kuwajima-sensei’s place, but I feel like my students would take up a lot of space. Not to mention my servants–”
“You can stay at my place if you like.” Yorumi blurted out of the blue, too late in realizing what she had just said. Fuck. “I mean–”
“Sure. I suppose.” The cane-wielding man sighed before walking away. “Will your brother and his wives mind, though?”
“I”ll… ask them.” The youngest Uzui reluctantly obliged, then called Suisei to send the message.
~~•~~
While the Uzui family waited outside the Ubuyashiki Estate, a Hashira meeting was held with the fifteen-year-old Kaguya, discussing the matter. With his wife pregnant with quintuplets, the young Ubuyashiki head had brought over some Cultivators to help manage administrative duties, including the relatively new Hayate Kamimura. After being relegated to this role following his permanent leg injury, he was recommended by his past Cultivator and the former Rumbling Hashira: Jigoro Kuwajima.
“They confirmed it with me.” Sakonji said sternly. “They had killed the Kajis after the demons were killed and framed it on the Slayers at the scene; Tatsumaki Torasawa, Tsuyu Ryube, and… Miyu Kamimura.”
They… framed my brother…?! Hayate processed, his hands gripping his kimono tightly, which Jigoro noticed worriedly. Why…?! Why did they do that…?! Why did they have the gall to come here and obey Lord Oyakata…?! Of all times to have a conscience…!
“If you don’t mind me asking, why are we considering recruiting him if he killed our own members?” Gyomei asked concernedly as the new Stone Hashira.
“Because we need numbers, kid.” Shinjuro answered bluntly, seemingly and temporarily sober. “Look at us… We’re around three Hashiras, so we can’t really be picky about who we recruit."
“Rengoku-san is correct.” Kaguya added with a sigh. “They may be unused to fighting against demons, but they’re still valuable for their combat experience. Because of that, I need someone among you to teach them–”
“I’ll mentor Tengen Uzui and his family myself.” Hayate volunteered out of the blue, disturbing everyone but the drunken Flame Hashira, too immersed in the remaining droplets in his booze. “I may be a new Cultivator, and I may not be in the best condition to demonstrate, but my knowledge and experience would be enough. They’re shinobis, so I’m pretty sure that Thunder Breathing would be the most compatible with them…”
While the cane-wielding man rambled, the Ubuyashiki head’s eyes widened slightly for a moment, unexpecting that Hayate would personally ask to teach Thunder Breathing to anyone, especially the Uzuis. For a brief moment, he was about to accept until he realized something. Ever since his curse started to take effect, his right eye had started to go blind, beginning to rely more on his hearing to compensate. When he heard the new Thunder Cultivator words, they were out of desperation, but also muddied grief; the kind that would swallow you whole the longer you stay in it. The kind where you drag someone down with you to drown together.
“Are you sure you really want to do this…?” The young boy asked unsurely, his brows furrowed with worry.
“Yes…” Hayate insisted with a calm breath, his fingers shakily clenching against the fabric.
Still hearing that same intent, Jigoro, who could also hear it, almost stood up to protest until–
“Of course,” Kaguya agreed before warning, “just be careful. We’ll conclude this meeting.”
As everyone was about to leave, Hayate followed the Ubuyashiki head to the garden. His palms were sweating as he kept wiping them off his yukata, repeatedly exhaling to himself until, before he knew it, his hand was abruptly grabbed and pulled by Jigoro.
“What do you think you’re doing?!” The old man hushedly yelled at his former pupil.
“Avenging Miyu.” The cane-wielding man whispered, his tone somewhat intense.
“They’re shinobis, as Lord Oyakata said! You think that you can handle killing them, let alone one! They will sense you before you could even know!”
“Might as well die trying. How do you think I feel about Lord Oyakata inviting them to join the Corps?”
“I’m mad too, but they seem like they genuinely want to help, as Urokodaki-san had said!”
“... Just leave me be. I’m sorry that I can’t become your successor, but I won’t die until the last one chokes on their blood by my broken, battered hands.” Hayate insisted, shaking off the former Rumbling Hashira’s hand from them before continuing to follow Kaguya.
Moving his cane as quickly as possible, the new Thunder Cultivator caught up to the young Ubuyashiki head underneath the giant cherry blossom tree in the garden.
“I apologize, I had to talk to my former Cultivator.” Hayate apologized profusely as if nothing happened.
“It’s fine, but… are you sure you really want this?”
“Of course.”
“I see, but…you have ulterior motives, don’t you?” Kaguya sighed, stepping forward a little closer to the Estate gates.
“Lord Oyakata—“
“I’m not asking you to forgive them, but I want you to understand them.” The young boy corrected as the gates opened. “There’s a difference between the two.”
Standing still, pondering on the Ubuyashiki, the Thunder Cultivator watched as the Uzuis had entered the garden. What shocked him the most was that the eldest was Kaguya’s age, and the youngest was a mere eight-year-old. Although they looked older than their years, their faces spelled it out for him
They’re… they’re children. Hayate realized, gripping into a fist as nail imprints dug into his palm.
~~•~~
“Welcome back!” Suma greeted the Thunder Cultivator cheerfully in the present.
“Thank you…” The cane-wielding man greeted back awkwardly, standing in place in front of the now casually dressed Uzuis, excluding Yorumi.
As the Thunder Cultivator and the Uzui adults were too silent to strike up a conversation, the most reasonable among them, Hinatsuru, gritted her teeth and finally spoke.
“How was the trip?”
“It was fine, though I do apologize for bringing my things here. Well, at least the ones that weren’t destroyed.”
Behind him, and an open front door, some Kakushi members are unloading from a wagon full of furniture and boxes. Yorumi was also outside helping unload a box full of children’s toys, trying to be as careful as possible before entering.
What are these? Mementos? They look rather new…
Brushing that thought aside, the new Sound Hashira quickly slipped off her sandals before entering inside, rushing ahead to bring the box to one of the guestrooms.
“It’s at the third door on the left!” Makio called out to Yorumi, the latter shyly nodded before immediately slipping away.
Noticing her sister-in-law’s hesitance, the red-robed woman tried to make a suggestion.
“Well, we can call the Muscle Mice to help you with that.”
“Muscle Mice–?”
Before he knew it, the blonde-banged kunoichi whistled loudly, calling a mischief of muscular rodents to run past the surprised Thunder Cultivator. Without a sweat, the Muscle Mice easily carried the luggage in groups, scurrying off to follow the youngest Uzui.
“O-Oh, I see…” He stuttered, somewhat disturbed by the freakishly strong rodents.
Approaching from behind the Kunoichi Trio, the former Sound Hashira leaned forward with his tall frame, eyeing Yorumi returning from the guestroom, noticing the Muscle Mice moving the furniture. Now that he was retired, Tengen was wearing a surprisingly large fuchsia yukata for his size. His silver hair was loose, with his headband now used as an eyepatch for his lost eye. Waving his broad arm towards his former mentor, the eldest Uzui spoke somewhat casually.
“I do apologize for your Estate being destroyed. I’m sure Yorumi didn’t mean for that demon to get too close.”
“It’s fine, she was trying to do her job...” The cane-wielding man reassured the Uzuis apprehensively, noticing the short-haired kunoichi appearing before him in a similar mood.
“I… placed your toys in your room.” She spoke hesitantly, keeping her eyes on the floor.
“Toys?” Tengen questioned, raising a brow.
“O-Oh!” Hayate gasped with surprise before letting down his guard. “W-Well, I was planning to get married…”
“Really?” Suma asked, surprised yet pleased.
“Yeah… her name was Yukako, and we were supposed to get married. I proposed to her, and she agreed, leading to some joyous days. We both planned to get kids, live happily, and enjoy married life together. Then, I went to the doctor… and he said that I was infertile.”
Yorumi’s ears perked up from shock once she looked up to the disappointed man, the other Uzuis sharing the same reaction.
“Meanwhile, Yukako was fertile, so it led to some… arguments between us. Eventually, she felt bad that her dream of a big family wouldn't come true, so we… split up. Even after I made the toys for her…”
Echoed by her thoughts, Yorumi stood in silence as her eyes bulged with anxiety, reminding herself of what she had done.
Again… and again… you ruined an innocent person’s life. Not only did you kill Miyu and countless others, but you ruined Hayate’s chance of having a family. You reminded him that you’re the reason his brother is gone. You reminded him that he’ll forever be alone until he keels over. Why do you always do this? Why do you always hurt people–?!
For a moment, she almost clutched her chest again before gripping it away, opening her mouth to say something, only for nothing to come out.
Come on! Say something!
“I’m sorry–” The silver-haired shinobi tried to apologize, vocalizing what Yorumi wanted to say.
“M-My parents and brother are dead… so I’m the only remaining member of my family….” Hayate continued melancholically, choking up more. “I can’t even bring back my bloodline because of my infertility…. I’m sorry, Brother…”
The cane-wielding man started to sob as he began to tumble. Before he could fall over, the Kunoichi trio immediately rushed over to hold him as he continued crying. Hearing him wail more, Yorumi started to internally panic even further, flooding herself in an ocean of guilt until she heard a cawing sound.
“Master! Master! You are needed at the Ubuyashiki Estate!”
“I… I’m sorry. I have to go.” The fuchsia-eyed girl finally responded, avoiding eye contact with the Thunder Cultivator as she slipped past him to the front door.
“Of course… good luck.” Hayate mumbled, stopping to cry for a moment.
Before leaving, the new Sound Hashira grabbed her cleavers and looked at Hayate.
“You know… even if you weren’t infertile, you would be a good father.”
“Thank you… And good luck.”
The short-haired girl nodded in response and left, running towards the Ubuyashiki Estate.
~~•~~
In the outskirts of the Uzui Estate, the Uzuis were in the forest to rest from training. After another session developing his own Breathing Style through Thunder Breathing, Tengen decided to search for a hot spring to relax with his wives. Once he found one, the silver-haired shinobi was playing in the steaming water with the Kunoichi Trio, cackling and giggling loudly.
“Makio! Stop splashing me!” The mid-length-haired kunoichi shouted impishly.
“Take this! Take that!” The blonde-banged kunoichi loudly teased.
Meanwhile, Hayate was facing away from them, leaning against a tree trunk while gripping his cane handle.
This is it. They’re vulnerable in the middle of nowhere. They don’t even have Kasugai crows. It’s my chance to avenge Miyu. It all led up to this, and I might as well die trying–
“You don’t wanna bathe too?” Yorumi abruptly asked, snapping the Thunder Cultivator back to reality.
“Huh? Oh, I’m not in the mood.” Hayate calmed himself to reply before realizing. “You too?”
The short-haired girl simply nodded her head before leaning against the tree trunk beside him.
“I see.”
“Why are we wasting time like this? Isn’t Final Selection in a few months?”
“Because your brother needs a break.”
“But you’re also training me, aren’t you?”
“Well, yes, but you do need one too.” The cane-wielding man reminded her, only to be met with a despondent face turned away from him.
“Why should I?” Yorumi rebuked.
“Because you’re a kid–”
“I’m not a kid. I’m a shinobi.”
“No, you’re…” Why are you arguing with her? She still killed people, but… she’s a child. Hayate tried to argue with both her and himself before changing his mind. “... nevermind. Just spend time with your family.”
“Why…?”
“Not everyone has that opportunity, I suppose.”
“... Fine.” Yorumi reluctantly complied, walking away to join the other Uzuis.
“Oh, there you are, Yorumi!” called Hinatsuru.
“Come on, join us!” Tengen beckoned, waving his hand as boiling water splashed on the nearby ground.
Still facing away from the family, Hayate thought in silence for a moment, his attention switching between the youngest Uzui’s previous spot beside him and the handle of his shikomizue. He gripped harder as he pondered further, contemplating the opportunity so close to him. In the end, the Thunder Cultivator loosened his grip, letting out an elongated sigh before pinching his closed eyes.
Perhaps I should wait a little longer…
~~•~~
Once Yorumi arrived at the gardens, she knelt to Amane in Kaguya’s place, stunning her a bit.
“I’m sorry if you were expecting my husband.” The white-haired woman apologized. “He’s still gravely ill, so I’m here in his stead.”
“It’s alright with me, ma’am.” Yorumi reassured politely.
“Either way, my husband wanted to tell you this mission personally, so here it is. We’ve been receiving reports of a hoard of demons occupying a specific forested area. However, the demons weren’t the only threat to our Demon Slayers…. You might be familiar with this place…”
Upon hearing that last part, the short-haired kunoichi’s jaw slightly dropped in unease. Her body shook slightly, realizing what Amane meant, a wave of chilling familiarity entering every pore on her skin. However, she knew that she was the only Hashira up to the task. Out of all of them, Yorumi knew who exactly she was dealing with.
Should I go there? Risk everything, Tengen, Suma, Makio, and Hinatsuru had worked for?
Then, she was brought back to the memories of her victims; many unknowns, the Kagis, Miyu, and now Hayate. They reminded her of her new goal: to make up for everything she and everyone back home had done.
“I accept,” the new Sound Hashira spoke before hesitantly requesting, “... b-but I’d like to ask permission to bring some people with me.”
“Who would you like to pick then?”
~~•~~
Author’s Note:
Recently, due to upcoming exams and personal matters (fortunately nothing too distressing), I kind of procrastinated while writing this chapter during my free time. I’ve also been getting more eczemas lately, but not from any allergic reaction I hope. Hopefully, the next chapter will have a shorter waiting time. Thank you for reading.
This trivia break was originally published on May 13, 2026
~~•~~
Links:
Masterlist
AO3
Wattpad
~~•~~
Other Hashira’s Opinions on Yorumi:
Giyuu Tomioka: Compared to her older brother, she’s more reserved, but I envy her ability to talk to others.
Shinobu Kocho: She can be smart if she wants to. It’s just that she’s reckless. That girl could kill herself one day.
Kyojuro Rengoku: She’s quite shy, in comparison to Tengen. Nonetheless, I’m impressed with her determination and combat skills!
Tengen Uzui: My little sister is the Goddess of Dance! Of course, she can kick ass, thanks to me!
Mitsuri Kanroji: At first, I thought she was this cool mysterious lady, but she’s quite a softie! She’s like a cute little egg!
Muichiro Tokito: She’s like a bat. She’s fast and sneaks into the shadows… who are we talking about again?
Obanai Iguro: I just hope her skills are good enough to support us. Tengen talks a big game about her.
Sanemi Shinazugawa: She’s an annoying little shit. I hate how cocky and snarky she is when I talk to her. Also, why the fuck is she encouraging her idiot boyfriend to be in the Corps?!
Gyomei Himejima: She may be inexperienced as a Hashira, but she’s efficient at her job. She seems like a good girl for Genya. I wish them both happiness in the future.
Yorumi’s Overall Openness: 65%
~~•~~
Yorumi’s Opinions on the Other Hashira:
Giyuu Tomioka: He’s pretty uninteresting. He doesn’t talk much and seems like a blank slate. I heard rumors of him smiling once when eating salmon daikon. It’s apparently terrifying to look upon.
Shinobu Kocho: She’s pretty scary even though she smiles most of the time. How come she’s nicer to the Kamado siblings but not Genya? … Am I the right person to say that?
Kyojuro Rengoku: He’s the ideal Demon Slayer. He barks as well as he bites whenever he’s on a mission. He’s loud, but it’s somehow inspiring. His little brother is cool, but I hate his father.
Tengen Uzui: He can be obnoxious at times, but he’s the only family I like. I wouldn’t replace him with the ones living right now. He’s annoying but he means well at times. He’s also talented as both a shinobi and a Demon Slayer. I wish for him and my sisters-in-law to live a long life in peace…. Please don’t tell anyone, especially him, about this.
Mitsuri Kanroji: She’s a little weird, but she has the spirit. It’s still awkward seeing Hachio occasionally.
Muichiro Tokito: That kid’s an enigma. He’s somehow one of the strongest swordsmen here and yet he keeps forgetting a lot. He also needs to teach his crow some manners. She’s a bitch.
Obanai Iguro: He’s a rude shortstack, but I can tell that he’s powerful. That snake is also as scary as him. He also has a crush on Mitsuri. I can tell by how he sounds around her, but I can see their potential of being a couple.
Sanemi Shinazugawa: I want to kick him in the balls. He’s an asshole who lacks a heart at all, but at the same time… ugh. Why is this man so confusing?! I don’t know why Genya wants to reconnect with him. What a huge dick…
Gyomei Himejima: He cries a lot, but he’s both physically and emotionally strong. I envy him in both strengths. I like visiting him and his cats, although his shakuhachi playing kinda sucks.
~~•~~
Author’s Note:
Moving forward for around four chapters, using the original fanfic as a reference, it would be a canon-divergent arc I call the New Sound Hashira Arc where Yorumi, alongside some prominent characters, go on a mission together to search for some missing Slayers. However, they were assigned somewhere familiar to the youngest Uzui which unnerves her, but she still persists for the sake of not only her role as Hashira, but also to confront her past. Thank you for reading.
I Love You, Scars and All Chapter Thirty: A Newbie
~~•~~
Chapter Additional Tags: Post Entertainment District Arc, Protective Shinazugawa Genya, Agatsuma Zenitsu is a Mess, Minor Agatsuma Zenitsu/Kamado Nezuko, Gentle Kissing, Making Out, Rough Kissing, Awkward Kissing, Flustered Shinazugawa Genya, Shinazugawa Sanemi is Bad at Feelings, Minor Iguro Obanai/Kanroji Mitsuri, Minor Shinazugawa Sanemi/Kocho Kanae, Mentioned Kocho Kanae, Minor Yushiro/Tamayo, Shinazugawa Sanemi is a Little Shit,
Chapter Thirty was originally published on May 9, 2026
~~•~~
Links:
Masterlist
AO3
Wattpad
~~•~~
The next morning, Yorumi finished preparing for her first Hashira Meeting. After her usual morning training, the youngest Uzui was dressing up with all her accessories and makeup and crafting her revised explosives, when she suddenly heard a knock on the door.
“Come in.” She yelled, cleaning up her mess on a desk.
Opening the door, Aoi entered, holding a tray with grilled tuna collar with some grated daikon, miso soup with Asari clams, a bowl of steaming rice mixed with barley, spinach ohitashi, and a cup of hojicha. Gently closing the door with her foot, she continued walking over to the desk, with Yorumi moving aside on her seat.
“I couldn’t get otoro at the market, so I got tuna cheek instead.” The blue Butterfly Girl sighed, placing the tray in front of the new Sound Hashira.
“Really?” The fuchsia-eyed girl asked skeptically.
“I mean, it’s an incredibly expensive cut. Even if I had enough money, some restaurant would’ve bought it first.” Aoi retorted.
“I see…” The short-haired girl responded, raising a brow.
“What’s that?” Genya wondered, suddenly peeking out of the doorframe.
“My breakfast.” Yorumi stoically answered with a hint of fondness, grabbing a piece of her tuna with her chopsticks. “Want some?”
Wordlessly, the half-demon nodded as he opened his mouth, allowing the new Sound Hashira to place the fish into his mouth. Once he started chewing, his expression started to distort with revulsion, slowly pausing himself.
“It tastes…”
“Tastes like what?” Yorumi wandered off-mindedly, her ears perking as she continued eating.
“I-It tastes differently than what you cook.” The younger Shinazugawa clarified stammeringly in defense.
“I mean, it's a new kind of fish I bought, so of course it’s going to taste new.” Aoi retorted, a bullet of sweat nervously sliding down one of her temples. “Why? Is it bad?”
“N-No…” Genya nervously backed off.
Meanwhile, the youngest Uzui was too busy eating her breakfast, already fueling herself for a full recovery and her following missions as the new Sound Hashira. However, it didn’t stop her from hearing the conversation intently, her ears perking at each fluctuation in tone, volume, and tempo.
~~•~~
Finally finished with her meal, Yorumi was outside the Butterfly Estate to leave. Since the Kocho sisters had already gone ahead, she had to hurry before she was the last one behind. Of course, someone as duty-driven and quick-footed as Yorumi refused to be late, especially at her first Hashira meeting. Before she could blitz her way to the Ubuyashiki Estate, two pairs of footsteps caught her attention: one stopped in the garden while the other approached her from the entrance.
“Since Kanao is already ahead of us, can I come with you??” Genya asked her, surprising Yorumi, and quickly, he stuttered. “Uh, H-Hashibami sent me a message from Himejima-san. He told me that all the Tsugukos have to wait for their Hashira after the meeting.”
“Why?” The short-haired kunoichi inquired, turning her head around. I thought it was Kanao being Kanao.
“I don’t know. He said something about missions getting more intense moving forward.”
“Can confirm!” Hashibami squawked, raising his left wing.
Right, it’s been over a century since an Upper Moon was killed. The youngest Uzui reminded herself, hearing no irregularities in their pulses or voices, before responding bluntly. “Sure, do you want me to carry you?”
“WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING?!”
“It’s quicker and besides…” Yorumi answered with a slightly teasing tone, as her arm and shoulder moved back, “let’s do it for good times’ sake.”
Blushing even harder, the scar-faced boy covered his face with his hands and nodded. Effortlessly, the new Sound Hashira carried Genya, bridal-style, as she continued sprinting away from the Butterfly Estate. As their crows followed them in the sky, Hashibami cackled to himself, while Aoi and the Caterpillar Trio were waving goodbye to her, even cheering her on.
“Bye bye!”
“Good luck!”
However, as the fuchsia-eyed girl glanced behind her, even giving a small waver, what bothered her was the fifth person who wanted to say goodbye.
Whatever. She shrugged off bitterly, rolling her eyes away
Meanwhile, the pigtailed Butterfly Girl noticed a shadow in the garden sneak back into a bigger shade. Sighing to herself, she opened the gate and approached the figure.
“I did what you told me, Zenitsu.”
“Did she like it?” He asked, rubbing his baggy eyes.
“Yeah, but Genya caught on that it tasted different than what I usually cook.” She huffed, leaning against a tree trunk alongside him.
“That’s… aaahhhh… good.” The blond replied, accidentally oscillating.
“You like Yorumi or something?” The new Insect Breathing user remarked. “Hate to break the news, but she likes Genya, and he likes her back. Pretty sure that they’re now together.”
“I know, I heard them.” The choppy-haired boy retorted regretfully. “But she’s, like, my first girl friend.”
“She dated you?” Aoi questioned doubtfully.
“Not in that way! My heart belongs to Nezuko-chan!” Zenitsu hollered back before calming down. “She’s my first friend who happens to be a girl… and I betrayed her trust.”
“Then why don’t you just say sorry to her face?”
“She’s still mad at me. You’ve known her longer than I do. You know her outbursts?”
“You’ve seen them?”
“Well, I can somewhat recall one from when she fought Upper Six. Pretty sure she scared the shit out of him.”
“Damn…” Aoi remarked, both impressed and terrified. “But still, you need to apologize to her face-to-face.”
“I know…” The blond agreed regretfully. “I just don’t know when…”
~~•~~
Later, both Genya and Yorumi arrived at the Ubuyashiki Estate. Before she entered the garden just outside the Ubuyashiki garden where most of the Hashira meetings took place, Yorumi stood in front of the door without moving an inch.
“What’s wrong?” Genya asked, standing behind her.
“Just… in disbelief.” She muttered in delayed astonishment. “Can’t believe I’m now a Hashira.”
“Well, you deserved it.” The half-demon remarked, walking to her side. “You killed an Upper Moon.”
“I had help.”
“But you and your brother did most of the work and killed one.”
“... You alright?”
“Just happy for you.” The younger Shinazugawa commented, a twinge of envy and bitterness heard at the end.
Listening intently to his tone change, Yorumi could tell that it wasn’t out of resentment towards her, but towards himself; that he couldn’t become one yet. That he couldn’t be by the short-haired kunoichi’s side. That he couldn’t be equal to his older and only brother. As Genya simmered in his self-loathing in silence, the new Sound Hashira turned around and faced in front of him, her hand caressing his right cheek. Her pinkie finger even traced where the scar on his face started as she stared into his purple eyes.
“You’ll find and kill one someday.” She softly reassured him.
As her lips inched closer, the half-demon finally closed the gap, frozen for a moment until feelings escalated. Moving backwards until a pillar blocked both of them, the new Sound Hashira’s hands were grasping onto the Breathless Tsuguko’s shoulders, while his were atop the former’s waist. For a brief moment, they slowly descended but immediately withdrew back to her midsection until they were suddenly held by the short-haired kunoichi’s hands, moving down to her hips.
“It’s fine…” Yorumi reassured him, somewhat out of breath from being flustered, placing all the trust in the world on him.
“Are you sure…?” Genya panted his question, also twitterpated as his cheeks reddened.
“Yes…”
Resuming their kissing, each soft peck and lingering smooch lasting longer, familiarizing themselves with each other’s taste. Both battle-worn and touch-starved Slayers were immersed in the moment, allowing themselves to be lovesick teenagers. For a rare moment in their lives, they found solace in one another’s company in the midst of war against the demons, not even disgusted by their own pasts; Genya, as a half-demon, and Yorumi, as a former kunoichi. For once, they were at peace together, not even noticing–
“Oi, what the fuck are you two doing here?” asked a judgmentally familiar voice.
Hearing and recognizing that voice, the duo immediately stopped kissing, with shocked eyes, and turned around, only to see Sanemi watching them. His expression looked more disgusted from witnessing two teenagers make out in public, especially at an important place like the Ubuyashiki Estate.
“Ah, Aniki–!” Genya exclaimed, embarrassed, as both he and the new Sound Hashira pulled away from each other in mortification.
“Don’t call me that after pulling that shit!” The Wind Hashira scolded him, gaining a glare from the fuchsia-eyed girl.
“Um… this is Yorumi. We’re… we’re…”
“We’re dating.” The short-haired kunoichi finished, moving to stand in front of the younger Shinazugawa defensively.
Processing what he had just heard, Sanemi kept switching his attention between Yorumi and Genya, his face wrinkling with disbelief.
“How…? Are you scared of women?”
“N-Not exactly, but she’s the exception–”
“Forget it, just go and wait with Kanao over there.” The Wind Hashira coldly dismissed, swiping his hand away.
“Oh… okay.” The half-demon slowly retreated with a solemn tone, about to walk away before looking back at the fuchsia-eyed girl. “See you, Yorumi.”
“See you, Genya…” She replied softly, unusual for the older Shinazugawa to hear from her.
As they both waved to each other, the Breathless Tsuguko moved to the other side, walking until he saw Kanao waiting patiently. Standing straight with her hands in front of her stomach, the Flower Tsuguko watched the mohawk-haired boy crouch down beside her in a fetal position, muffling his scream with both his hands. Watching him awkwardly, the side-ponytail girl leaned in a little and asked in a whisper.
“Are you alright?”
Pausing for a moment, the scar-faced boy groaned as his hands slowly slid off the tip of his nose before answering.
“I think I embarrassed myself in front of my brother…”
~~•~~
Meanwhile, Yorumi kept waving even when Genya was gone. Her face read with blissful astonishment, swallowed by the thumping in her heart, no longer suppressing it.
“I love him… I really love him.”
“Yeah, I can tell by the way you both were sucking face earlier. Hell, you’re still waving your hand to no one.” Sanemi snarked, crossing his arms.
“Still… if you’re gonna tell me to stay away from Genya, I’m afraid that I won’t do that–”
“No, quite the opposite, actually.” The scar-covered man interrupted abruptly, flabbergasting the new Sound Hashira.
What? “What do you mean by that…?
“I’m okay with you two, just tell that weakling to quit the Corps.” Sanemi bluntly specified. “You two can have a brood of kids, he can look after them at home while you’re out doing missions, win-win.”
Win-win? The youngest Uzui pondered, shocked at what he said and most of all, the genuine intent behind his request. What on Earth is wrong with him? He says this shit and belittles Genya… Why does he still want to reconnect with this guy? “I can’t.”
“What do you mean you can’t?!” The white-haired man repeated, gobsmacked.
“He worked too hard to retire for a family right now." Yorumi retaliated sternly, her eyes furrowing in a glare at him. “Besides, he’s not as weak as you say. Stop underestimating him just because he can’t do what you do.”
Heh, that mini Uzui’s got guts. He internally remarked with an annoyed smirk, with his veins popping on his forehead. “Well, he can’t really do much, so might as well let him stay with your future kids.”
“He’s not some housewife, you know.” She retorted menacingly. “At least, I’m admitting that I care for others and their interests, unlike you.”
The two Hashiras stared at each other in a standstill, too stubborn to even submit to each other’s responses. They both glared at one another in silence, the atmosphere growing tense until light skipping approached them. There, Mitsuri Kanroji was already waiting for them with excitement in her eyes.
“Hello!” She greeted them enthusiastically.
“Oh great, the idiot girl is here to greet you.” The white-haired man remarked, ignoring the pink-haired girl as he walked over to open the garden door.
“Greetings, Kanroji-san.” Yorumi responded politely, lowering her guard to bow.
“Oh dear! Please, call me Mitsuri!” The woman in braids frantically asked, shaking her hands in front of herself. “We’re already Hashira, and besides, there are two Uzuis, and you already met my little brother, so might as well be on first-basis with one another.”
“Of course, Mitsuri-san.” The short-haired kunoichi corrected herself, bowing down again as both Hashira smiled at each other.
Before she knew it, the Love Hashira had already grabbed her arm and dragged her towards the garden.
“Follow me this way!” She excitedly called. “The meeting is about to start!”
As Yorumi looked around the garden, she was hit with some sort of nostalgia. Some plants have been trimmed, replaced, or grown over time, but it was still familiar to the youngest Uzui. After all, this was where she and her family first met Kaguya after running away from their village. It was where she was introduced to their cultivator, Hayate, for better or worse. It was where her new life truly started.
Once the two girls were in front of the engawa, the rest of the Hashiras stood waiting for the Demon Slayer Corps Head to arrive. Mitsuri was already on Yorumi's right, but she noticed Giyuu beside her on the left.
“How are the Kamado siblings, Uzui-san?” The man in the mismatched haori asked faintly.
“U-Um… they’re still recovering.” The new Sound Hashira answered with a slight hesitation, surprised to hear the Water Hashira ask about someone other than his peers or a salmon daikon vendor. “Tanjiro is currently in a coma, while Nezuko is still doing checkups at night.”
“I see…”
“You know, you could’ve just asked me, Tomioka-san.” A soft, yet cheerful voice teased him.
Moving her head, the short-haired kunoichi looked over to see Shinobu poking the Water Hashira’s shoulder, with the man being unfazed.
“I wanted to ask someone closer to the two.” He stoically replied, not facing his coworker.
“I understand, but I’m the medical expert here.” The short woman recalled, some annoyance found in her voice.
“Shinobu, please don’t insult our fellow Hashira like this. What if Lord Oyakata heard you?” A booming, yet gentle voice chastised.
“Besides, you can’t blame Tomioka-san for making dumb mistakes.” Another voice hissed.
Approaching them, Gyomei and Obanai spoke to Shinobu with the bandaged Hashira groaning upon seeing Giyuu. Then he looked over to see Mitsuri beside Yorumi, his eyes furrowing a bit.
“Hi Obanai!” She gleefully greeted him.
“Hi Mitsuri….” He replied embarrassedly, his demeanor suddenly changing, and immediately faced away from her.
Damn, he’s really that soft around Mitsuri. The new Sound Hashira thought judgmentally.
Despite his shyness, the Serpent Hashira walked past the woman in braids as Kaburamaki kept on eyeing her with admiration. Even his snake couldn’t hide Obanai’s feelings towards Mitsuri as he finally reached his spot. Meanwhile, the tallest Hashira passed by to greet Yorumi.
“It’s good to see that you’ve recovered quickly, Yorumi-san. You and Uzui-san were fortunate enough to survive an encounter with an Upper Moon, alongside your companions.”
“Thank you, Himejima-san.” She replied courteously. “I’ll tell him once I get back home.”
“Also, Genya was at the Butterfly Estate, correct? Did he come with you?”
“Oh, he came with her all right.” Sanemi snarked in a passive-aggressive tone, irritating Yorumi.
God help me… The youngest Uzui hoped, resisting the urge to punch the Wind Hashira in the face as hard as she could.
Then, she noticed Muichiro Tokito while he moved away a bit to give Shinobu some space, not even acknowledging Yorumi.
“Oh hey, Tengen…” He passively greeted her.
On his shoulder, the new Sound Hashira noticed his crow Ginko at her back from jealousy. Trying to avoid the corvid’s wrath, the short-haired kunoichi turned her head away to see something shocking. In fact, all the Hashira noticed this when they saw an even more sickly Kaguya by the door. His life now hanging by a thread, his daughters were helping him as his wife helped carry him.
“Lord Oyakata–!” All the Hashiras tried to call.
“P-Please!” The Corps’ Head attempted to reassure, but was interrupted by a violent cough. “Kneel…”
Despite their callings, his orders were absolute as they simultaneously followed his request.
“I wanted my husband to lie down to rest, but… he wanted to celebrate this occasion with the rest of you.” Amane told all the Hashira solemnly.
“Still, this is a wonderful thing for us.” The Ubuyashiki head spoke weakly, yet optimistically. “Yorumi-san, thank you to you and your eldest brother for defeating one of the Upper Moons. My gratitude also extends to your sisters-in-law… Inosuke… Zenitsu… and the Kamado siblings.”
Upon hearing the duo mentioned, the short-haired kunoichi heard a tsk, a chiding remark from Sanemi, and a groan from Obanai. Of all the Hashiras, they were the most against Tanjiro and especially Nezuko.
“It has been a century since we’ve ever killed one… let alone an Upper Six. I wish your brother and his wives a long-lived retirement.” The sickly man continued praising.
“Thank you, Lord Oyakata. I’ll tell them about your gratitude after this.” Yorumi reassured politely.
As the Corps’ Head smiled back, his face clouded with worry before speaking again.
“With this in mind… we should be more attentive to demon activity. With one of the Upper Moons gone, Muzan Kibutsuji might send more demons, or even higher-ranked Upper Moons, to attack us. We must prepare for the worst to happen.”
“Right.” All the Hashira answered determinedly.
“That’s why… I brought an old family friend with us….” Kaguya said, gesturing to the people behind the door to appear.
From their footsteps and heartbeats, Yorumi could tell that they were two demons. Everyone noticed the experience and skill, but the demons lacked an echo of those sharing Muzan’s blood. They were somewhat similar to Nezuko’s and Genya’s, at least whenever the latter temporarily turned into a demon. It was almost as if they escaped Muzan’s link with them. Once they appeared, a male and a female demon appeared, protected by the house they were inside.
Despite being demons, they appeared more humanoid, as if they could hide as one. The man had pale green hair with black ends, styled in a formal haircut. He wore a grayish button-up shirt with a white Iromuji-haori and dark blue hakama pants. Despite his youthful, gentlemanly looks, the male demon has a permanent scowl on his face. In contrast, the woman had a composed face as she looked at the Hashira. She was wearing a dark purple kimono with her black hair tied up with a tama-kanzashi. Her purple eyes didn’t have any demonic pupils, but looked beautiful regardless.
Instinctively, all the Hashiras except Shinobu gripped their weapons, about to pull them out, until Kaguya raised his palm in front of them.
“This… is Tamayo… and her assistant Yushiro.” He introduced, somehow sensing their aggression in his current state. “Please don't strike our friends…. Like Nezuko, they’re free from Muzan’s influence and are here to help us defeat him.”
“But how?” Sanemi asked doubtfully. “And how should we know if we could trust them?”
“I… called them.” Shinobu answered with her head down.
“Huh?!” Sanemi and Yorumi gasped loudly.
“They were… acquaintances, no, more like coworkers of… my older sister.” The Insect Hashira continued with shame in her voice.
All the other Hashiras, except Gyomei and Muichiro, were in shock, especially from the Kocho sisters. Kanae was a kind soul; so kind for her own good that she even empathized with demons whenever she killed them. All the preceding Hashiras after her death had heard of her kindheartedness; she was like a saint to everyone, human and demon. Meanwhile, Shinobu was the complete opposite, even after her older sister’s death. She was compassionate, but sadistic and cruel to demons, so much so that she made sure her wisteria poison would bring the most agonizing death to those she stabbed.
Nonetheless, no one had expected the sisters, especially the younger Kocho, to even think about collaborating with a demon. Nezuko was somewhat of an exception, as she hadn’t eaten any humans yet and even hunted demons with her brother and his friends. Still, they knew that she, alongside the Corps members who enabled her existence, would be executed.
However, the one who took the news the hardest was Sanemi. He couldn’t believe it; he knew that the elder Kocho sister pitied demons, but never at the level where she would willingly work with them. After everything demons have put most of the Corps and Japan through, with those special eyes and heart of hers, the deceased Flower Hashira still saw humanity in them.
What is this, Kanae…? He thought to himself, shaking a bit from disbelief.
Meanwhile, Yorumi only sighed, remembering the last time she heard from Kanae.
~~•~~
“Big Sister, why are you even collaborating with them?!” shouted Shinobu.
“One of them is a medical expert and has known Muzan personally.” Kanae tried to justify calmly.
“Still, how can we trust them?! How do we–no, how do you know that she’s not lying?!” The younger Kocho yelled, passing by Yorumi and Kanao, hiding without noticing the two girls.
Sighing, the older Kocho rubbed the middle of her brow to stay calm. Meanwhile, as the two girls moved against the other wall, the short-haired girl heard the small exasperated exhale that Kanae made, unusual for her.
“She said Muzan’s full name word for word.” The Flower Hashira explained. “Every demon the Corps has tried to interrogate has always called him a moniker. ‘Our Master,’ ‘King of Demons,’ ‘that man,’ she never used those. Only Muzan Kibutsuji.”
“Still, working together with demons… that’s absurd!” Shinobu rebuked.
Working together with demons…? Yorumi thought, becoming more intrigued.
~~•~~
She could still recall eavesdropping on the Kocho sisters ‘last argument with Kanao before Kanae’s death. It intrigued her that some demons were willing to kill their creator, but the new Sound Hashira didn’t expect that Shinobu would reconnect with them. The Insect Hashira didn’t do the same for Genya, at least as far as what she could recall, but perhaps the Kamado siblings have influenced her to do so, especially when she saw a certain calico cat curl up near the pale-haired demon’s leg.
Isn’t that…? The short-haired kunoichi noticed, slowly realizing the reasons behind Tanjiro’s blood collecting. Are they here to…?
“Shinobu-san is correct.” Tamayo confirmed calmly. “I worked with her older sister a long time ago to help cure demons and find a way to reduce Muzan’s power. However, ever since… her passing, we had stopped these plans until… the Kamado siblings came.”
All the Hashira’s jaws dropped a bit, especially Yorumi’s.
“Given how strong Nezuko’s conviction was to retain her humanity… I decided to help him find a cure for his sister.” The purple-wearing demon continued. “I tasked Tanjiro to collect blood from the Twelve Kizuki, since they had the strongest intake of Muzan’s blood, to find a way to diffuse their potency. This way, I can be reassured that the cure is foolproof. After your trial with the Kamado siblings, I was contacted by Shinobu-san, and we started working together.”
“Among other things…” the short woman muttered, catching the new Sound Hashira’s attention.
“Now, Yushiro and I’ve decided to stay at the Butterfly Manor in the meantime, since we’re this close to finding a cure.”
“Why is that?” queried Obanai distrustfully.
“We now have a vial of half-demon blood.”
Upon hearing this, most of the Hashira were confused by this unfamiliar term. Meanwhile, Gyomei, Shinobu, and Yorumi were trying to keep their calm; it was Genya’s sample, but they didn’t want to put him in danger from their colleagues, especially Sanemi.
“What’s… a half-demon?” Mitsuri asked curiously.
“Half-demons are extremely rare humans who can ingest demon flesh and gain their abilities without dying.” Yushiro boorishly explained, irritating the Serpent Hashira. “However, unlike regular demons, they can turn back into a human, but it depends on how potent the demon’s flesh is. Otherwise, they’ll forever be a demon. Regardless, we’re quite lucky to find such a strong sample in our hands.”
“How did you obtain this vial…?” Yorumi questioned, pretending not to know.
“Somehow… Tanjiro was able to deliver this to Lady Tamayo among the Upper Six’s samples.” The pale-haired demon rudely answered, faltering the short-haired kunoichi’s poker face a bit. “I don’t know how, but it’s the key to helping us cure his sister.”
“And perhaps stop Muzan.” Tamayo continued, causing her assistant to blush. “Regardless of your doubts, I hope that they’ll be able to stop Muzan and cure the other demons.”
“Will that include yourselves?” Gyomei questioned.
However, all that answered was silence, with Tamayo’s face filled with doubt.
“How dare you insult Lady Tamayo–”
“I’m not yet sure,” the dark-haired demon answered, “but I understand your question. I’ve done… horrible things throughout my life as a demon, so I’m waiting until I can drag Muzan to Hell and redeem myself.”
Once he looked at his crush, Yushiro’s face went solemn, as he realized what she was talking about.
“I see… I thank you for your sacrifice… Lady Tamayo.” Kaguya feebly said as the two demons left the engawa. “Right now, I want you all to patrol your respective areas for increased demonic activity. Himejima-san and Kocho-san, please bring your Tsugukos with you.”
“Yes, Lord Oyakata.” All the Hashiras answered.
“Tsk.” The Wind Hashira muttered after hearing about the Tsugukos, irritating the short-haired kunoichi
“Good–” the Corps’ head tried to reply, but was interrupted by a cough. “Now, the meeting is finished.”
Afterwards, the Hashira had to watch their leader being assisted by his family inside the house. Once they were gone, Obanai looked at Yorumi.
“Oi, make sure you catch up with the rest of us. You’re the newbie here.”
“I promise that, Iguro-san.” The new Sound Hashira answered with a serious face. “After all, I’ve had my share of experience.”
~~•~~
Author’s Note:
Right now, the next “chapter” would just be trivia-based, similar to the Hashiras’ opinions on one another in the Second Fanbook. I’ve also been working on exam reviewers and academic projects that the following “chapter” would be lighter before I get into the heavier stuff. Afterwards, I need to really re-edit a fanfic-only arc from the original fanfiction, due to new changes written here and planned for. Thank you for reading.
I Love You, Scars and All Chapter Twenty-Nine: Recovery
~~•~~
Chapter Additional Tags: Post Entertainment District Arc, Protective Uzui Tengen, Parental Uzui Tengen, Protective Shinazugawa Genya, Hurt and Comfort, Demon Slayer Kanzaki Aoi,
Chapter Content Warnings: Blood and Gore, Profanity, Self-Worth Issues, Past References to Domestic Abuse, Shinazugawa Genya Swears, Past References to Sexual Assault, Victim Blaming, Past References to Childhood Sexual Abuse,
Content featuring the following tags (Past References to Sexual Assault, Victim Blaming, Past References to Childhood Sexual Abuse, Repressed Memories) will start and end with (~~X~~) for those uncomfortable with these subjects.
~~•~~
Chapter Twenty-Nine was originally published on April 12, 2026
~~•~~
Links:
Masterlist
AO3
Wattpad
~~•~~
Meanwhile, back at the extremely hidden Ubuyashiki household, the patriarch Kaguya had just heard the news from his messenger crows. He was in his futon with bandages all over his body, leaving him weaker, wearing his night yukata. Slight blood poured out of his mouth from coughing. The scar on his face had also grown so strong that it blinded his vision and was even growing to his neck and arms. At this rate, he was inches away from death.
The curse haunting the men of the Ubuyashiki family was nearing him. He was going to die as all of his ancestors had ever since the Heian period. Kaguya’s last hope now was to kill the root of the disease: Muzan Kibutsuji, his distant ancestor. His family had founded the Corps to defeat Muzan and all the demons. It seemed hopeless with several Hashira deaths across the centuries, barely scratching on the Upper Moons, six of Muzan’s strongest demons. Well, that was until the Upper Six siblings were killed.
“Oh my! They’ve defeated an Upper Moon!” Kaguya exclaimed with what little strength he had. “Congratulations, Tengen, Yorumi… Hinatsuru, Suma, Makio… Tanjiro, Nezuko… Zenitsu… and Inosuke.”
He started to cough violently, alerting his wife, Amane, to aid him.
“Lord Kaguya!” She cried worriedly, holding his back.
“A hundred years! The balance that hasn’t shifted for a hundred years has just tipped!” He muttered before looking at his wife. “Amane…”
“Yes?”
“Do you understand? This is an omen! Fate’s starting to move! And these waves will spread. They’ll rock this world and change it. And eventually, they’ll reach him…” He spoke, facing the engawa despite his blindness. “Muzan Kibutsuji! We’ll defeat you in this generation! You! The only stain on our clan!”
Suddenly, he coughed even more violently again, scaring Amane and his children.
“Father!”
“Father!”
“Boil some water, children!” Amane directed them. “Then bring medicine and towels! Hurry!”
~~•~~
Sometime later, the sun had already risen in the Yoshiwara district. Now that the Upper Six siblings were slain, the crows were loudly announcing Yorumi becoming a Hashira, while the Kakushi were investigating the damage below. A particular member named Goto had noticed Kamaboko Gonpachiro gang cuddling together, exhausted out of their minds as the other members rushed in to carry them. He already knew about them, especially since he brought Tanjiro to the Hashira Meeting.
They’re such good friends!
Meanwhile, he looked over to see Tengen leaning onto his three wives’ shoulders as they walked.
“Agh! Ow! This is irritating!” He muttered in pain, seething through his teeth.
Despite his injured state, he was still durable enough to continue moving, scaring the Kakushi a bit.
“He… he’s standing! Scary!” whispered one of the observers.
“Crazy, isn’t it? With those injuries!”
Then, they noticed a certain scar-faced Slayer carrying a tired, short-haired kunoichi in his arms. The Kakushi knew about Genya for being temperamental and impatient, but it was strange to see him being soft around girls, especially Yorumi. Puberty must have taken a huge toll on him.
“Sir, please. Let us carry her.” One of the Kakushi offered.
“No.” The half-demon replied menacingly, scaring the member away. “Now, back off. She’s sleeping.”
“Gen…” The youngest Uzui sleep-talked, still leaning against his chest.
Still frightened, the Kakushi moved away from Genya as he continued to carry Yorumi towards the Butterfly Manor. Meanwhile, the rest of Uzuis looked back, observing the couple together. They noticed how delicate he was with the short-haired kunoichi he was carrying. He wasn’t using the opportunity to grope her sleeping body while making sure he wasn’t accidentally hurting her more.
“He would make a good brother-in-law…” Tengen remarked.
“Yeah…” the Kunoichi Trio agreed simultaneously.
As they continued walking, many Kakushi members were helping repair the damage done to Yoshiwara. Since katanas were banned ever since the Meiji era, the Corps disguised themselves as a construction company, so that they could easily and quickly rebuild the damage caused by demons without arousing suspicion or allowing civilian construction companies from potentially being harmed. Hopefully, Yoshiwara will soon be free from demons who wish suffering on the district.
~~•~~
Once the group arrived at the Butterfly Manor, Tengen shuddered from what he saw at the gate.
“Girls, we need to run.”
“But why?” Hinatsuru innocently asked.
“We’re at the Butterfly Estate. We can now get you and Yorumi to recover.” Suma backed up until they realized what their husband saw.
At the gate, an angry Shinobi was standing in front of them. Tengen knew that Shinobi had learned about what he and Yorumi had done during their previous visit. At that moment, he regretted attempting to kidnap the Butterfly Girls for the Yoshiwara mission.
“Good morning, Uzui-san…” the Insect Hashira greeted in a passive-aggressive tone, with veins popping out of her forehead.
“H-Hey, Shinobu-san…!” The former Sound Hashira tried to greet back, terrified of the consequences.
“Lord Tengen, what’s going on…?” Makio sternly queried, noticing that something was wrong. “What did you do?”
“Well… your husband and sister-in-law tried to kidnap my girls for some mission.” The Insect Hashira explained, shocking the Kunoichi Trio.
“LORD TENGEN!! YORUMI!!”
“H-Huh?!” The new Sound Hashira muttered out, finally waking up.
Before she could fully awaken, the short woman zipped towards them and bonked both Uzui siblings’ heads hard.
“OW!” They both cried out in pain.
“MY BONES!” The fuchsia-eyed girl yelped.
“Next time you two want to get my girls, you have to go through me.” She threatened with a pleasant voice.
“Yes, ma’am…” Both Yorumi and Tengen responded.
“Apologies for their behavior, Shinobu-san.” Hinatsuru tried to apologize on behalf of her husband and sister-in-law. “They already went through enough, so can we please go inside?”
“They were reckless, of course…” Suma added.
“Tengen dragged me into it.”
“Hey!”
“But they’ve learned their lesson. Tengen is retiring with one less eye and hand. Yorumi has… broken most of her bones. You can just punish them after they recover. Right now, they need rest.”
Sighing to herself, seeing reason, the butterfly-adorned woman obliged and let the Uzuis and Genya inside. Once he was in the hallway, the younger Shinazugawa searched for a private ward for Yorumi to help her rest without disturbance. Passing by one of them, Zenitsu noticed the half-demon carrying the new Sound Hashira.
Is that the shrimp from Final Selection?! The blonde thought in utter astonishment, wondering how on Earth he had gotten so much taller than the last time he saw him.
However, the most surprising part for him was the youngest Uzui leaning against his chest, as if she was comfortable being vulnerable around him. As if he will never betray her trust.
He’s not even stomping. He must really care about her. The Thunder Breathing user noted, no longer in shock but instead filled with a pit in his stomach.
Not jealousy from desiring Yorumi’s affections, but regret for what he did to Yorumi. Back then, the choppy-haired boy was concerned for the short-haired kunoichi, but it still hurt her. Should he have respected her wishes? Should he have comforted her more instead, at least consoled her more? Now, he was left with distance from the new Sound Hashira, the first girl he had befriended.
~~•~~
Finally, in a private ward, Genya had carefully laid Yorumi atop her bed, adjusting her pillow until she saw fit.
“Yeah, that’s good enough…” She answered groggily, finally letting herself relax in years.
“Are you comfortable?” The Breathless Slayer calmly questioned, as he put the bedsheets atop her body, even lifting her arms to lay atop the blankets.
“Yes…”
“But are you alright…?” He added, concernedly.
“Well, most of my bones are destroyed, so no.”
“Not physically, I mean, argh!” Genya tried to correct him, frustratedly. “I mean, how are you really?”
“… I don’t know.” Yorumi answered out of conflict, just staring at anything but his purple eyes, before halfheartedly listing down what happened to her. “There was the whole explosion, the fire, breaking most of my bones after being bitten and poisoned, almost getting eaten, being choked, having an abacus thrown at me—“
~~X~~
Before she could finish her sentence, an intrusive memory entered her mind, causing goosebumps to form on her shoulders and collarbones.
Fuck. Why can’t I forget that?
Then, another shiver ran down her spine as her skin horripilated more. Her pupils dilated further before she forcefully shook her head, snubbing that older memory before it could resurface.
~~X~~
“Yorumi?”
“I… need to tell you something.” The new Sound Hashira wearily replied, distracting herself.
Before the youngest Uzui knew it, the half-demon moved closer and wiped away tears teetering at the corners of her eyes.
“Okay, what is it…?”
“Shinobu-san told me something she found about Koigakubo-san…” Yorumi specified tiredly. “I forgot to tell you everything about the Upper Moons and research about them, but… he was apparently an asshole who got himself killed by Upper Moon One.”
“I know.”
“Huh?”
“Shinobu-san also told me, but I don’t care. I will still get stronger and hunt them down, just… with Himejima-san… and you by my side.”
“Really…?
“Just… tell me the rest when you’re ready.”
Slightly nodding, a blush formed across the fuchsia-eyed girl's face before she drifted back to sleep. Looking after her, the scar-faced Slayer tucked a wild strand out of her face, waiting until he was called for a mission.
~~•~~
A few weeks later, Yorumi was leaning onto Kanao for support, her body relearning how to walk and move again. Due to the severity of her injuries, Tengen and the Kunoichi Trio had already returned home, while she had to stay to recover.
“I’m surprised with how quickly you were able to recover so far.”
“Growing up, I had to drink a lot of medicine so that I could attend as many missions as soon as possible.” The new Sound Hashira casually mentioned. “It still hurts, but they’re still healing.”
While she was looking around from the engawa, the youngest Uzui noticed something particular outside.
“Kanao, what’s Aoi doing?” She asked curiously.
“Oh.” The side ponytailed girl noted, assisting Yorumi out of the building to the backyard.
From the yard, she noticed Aoi holding a Nichirin blade. However, the color was lavender-blue, with most of the sword missing, only leaving behind a needle-like tip. While the other recovering Slayers were busy exercising, the pigtailed Butterfly girl was practicing her new Breathing Style on an almost destroyed bamboo dummy. The Caterpillar Trio was also there, cheering her on as they were cleaning up other destroyed mannequins.
“You can do it, Aoi!” shouted Sumi excitedly.
“Come on, beat it up!” Kiyo encouraged loudly.
“Aoi! Aoi!” Naho motivated her senior.
Taking a deep breath, Aoi had collected her thoughts. She gripped her sword’s handle tightly, decorated with a blue hollyhock tsuba. Then, the blue-eyed Butterfly Girl raised her blade and charged towards her target.
Insect Breathing Dance of the Dragonfly: Compound Eye Hexagon!
At once, the dummy had crumbled into pieces as her sword bent across its body. When all the pieces fell to the ground, the Caterpillar Girls clapped their hands excitedly as Aoi wiped her forehead.
“Oh, she started training once you guys left for Yoshiwara.” Kanao answered.
Putting her new sword away, she noticed Yorumi and the Flower Tsuguko outside watching her.
“Oh, hey there, Yorumi.” The pigtailed Butterfly Girl greeted, a little shocked to see the Sound Tsuguko observe her training.
“H-Hey, Aoi.” The youngest Uzui replied, surprised at what she saw. “It’s… been a while since I’ve seen you practice. It isn’t your Water Breathing, but it’s good to see you practice a Breathing Style again. It’s been so long. What caused you to pick up the sword again?”
“Well…” Aoi tried to explain shyly, walking towards them, “... I was motivated by your brother…”
“Ah…” Yorumi gasped, moving her head downwards in forgiveness. “I’m… sorry for what he said. My brother’s an insensitive idiot at times.”
“She doesn’t look useful, but she’s basically a Corps member.”
“The Demon Slayer Corps is getting weaker because of new members like you who just rattle on like that.”
“It’s… fine.” Aoi shrugged off, still a little hurt. “Shinobu-san and your sisters-in-law had already forced an apology from him, but he’s kind of right. I… needed to do something to help the Corps. Although I would help Slayers recover here, most of them would die in the field, like you and the others with your recent mission. My blade couldn’t even change into blue once I received my sword before…”
Yorumi could hear the sincerity in her voice, slowly growing empathetic. The blue Butterfly Girl was usually brash towards others, but when she’s truly being honest, she truly shines. Snapping back, Aoi went back to her feisty personality.
“B-Besides, we can’t always depend on those slow Kakushi!” The pigtailed Butterfly spat out, stutteringly dismissing her previously bruised ego. “I can be someone in the field who can heal and fight at the same time! It’s time for those demons to pay, now that we defeated one of their strongest members!”
“Yeah, I’m glad for you, Aoi.”
The Butterfly Girl in blue chuckled before degrading herself.
“Still, I’m quite rusty, and besides, I changed Breathing Styles–”
“Still, it sounded like it used to when you would practice before your Final Selection.” The youngest Uzui noted that her tone sounded more fond. “I bet you can make Insect Breathing capable of both poisoning and decapitating demons.”
“Really?!”
The short-haired kunoichi nodded as the pigtailed girl kept pointing at herself, still doubtful that someone like Yorumi would say that to her. Now confirmed, the new Insect Breathing user couldn’t help but sigh.
“Thank you, Yorumi.”
“You’re welcome.” The fuchsia-eyed kunoichi replied as Aoi ran back to train more.
~~•~~
Six weeks had passed, and Yorumi had finally recovered and could move normally. Now that all her bones had fully healed, she started training as soon as she could walk, both through exercise and swordsmanship. Wasting no time to regain her strength, especially with a Hashira meeting approaching, now that she was the new Sound Hashira, the youngest Uzui had to prove that she deserved the title. To do that, the short-haired kunoichi approached Genya, who had just finished his regular checkup with Shinobu.
“Hey.” Yorumi greeted him stoically.
“H-Hey…”
“Do you wanna spar… for old times’ sake?” She asked out of the blue, sideglancing at him. “I just want to train, and it’s been a while–”
“Of course.” He immediately answered, surprising the fuchsia-eyed girl. “You have my support. So what kind?”
Flattered by his response with a faint blush across her cheeks, Yorumi walked beside them as they entered the Butterfly Estate’s training room, her head leaning against his shoulder. Noticing Kanao inside, the new Sound Hashira called her over and asked.
“Oh hey, Kanao.” Yorumi greeted. “Is it okay if you could facilitate a sparring match between me and Genya?”
“Okay then.” She agreed softly, already heading to the middle of the room.
“Are you sure you want this, Yorumi?” Genya asked, worried for her safety. “I mean, you just recovered, and you’re going to have your first meeting tomorrow.”
“It’s fine,” Yorumi reassured, stretching herself more, “I know I’ll be fine because I’m with you.”
Instantly getting flustered, the scar-faced Slayer quickly turned away to cover his blush-ridden face.
“Fine… ” The half-demon answered, his voice muffled by his mouth covering his mouth.
Now standing on opposite sides of the room, Kanao carried a pocket watch to measure the time.
“To make things easier…”
“Hey!” Genya shouted while offended, a little embarrassed.
“The winner will be the person who takes their opponent down until the time is up. Ready… set… go!”
Immediately, the fuchsia-eyed girl disappeared in the blink of an eye, disorienting Genya once he was in the middle of the room. Before he knew it, the youngest Uzui was right in front of him, elbow-shoving him in the stomach. As he fell to the floor, Yorumi was about to lean over him, only for the scar-faced Slayer to hold onto the ground and boost his legs to do a kick-up. Once she was kicked in the stomach, the new Sound Hashira was on the floor, while Genya was back standing on his two feet.
“Nice move.” She complimented bluntly, with a deadpanned tone.
“Thanks.” He replied, trying not to get flustered at that moment.
Smirking to herself, Yorumi tried to kick at the right side of Genya’s head with a hook kick. However, the wind resistance against his mohawk made the man react faster, dodging the attack and grabbing her foot. Using his free arm, the tall Slayer grabbed her by the waist and slammed her onto the floor. Once he leaned on top of her, Yorumi was pinned down by him when Kanao yelled out.
“Time’s up!”
“Good work.” She stoically complimented with a slight smile, raising her torso upwards.
“Th-Thanks, uh, Yorumi.” He replied shyly, moving back from her.
“Yorumi?” muttered a familiar voice, watching outside.
~~X~~
Immediately alarmed, Yorumi’s eyes widened and looked at where the sound was coming from, only to see Zenitsu at the dojo entrance. He was peeking over, looking shy but even more worried upon seeing the youngest Uzui’s reaction towards him. Now with her mood ruined, her brows furrowed as her grin shifted downwards.
“Look, I can explain–” The blond continued hurriedly.
“Don’t.” The new Sound Hashira threatened defensively, her hair seemingly flowing upwards like a ghost.
“I was worried about you–”
“Then you should’ve let me handle it.” She retorted coldly, now suddenly in front of him, with her eyes glaring at him.
“What do you mean by that…?” Genya asked curiously.
“It’s nothing.”
“But it wasn’t, and I got carried away. It’s ”
“Carried away?”
“You were in danger and I got concerned for you as a friend–”
“As a friend? Were we friends? You only knew me for two days, and suddenly you know everything about me?” Yorumi questioned unwelcomingly, intimidating the blond into silent submission. “Now, move.”
Still irritated, her shoulder bumped into Zenitsu before she rushed back to her ward, the latter turning his head to her regretfully.
“Yorumi!” The mohawk-haired boy called, immediately chasing after her.
“Wait–!”
“Fuck off!” The mohawk-haired Slayer yelled back at the choppy-haired boy, suddenly punching him in the stomach.
“OW!”
“Yorumi?! YORUMI?!”
~~•~~
Now in front of Yorumi’s private ward, Genya kept knocking on the locked door, worried about the short-haired girl.
“Yorumi? Yorumi?” He asked worriedly, rapidly repeating with each attempt.
“I’m just changing.” She answered from the other side of the door in a forlorn tone. “I just got my new uniform."
“I know, but…” The half-demon tried forming his statement to the new Sound Hashira, struggling to say the right words as he leaned against the door on his back. “Can we talk? We could do it like this… just please… tell me.”
With a heavy, elongated sigh, Yorumi propped against the door from the other side, still changing before speaking.
“Fine… I was with some creep, and my body just… reacted and scared him off. Like it was just meant for cover, but… I couldn’t handle it. Nothing happened, of course, but… it still scared me.” The short-haired kunoichi answered bitterly, pausing for an uncomfortable moment before immediately shrugging it off. “When I saw Zenitsu after that, he got worried and asked if we could report it to Tengen. I said no because it would derail the mission, so he went behind my back and tattled to him the next day.”
“Are you… still okay?” Genya asked concerningly, not knowing what to say after hearing that.
“Yes? No? I should be fine, but… ugh. It’s so confusing!”
“Is that a no…?”
“No! Why? Are you siding with him?”
“I’m worried about you… But I’m with you.” He reassured her, finally calming his nerves as he turned away to face the door.
~~X~~
Before he knew it, the fuchsia-eyed girl had unlocked and opened the door, revealing her new uniform. She looked too similar to her casual look, only with a few slight changes. Like all the other Hashiras, the buttons of her top and pants are golden. Meanwhile, her nails were sloppily painted with orange, gold, and teal, some of it even overlapping with her hangnails. The duo stared at each other awkwardly; Yorumi not knowing how to react to Genya’s declaration, while the Breathless Tsuguko was in awe of her slightly new appearance.
“... How do I look?” She finally asked out of the blue, moving away to enter.
“You look…” The scar-faced boy suddenly paused, noticing the healed bite mark on her exposed shoulder; each tooth mark was large and jagged. “Holy shit, Upper Six really did that to you…?”
“Yep, should I cover it up?”
“Well, maybe? I-If you want to! Unless you– Fuck! I mean…” He corrected himself flusteredly, his thoughts faster than his mouth. “A lot of people have scars all over them. Me, Himejima-san, my brother for crying out loud… I don’t care if you cover it up. As long as you’re still… Yorumi.”
Realizing how sentimental his answer was, both the new Sound Hashira and the Breathless Tsuguko blushed, fidgeting until the former was suddenly in front of him.
“Thank you.”
With their faces inches closer, they stopped themselves from moving, with only deep breaths separating them. Finally speaking out, Genya stopped himself, as his cheeks colored red, embarrassed from the intimate proximity.
“Are you sure?”
“If you want to…” She uncharacteristically shyly replied.
Before they knew it, as their Kasugai crows perched on the nearby windowsill, the two of them touched lips, savoring that moment frozen in time. Once they pulled away from one another, both were out of breath from astonishment and elation, more so on Genya’s end.
“You… taste good.” He commented euphorically.
“I… got myself some watermelon lipstick because I liked the shade and taste… and it reminded me of you.” The youngest Uzui embarrassedly confessed.
With a gentle hold on her cheek, the scar-faced boy looked to her in the eyes, admiring its fuchsia color as if it were the rarest silk in all the country before tenderly asking.
“Can we… kiss some more…?”
Processing his sudden boldness, Yorumi couldn’t help but chuckle at Genya’s out-of-the-blue question, blushing severely as her heart felt the hardest thump she had ever experienced yet.
"Sure..." She finally replied, embracing all the romance she had unknowingly and eventually knowingly desired.
~~•~~
Author’s Note:
Apologies for the late upload. I had to prioritize some notetaking and schoolwork because I was assigned with lots of advanced reading. Not only that, but I got myself the new Tomodachi Life game, so I’ve been mostly playing it in my free time to unwind from work and the world basically burning down. With exams approaching, I’m sorry if the next chapter will take longer than this one. With this in mind, I hope that I will be able to manage my term properly with some of my courses ending around the mid-semester. Thank you for reading.
I Love You, Scars and All Chapter Twenty-Eight: Yorumi Uzui, the Goddess of Dance
~~•~~
Chapter Additional Tags: Entertainment District Arc, Protective Uzui Tengen, Parental Uzui Tengen, Uzui Tengen Needs a Hug, Protective Kamado Tanjirou, Kamado Tanjirou is a Good Friend, Hashibira Inosuke Being Hashibira Inosuke, Iguro Obanai Being an Asshole, Agatsuma Zenitsu is a Mess, Kamado Tanjirou is a Ray of Sunshine, Flustered Shinazugawa Genya, Minor Iguro Obanai/Kanroji Mitsuri,
Chapter Content Warnings: Blood and Gore, Profanity, Self-Worth Issues, Past References to Domestic Abuse, Major Character Death, Shinazugawa Genya Swears,
~~•~~
Chapter Twenty-Eight was originally published on April 12, 2026
~~•~~
Links:
Masterlist
AO3
Wattpad
~~•~~
Yorumi opened her eyes, and all she could see was a haze around her. However, she could feel something lifting her head, as if she were lying on a pillow. Her pupils moved upwards to see that she was resting on top of a woman’s lap. The lady has long, raven locks overflowing over her shoulders. There were bags under her eyes as if she hadn’t slept in hours. However, her eyes were red, with a face similar to Yorumi's. Peering below, she could see two other women; one with light blue eyes and the other with yellow eyes. The youngest Uzui couldn’t believe it; those three shouldn’t be here.
Wait… how are they here…?!
“Well, well, well. Turns out all your kids aren’t complete fuckups, huh, Yumi?” sarcastically mocked Hinata, crossing her arms.
“Wow, who could’ve known that your little overbaked surprise was as strong as your eldest?” Natsuki bemoaned exaggeratedly.
Shut the fuck up, why won’t you? “Wh…What happened?”
“We died, genius.”
“I can tell by the dark void we’re in, but how and when? A mission? An ambush? A fire?”
“We were killed by your brother.” Yumi finally, and bluntly answered, shocking Yorumi. “Right now, he’s probably leading all of the clans back home under his thumb.”
What?! Kirisame?! “What happened to Fa– Arashi…?”
“We don’t know, we haven’t seen him in Hell yet.” Natsuki shrugged off with her shoulders. “He could be alive, but Kirisame beat him up a lot, so I don’t know what happened to him.”
“Why are you three talking to me?” The short-haired kunoichi questioned, anger slowly rising. “All you did was side with Arashi, mock our misery, and do nothing to protect us. Now look! Your kids are dead because of some childish competition you enforced on us to get a leg up on one another! You’re the adults here! You’re–!”
“We know.” Her biological mother solemnly admitted with her co-wives, suddenly in a similar, ashamed mood. “We were so caught up in our miserable marriage that we didn’t consider the collateral.”
Before they knew it, fire started to spread around them with the Uzui wives unfazed by the phenomenon, only sighing with acceptance.
“Ah… I guess sinners can’t have too much time with their daughters….” Hinata bemoaned.
“Since when did you consider me as a daughter?”
“Well, we’re still family, I suppose.” Natsuki dismissed, going first into the flames without a single burn.
“As expected of a kunoichi, we’ve killed people and now have to pay the price for it….” Yumi answered softly before looking down on her youngest daughter. “Please, Yorumi, do enough kindness to avoid ending up like us…”
“But wait– what exactly happened–?!”
Before Yorumi could finish her question, the flames of Hell engulfed the two, preventing a response towards her mother. Her eyes began to close once the fire grew bigger.
~~•~~
“M-Mother…?” The short-haired kunoichi finally muttered as she opened her eyes.
Once her vision cleared, she saw Nezuko instead of her mothers. The demon girl had a green rope over her mouth to replace her bamboo muzzle. Looking even upwards, the fuchsia-eyed girl noticed the moon getting closer towards the western horizon, realizing how much time had passed. She looked beside her to see that Tanjiro had woken up before her, glancing at her.
Once the Sound Tsuguko and the earring-wearing Slayer got up, they stopped for a moment, questioning how their bodies were no longer poisoned. Yorumi could still feel her limbs aching from her broken bones, but she could no longer sense the poison in her veins.
“Tanjirooo! Yorumiii!” cried out a familiar, whiny voice.
“Zenitsu?” muttered Yorumi before Nezuko carried her brother over her back.
Using her strength, the Kamado sister had easily lifted her older brother from the ground.
“Hm!” She offered to carry Yorumi as well.
“Oh!” The short-haired kunoichi gasped. “It’s fine. I still have enough energy to walk around. Just continue carrying your brother. I’ll be fine.”
Ignoring her, Nezuko offered Yorumi her shoulder for the Sound Tsuguko to hold. She sighed as she finally accepted her offer, making the demon girl happy. As they walked through what remained of the red-light district, they saw the blond finally awake with tears and snot all over his face.
“I woke up, and my whole body hurts! Are my feet broken? What the heck happened?!” Zenitsu sobbed, ignorant of what he did throughout the fight. “Who did this to me?! It hurts! I’m too scared to look–! Yorumi–!”
Before the Thunder Breathing user could hug the short-haired kunoichi, she immediately stepped away from him, discomforted by his shamelessness. At first, the blond was confused by the Sound Tsuguko’s sudden aversion towards him, since the last time they interacted was on mutual terms. However, he then realized that she most likely learned what he did before that.
“Um, Yorumi, uh, what about you—?”
“You look fine, you crybaby.” Yorumi abruptly dismissed with her blunt face and crossed arms, shrugging off most of the broken bones in her body.
In response, Zenitsu couldn’t help but let out a muffled grunt, hearing passive-aggressiveness in her tone. Meanwhile, ignoring the awkward tension, Nezuko simply hugged with relief that the choppy-haired boy was exhausted but alive.
“We’re still injured, but Inosuke is probably even worse!” The redhead said, worried about the poison and injury in the boar-head’s heart.
Then, the green-clad Slayer noticed the loudmouth’s legs on top of some rubble. With Nezuko’s help, they rushed over to Inosuke’s side as Tanjiro got off his sister to help his friend.
“Inosuke! Inosuke!” yelled the earring-wearing boy worriedly. “Hang in there!”
However, Yorumi could only hear a weakening heartbeat from the shirtless Slayer, forewarning the Sound Tsuguko about his upcoming death. With urgency approaching, the youngest Uzui went through all of the hidden pouches in her obi, searching for any medicine to heal Inosuke, but to no avail.
Shit! Where is it?! Did I use all of it?! I could’ve sworn—!
Nonchalantly, Nezuko raised her hand towards the boar-head, as his body combusted into pink flames. As the fire burned brighter, the poison that colored his veins started to fade as Inosuke started to yell.
“I’m hungry! Feed me!”
“Inosuke!” The redhead cheered excitedly, hugging him immediately.
Despite the happy scene unraveling in front, the short-haired kunoichi realized something upon witnessing; her brother was still dying from poisoning.
Tengen!
Ignoring the pain of her broken bones, Yorumi suddenly pried and dragged both the Kamado siblings away from the shirtless Slayer.
“Y-Yorumi?!” Tanjiro exclaimed with surprise.
With her heart racing with crippling anxiety, she kept searching for her eldest brother, hoping that he was still alive. As if on cue, she finally heard someone familiar: Suma’s crying. Immediately rushing over to where the sound was coming from, Yorumi finally found Tengen surrounded by his wives with only a few moments of his life left. His body was bandaged, including his missing eye and hand, but the poisoned blotches on his skin grew bigger.
“Big Brother…” She muttered, tears beginning to build up.
“We won! We all survived!” The blue-eyed kunoichi sobbed loudly, shaking him.
“What shall we do about that demon poison?” Makio panicked, searching through her remaining medicine. “Our antidote isn’t working!”
“This is awful, God…” sighed Hinatsuru, shedding a tear from how hopeless it seemed.
“I want to share with you my final words–” Tengen tried to speak.
“BIG BROTHER!” cried out Yorumi, catching everyone’s attention.
Surprised by the sudden noise, the Uzui family looked at their youngest member, her face failing to stay calm, with her quivering lips to her reddened nose and cheeks. Tears edged themselves at the corners of her eyes, an unusual sight for everyone but Tengen. He had never seen his youngest sister like this in years, only when she was a little girl. Desperate to save her eldest brother, Yorumi went to her knees as her bones cracked and were damaged further, scaring everyone else.
Ignoring their reactions, she tugged on the skirt of Nezuko’s kimono, both her shoulders and fingers trembling despite all attempts to stay still.
“P-Please… Nezuko Kamado…” begged the Sound Tsuguko, her voice quivering a little. “Please save… my Big Brother… I want him to live… a normal life… with my sisters-in-law…. He suffered greatly… and I don’t want him to die after fighting for our lives…. Please….”
Looking down at the short-haired kunoichi kneeling, the muzzled girl couldn’t help but pity Yorumi, seeing glimpses of her dead younger siblings in her place. Brief memories of herself playing with them under the spring blossoms, sleeping under the summer sun, hugging against the autumn breeze, and lying down on the winter snow rolled in her head, warming her heart. Although Nezuko didn’t remember much about her life as a human, she sympathized with the Sound Tsuguko’s plea.
Complying with determined eyes, the Kamado sister went over to Tengen’s dying body and combusted him into pink flames.
“HUH?!” screamed out the Kunoichi Trio, confused and shocked at the hemp-patterned sister using her Blood Demon Art.
“GYAAAH!” shouted Suma, pulling Nezuko away from her husband.
“Suma, wait!” Yorumi called out, her tone rising somewhat aggressively. “She’s healing him!”
“Healing?! That’s cremation!” The blue-eyed kunoichi yelled back, shaking the muzzled girl’s shoulders angrily. “WHY?!!?!”
“Wait!” Tengen cried out, the flames surrounding him dispersing without leaving a single burn.
Instead, his skin went back to normal with no signs of poisoning, exciting the Sound Hashira as he touched his face.
“What’s the meaning of this? The poison is gone!”
Overwhelmed with shock and relief, the Kunoichi Trio and Yorumi rushed over to Tengen’s side to hug him, crying joyfully.
“The wounds are still here, but Nezuko burned away the poison…” The youngest Uzui sobbed, her tears finally flowing down her cheeks.
Wiping the Sound Tsuguko’s cheeks with his finger, the silver-haired shinobi couldn’t help but feel pride for her. Their family had forced multiple children, including her, to become stone-cold soldiers as soon as they were born. Tengen was thankfully old and mature enough to grow out of this mindset, but his younger siblings weren’t. Kirisame was fully indoctrinated within his clan’s beliefs, while Yorumi was slowly being consumed by it, not helped by the fact that she was considered a failure in the eyes of the clan. Now, after years of suppression, his youngest sister was free to be her own person.
“Thank you, Kamado siblings…” the fuchsia-eyed girl thanked tearfully, trying to compose herself to face them.
“Thank you…” sobbed Suma, nuzzling her cheek against her husband’s broad shoulder.
“But really,” Tengen worried for Tanjiro, “our wounds haven’t healed, so it’s best that we finally rest.”
“I know, but I need to look for those demons’ heads.” The redhead rebuked back. “We can’t rest until I can truly confirm they’re dead.”
“I’ll accompany him and make sure that those monsters will stay in Hell.” Yorumi looked back at her eldest brother and tried to reassure him.
In response, the silver-haired shinobi sighed and nodded his head, prompting his Tsuguko to follow the Kamado siblings. Nezuko continued to carry Tanjiro on her back as the latter used his sensitive nose to sniff out the Upper Six siblings’ blood. Then, his nose perked up to a stench coming from some debris.
“Over there, Nezuko! Yorumi!” The green-clad Slayer cried out, pointing at a puddle of blood. “I smell their blood!”
Once they arrived, Tanjiro could tell that it was Daki’s and Gyutaro’s blood mixed from the explosion. Grabbing a needle out of his pocket, he sucked out the blood until the vial was full.
“Which one is Gyutaro’s?” Yorumi asked curiously, grabbing her own syringe.
“Oh, it’s that one.” The earring-wearing Slayer answered, pointing to the area near some broken shoji doors.
Kneeling down to siphon it, the Sound Tsuguko heard the faint pawprints approaching her, only to look back to see a calico cat wearing a little collar with a chest at the front.
“Oh! Hello there….” The short-haired kunoichi greeted the feline, patting their back gently.
“Oh, it’s you!” Tanjiro called out cheerfully, familiarity found in his voice.
He then opened the chest in the cat’s collar, putting the sample inside before closing it. As the strange animal ran away, Yorumi could hear an argument from far away. The first voice was childishly whiny, while the other was annoyingly raspy, both unfortunately recognizable to the Sound Tsuguko.
“You’ve got to be kidding me….” She groaned irritably.
“What happened?” Tanjiro asked concernedly.
“Follow me.” Yorumi said, running off to find the voices.
Obliging, Nezuko carried her older brother again as they saw the short-haired kunoichi in front of the Upper Six siblings’ heads. The demons were arguing as their chopped-off necks were slowly crumbling away. Particularly, Gyutaro had burns all over his face from Yorumi’s Requiem, while Daki had purple spots on hers, possibly from the wisteria poisoning.
“How in the world have they still not turned into ash…?” The Sound Tsuguko stoically complained in the distance.
“Why didn’t you save me?!” The white-haired demon screamed at her older brother.
“I was fighting a Hashira and some psycho!” The ugly demon defended back angrily.
“So what?!
“Why didn’t you finish them off?! You should’ve busted their heads open!”
“I was trying to!”
“Huh?! The kid with the earrings was still alive, so I thought I’d finish him first!” Gyutaro yelled back. “But you weren’t doing anything! You could’ve at least finished off the Hashira!”
“Then you should’ve controlled me so I did!” Daki argued furiously. “You didn’t do anything but let your guard down!”
They’re still alive, but they’re arguing while their flesh is crumbling… Tanjiro observed solemnly.
“If you're gonna call yourself an Upper Moon, you could at least… beat a couple of wounded little punks yourself, idiot!” The Upper Six brother insulted.
His little sister stopped for a while, tears swelling on her face before screaming back.
“Anyone as ugly as you can’t be related to me!”
The Hinokami Kagura user looked at them with pity, concerned about how their relationship would end before dying. Meanwhile, Yorumi was more annoyed at their argument. She empathized with the drama between two siblings, but it was irrelevant to her, especially now that they were defeated.
“I bet we’re not really related by blood! We look nothing alike!” The white-haired demon continued, shocking her older brother. “You’re useless! Strength was all you had going for you! Now, you have nothing! Having lost that, you have no value at all! You’re just plain ugly! And you’re a loser! Without me, you’d have died a long time ago! I’ve helped you a lot!”
“You’re the loser! You weakling! From the bottom of my heart, I regret protecting a shrill harpy like you!” The ugly demon insulted back. “If not for you, my life would’ve been better! It’s all your fault! I always end up having to wipe your ass for you! I’d have been better off if you’d never been born–”
Suddenly, Tanjiro covered Gyutaro’s mouth before he could finish, pausing their argument.
“You don’t mean that.” He rebuked calmly and gently.
Both demons noticed the empathetic glint in his eyes and the softness in his voice. Meanwhile, Yorumi couldn’t believe her comrade’s kindness towards those who had tried to kill others, including them. Still, she couldn’t help but watch his sudden compassion shine through, feeling something from his words despite not being the recipient.
“You don’t really feel that way. It’s not true at all. Don’t end your lives fighting like this. You’re the only family each other has left.” The green-clad Slayer comforted. “No one else here will ever forgive you two for what you’ve done. All the people you’ve killed hate you and curse your name from beyond the grave. No one will ever miss you when you’re both gone. Family is all you’ve got left now. You mustn’t turn on each other. Stick together till the end.”
“WAAAH!” wailed Daki. “You keep out of this!”
“Don’t lecture us!” Gyutaro shouted back towards Tanjiro. “Beat it, you stupid punk! Get outta here!”
“You’re so annoying! I can’t stand it! Gyutaro, do something! I don’t wanna die!” The Upper Six sister cried with tears pouring onto her cheeks before her face started disintegrating. “Help m-”
“No! Ume!” Gyutaro cried out with worry, later following her fate.
Yorumi’s eyes widened upon hearing “Ume” instead of “Daki.” The former sounded more genuine, as if it were the Upper Six sister’s true name, the one before she turned into a demon.
With a stoic expression, the short-haired kunoichi watched as Tanjiro lifted what remained of the ugly demon’s head. Yorumi heard crumbles of disdain, to sorrow, to regret, to anger, to melancholy, and finally, contentment as the head finally turned into ash.
“Did they hear me?” asked Tanjiro, looking over to Nezuko, nodding accordingly.
“Hm!”
“Why did you do that?” The Sound Tsuguko asked confusedly with a blunt tone.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Why did you pity them?”
“Well, I didn’t want them dying hating each other. You understand, as someone with siblings, don’t you?” Tanjiro explained softly, pulling away his hands.
“I get it, but they still killed people. Pretty sure that they don’t even remember their names. They spent decades eating people and leaving behind grieving loved ones. Most of them probably died years ago without knowing what happened.” Yorumi rebuked standoffishly. “Not to mention, all of the injured people who are just away from this mess. If I were one of them, I would feel pissed that you empathized with the very people who took everything from me.”
“I understand and still condemn them for that. No matter what happened to them before they became humans, they made people suffer, and I won’t let them free because they suffered in life.” The Kamado brother defended his stance, patting his sister’s head. “But still, I can’t help but wonder what made them choose to become a demon, if they even had one in the first place. Was it because of constant rejection leading them to despair? Was it because someone they loved betrayed them? Was it because they were just born unlucky?”
“You do realize that there are demons who become ones just for power and other petty reasons, right?”
“I know, but… I can’t help but pity them.” Tanjiro sighed. “Most of the demons I’ve decapitated would regain their memories in their last moments. When they suddenly remember the strife they faced in the past and regret what happened, I’d wonder if things would’ve changed if their life was better, and if I would’ve ended up the same as them if I were in their place.”
“Isn’t that notion stupid?” Yorumi bluntly questioned, moving next to him.
“Isn’t that human?” He rebuked calmly, making the youngest Uzui pause again from his words.
Yeah, right, who on Earth, especially a victim, would pity a murderer…? “… Demons must be lucky to meet a guy like you, I guess…”
Before she knew it, the short-haired kunoichi heard someone strong nearby, whose movements were as sly as a snake’s.
“I’ll be right back.” Yorumi alerted, immediately standing up. “I need to go back to my brother.”
“I understand.” The redhead replied with a gentle smile before the fuchsia-eyed girl disappeared in a flash. “It’s over… I’m exhausted.”
“Hm!”
~~•~~
Meanwhile, Tengen and his wives looked at a familiar somebody with contempt as the latter scolded the Sound Hashira about his battle.
“Six? That’s the lowest of the Upper Moons.” The bandage-wearing Hashira ridiculed.
The audacity of this asshole…. Both Suma and Makio thought as Hinatsuru sighed.
“Yeah, but we beat an Upper Moon,” Tengen argued back, “even if they were just Rank Six. That’s still good.”
“Well done! I’m very impressed.” Obanai sarcastically congratulated.
“We don’t need compliments from the likes of you!” Suma angrily shouted out, pointing at the heterochromatic Hashira.
“Yeah!” Makio backed up.
“You’re late! Where have you been?!” screamed the blue-eyed kunoichi.
“At a cafe with Mitsuri.” The Serpent Hashira replied bluntly with Kaburamaru hissed aggressively towards Suma to defend his best friend.
“YAAAH!” She shrieked out, immediately hugging her injured husband out of fright.
“Ow!” shouted Tengen in pain.
Hinatsuru and Makio also did the same thing, albeit more subdued and gentle.
“Oi, what’s going on?” Yorumi called out, walking towards the Serpent Hashira.
Obanai groaned once the short-haired kunoichi came closer, noticing her broken yet moving limbs from the dark purple bruises adorning her skin. Even then, the bite mark on her shoulder and the giant yet shallow scar on her back stood out. The heterochromatic man hissed from everyone’s conditions, especially his colleague Tengen’s. In terms of arm strength, the Sound Hashira was the second most physically strongest, while the Serpent Hashira was only the second weakest. From what he could tell, Obanai feared for what would happen to the Demon Slayer Corps.
“What’s your brother going to do with a missing eye and hand?” He argued back to Yorumi. “He got into this state after fighting a mere Upper Six!”
“Mere?” The short-haired kunoichi repeated menacingly. “A mere Upper Six caused this destruction? The entire Yoshiwara district being destroyed?”
Her hand waved around the wasteland that used to be the red-light district. The brothels that populated the street were now pieces of displaced rubble. Remnants of smoke rose into the air from the previous fire. In response to the destruction around the group, he sighed frustratedly.
“If we allow this weakness to happen, at this rate, a normal demon would cause this amount of destruction.” Obanai groaned as he turned to Tengen. “How long will it take for you to recover? Who’ll substitute you in the meantime?”
“My sister, permanently. I’m retiring.” The silver-haired shinobi casually answered, shocking Obanai and Yorumi.
“What?!”
“At this state, I can’t fight as I did before. Besides, I believe that Lord Oyakata will allow it.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I won’t allow it! Trainees these days don’t last long enough to become strong.” The Serpent Hashira argued back, glaring at his comrade with desperation. “We Hashira already have a vacancy after Rengoku’s death. We can’t have someone inexperienced among our ranks. We need someone of your caliber. Even when you’re wounded, you still need to fight until you die.”
“You’re wrong. My sister and I were both trained to kill since childhood. Even then, her faster speed and better arsenal should compensate for her inexperience, if you’re alright with that.” The Sound Hashira replied, inspiring his youngest sister.
Not wanting to suffocate their husband, Hinatsuru pushed away Suma’s cheek from smothering him.
“Hinatsuru! Quit it! You’re breaking my face!”
Yorumi’s eyes glimmered with hope, remembering the promise she and Tengen had made years ago.
“It’s just that I’m Lord Tengen’s successor, so when he retires, I’ll become a Hashira.”
“When you do become Hashira, I want you to come home safe. Promise?”
“Promise.”
“By the way, someone else has grown strong enough…” the silver-haired shinobi continued, “... the trainee that you despise so much!”
Obanai paused for a moment before realizing who Tengen was referring to.
“No way! He survived this fight?!” The heterochromatic man exclaimed in disbelief. “Tanjiro Kamado is still alive?!”
Looking behind her, Yorumi noticed the Kamaboko Gonpachiro gang hugging each other with relief, glad that all four of them survived their fight. Then, she looked back at her eldest brother.
“Tengen… are you sure that I can be a great Hashira like you…?”
At first in surprise, her eldest brother paused, then smirked and chuckled.
“Even greater.”
Overwhelmed with praise, she instantly bowed down to Tengen before hearing a familiar voice.
“YORUMI!!”
“Wait…”
“Oh yeah…” Obanai said, “... your boyfriend was one of the Slayers called over to look after the evacuees.”
“He’s…”
Looking further, Yorumi noticed Genya running towards her, avoiding all the rubble in his way. His crow Hashibami was flying ahead of him, leading the mohawk-haired boy to the rest of the Slayers.
“… not my boyfriend.” The short-haired kunoichi corrected, feeling her heart thumping rapidly again as her hand hovered over her chest.
“Then what are you waiting for? Make it official.” The silver-haired shinobi playfully remarked.
Clutching her hand into a fist, it was no longer near her chest, resisting the urge to tighten and suppress it. Letting her overwhelming feelings race, her eyes brightened with her cheeks reddening. Thrilled to see him after such a tiresome battle, Yorumi tried racing towards him.
“GE–”
However, she tripped and fell onto the ground, her limbs finally giving out after running out of energy to move.
“YORUMI!!!!” Genya cried out worriedly, coming to her aid.
“We’re doomed.” Obanai groaned from a distance, facepalming himself as Kaburamaru nodded in agreement.
Meanwhile, the Breathless Tsuguko proceeded to crouch down to Yorumi’s level, carefully pulling up her upper half.
“Are you alright?! All your bones are broken! Hell, there’s a giant scratch on your back– Wait, shit! Is that a bite mark?! I swear if whoever did this is still alive…!” He exclaimed before noticing her simply gazing at him with admiration, a small smile on her face.
“I’m fine…” Yorumi reassured relievedly, too focused on the sight of him that she ignored the aching pain throughout her limbs and new scars, “I’m just… exhausted… but glad to see you.”
“M-Me too…” replied Genya, now completely flustered after her lovestruck stare.
Glancing below, the half-demon noticed the small scratches all over her skin and the blood leaking out of her dirty bandages, realizing how durable the fuchsia-eyed kunoichi was to even continue fighting until the end. Now that she was out of energy, the scar-faced boy wanted to help the new Sound Hashira as much as she could.
“Do you… want me to carry you?” He asked shyly.
Replying back, she softly chuckled, her forehead leaning forward to touch with his.
“Of course, I need sleep.”
Trying to be as careful as he could, Genya swooped Yorumi into his arms bridal-carry style.
“Thanks…”
“No problem… we’ll just go to the Kakushi to get you bandaged, and then we can go to the Butterfly Estate.”
Feeling relaxed, she leaned her head against his chest more, finally letting down her guard. Despite getting rattled from the close contact, Genya managed to calm himself for Yorumi’s sake, not wanting to accidentally drop her after all she had been through. As the morning sun began to tint them, the new Sound Hashira kept listening to the melody of his lovestruck heartbeat as if it were the most peaceful lullaby she had ever heard.
~~•~~
Author’s Note:
So far, classes have started and it’s been quite overwhelming with workload (homework, quizzes, notetaking) piling over. I think it’s kinda my fault because I wanted to earn as many credits as I wanted, so I underestimated the strain it would take. However, it’s only the first few weeks, so I’ll hopefully and most likely adjust to it, but like before the Entertainment District arc, following chapters may take longer to publish.
Either way, the following arc would be adapting the New Sound Hashira Arc (what I’m calling it) from the original fanfic. However, I would be making major changes to certain roles and relationships to better suit the continuity here. Afterwards, the fanfic will follow Genya at the Swordsmith Village Arc.
I Love You, Scars and All Chapter Twenty-Seven: Yorumi Uzui, the Goddess of Dance
~~•~~
Chapter Additional Tags: Entertainment District Arc, Protective Uzui Tengen, Parental Uzui Tengen, Uzui Tengen Needs a Hug, Protective Kamado Tanjirou, Kamado Tanjirou is a Good Friend, Hashibira Inosuke Being Hashibira Inosuke, Uzui Tengen is a Little Shit,
Chapter Content Warnings:Blood and Gore, Profanity, Self-Worth Issues, Objectification, Past References to Domestic Abuse,
~~•~~
Chapter Twenty-Seven was originally published on April 3, 2026
~~•~~
Links:
Masterlist
AO3
Wattpad
~~•~~
It was a few years ago, in the early morning, at the hidden shinobi village. The sun hadn’t risen yet, and Yorumi had freed herself from the net above the waterfall. Completely exhausted and shivering, the youngest Uzui had to drag herself towards her family dojo to greet her father. She was soaked from being close to the water, her arms holding herself to maintain her body temperature. Her fingers were full of blisters and scars from manually getting rid of the ropes without any weapons. Once she arrived inside, a puddle formed where she stood while her father was sitting, facing away from her without the companionship of his three wives.
“F-F-Father…” She shivered from the cold, forcing herself to keep a calm tone. “I-I-I finally d-did it…! I c-c-cut the net before s-s-sunrise!”
Robotically, Arashi faced her, standing up as he looked down at her pitiful state. Her eyes were tired, yet filled with hope that she was finally going to be acknowledged for her work. She might get rest, a few hours of sleep, just any reward that proved that she was worth something to the clan.
“Tengen would’ve freed himself with only his nails after five minutes.” He coldly denounced with all the anticipation erased from Yorumi’s face. “Training starts in a few minutes. Dry yourself and join your older siblings afterwards.”
As the Uzui patriarch left without any remorse, all the little girl could do was stand there, her world crumbling once his words repeated in her head.
I’m not good enough…
~~•~~
It was now the night when Yoshiwara was attacked by the Upper Six siblings. After being kicked across several rooftops, Yorumi fell into an alleyway, lying in self-loathing. The Sound Tsuguko could hear Gyutaro’s poison flowing through her bloodstream, slowly killing her. Meanwhile, some of her bones were dislocated and broken from the several collisions she had experienced. While she could hear the battle from afar, the youngest Uzui had already accepted her fate; she was going to die as the weakest link.
“This is it, huh? Why didn’t I react quickly…? Why didn’t I use my explosives against him…? Why did I have to rush in without a second thought…?” The short-haired kunoichi muttered to herself weakly. “Guess I deserve to die in a pathetic place like this…. Father was right though…. Everyone back home was right… I am weak…”
As her face expressed the acceptance of death, tears started to leak out of her eyes without control. Surprised that she could feel the water dripping down her cheeks, the fuchsia-eyed girl scoffed at herself.
“Why am I crying? I’m a pawn, remember? I’m supposed to be disposable–”
“OH SHUT UP ALREADY!” shouted a scarily familiar voice.
The Sound Tsuguko’s eyes widened, struggling to turn her head to where the sound was. Once she finally did, she saw a younger version of herself, only covered in blood all over her body. It was her from when she was forced to cull out the weak in her village.
“Why are you such a pain to deal with?!” Her younger self complained irritably. “Why are you still stuck with that whole you as a weapon deal?!”
“Because that was my purpose, or our purpose, whatever…” The current Yorumi argued, forcing herself to speak despite her strength slipping away. “The point is that I was too weak to kill Gyutaro, but I already fulfilled it. I’m dying for crying out loud.”
“For fuck’s sake! Didn’t you leave the village because you didn’t want that?! Because you didn’t want them to be used by them?!” The younger version protested, now no longer in blood-stained shinobi clothes but instead in stolen civilian wear.
The dying Yorumi stopped for a moment to think as the child version of herself groaned. In the midst of her frustration, she slowly grew up into her current body, only in the outfit she wore for the Final Selection.
“Besides, we deserve to come back with everyone else!”
“But… I’m the weakest link…” The current Yorumi spoke, her lower lip crumpling. “Why should I deserve it…?”
“Because you experienced what people in our world haven’t: happiness. Not just from helping others by killing demons, but by being around people who truly cared about you.” The other Yorumi argued stoically, now dolled up and dressed back when she went to the summer festival. “You liked that. You loved that, didn’t you?”
“Thank you, Yorumi-chan!!” They yelled at the girl joyfully.
“Thank you Big Sis Yorumi for saving me! You’re so cool!”
“Good job, Sis.”
“Yorumi… no matter what you say about yourself, I’ll still be there for you.” The younger Shinazugawa proclaimed, warming her heart more until she finally gripped it tighter.
“I’m not as egotistical as Tengen, but at least he does deserve to live happily with his wives… ” The dying Yorumi rebuked before remembering something.
~~•~~
“Talent?” Tengen casually chuckled like a madman, shocking both his youngest sister and Gyutaro.
“What?” muttered the ugly demon.
“Do I look like I have any talent?” The Sound Hashira taunted the Upper Six brother. “If that’s your opinion, then you must have had a happier life than I did.”
~~•~~
“Why didn’t he tell me– No, why didn’t I notice…?”
“Because he loved you and acted like you.” The imaginary Yorumi answered bluntly, now disguised in Western fashion. “As much as you deny it, you and Tengen are alike; both in suffering and stubbornness.”
“So what’s your point?”
“If you genuinely believe Tengen has the right to a normal life, despite experiencing the depths of Hell, so do you. That muscle-brained oaf laughs, bemoans, and cares like a human and if you’re like Tengen, you’re a human.” The other version of her replied more firmly, now in her Demon Slayer attire with all of her signature accessories. “Not a demon nor a weapon, a human.”
Hearing those words, the dying Yorumi was reminded of similar sentiments she recently had, reaching an epiphany.
“Then, you’re not truly a killer.” He remarked, surprising Yorumi until she asked nervously, remembering what he had last said before they were interrupted.
“Don’t worry,” the blond tried to cheer them up, “it’s only human that we should care for each other.”
“Because… no matter how much you deny it… no matter how many times people said otherwise… you’re human… and it’s natural to feel this way.”
“Humanity… is strength.” The bloody Yorumi finally realized out loud, her fuchsia eyes widened in surprise.
“Right.” A different voice answered instead of the other Yorumi.
The youngest Uzui blinked her eyes and saw all of her dead older siblings. They all looked the same before their deaths, without the lethal injuries they got. One of them was a black-haired child, most likely Keigo. Meanwhile, the rest were teenagers, some almost younger than her by now. Oriko was in front of her with the rest of the siblings, all looking at their barely living sister.
“Sister, you have a life ahead of you.” Oriko calmly said. “Our mothers are busy at the moment, so we came here instead.”
“O-Our mothers…? What happened–?”
“You may be born as a pawn,” said Keigo, “but you're your own person, and we want this person to grow.”
“We don’t want your anger targeted towards yourself.” Izumo encouraged her softly. “Target all of that hatred towards those who deserve it.”
“Like those who ruin people’s lives…” Kitashiro muttered. “Just like how Father and Kirisame ruined ours…”
“You’re not perfect, but you’re a good person. Please continue to be this way.” begged Nijiha.
“Seika… Akito…” The fuchsia-eyed girl muttered, looking at them.
Meanwhile, the remaining two siblings refused to look at her, continuing to face their backs towards her.
“They’re right, Yorumi…” Akito said regretfully.
“We’re sorry… for everything…” dismissed Seika with shame in her voice.
“Now, Yorumi….” Oriko said before asking. “Who are you?”
The short-haired kunoichi pondered for a moment, thinking back to the most hopeful moments of her life.
~~•~~
“And since you’re one of the fastest shinobi in town, even faster than me, you can be the Goddess of Dance!”
“Really?” asked Yorumi, surprised yet proud to hear that.
“Yeah, of course.” Tengen chuckled at her reply, hearing Yorumi’s enthusiasm creep into her tone. “Yeah, you’re right! I’m the God of Festivities, and you’re the Goddess of Dance!”
~~•~~
“She’s like a goddess…” The half-demon muttered in awe of her speed, strength, and the shining vermillion fireworks she displayed.
“That’s the Goddess of Dance for ya.” Her eldest brother remarked cockily.
~~•~~
Now, she finally knew her answer.
“The Goddess of Dance.”
Satisfied, all of her siblings disappeared as Yorumi slowly got up, struggling to repeat mantras to slow down the poisoning. Looking at her broken and dislocated bones, the Sound Tsuguko used her hands to relocate each one back to normal, forcing herself to continue intoning despite the pain screaming throughout her body. With nimble hands and quickened urgency, she pulled out her miniature chemical equipment and grabbed both vials of Genya’s and Nezuko’s blood to mix with ground-up wisteria and gunpowder. Once she completed her new explosives, the fuchsia-eyed girl heard similar sharp sounds from the distance reaching her.
Shit!
Once she dodged each cut she sensed, Yorumi witnessed Daki’s obis cut through most of the buildings, all of them crumbling within seconds. When the dust had cleared, the youngest Uzui had dragged herself out of being stuck in the rubble, but hid within to search for her weapons and everyone else. In the midst of sneaking around, she had found her chained cleavers still intact, placing them behind her back to be held by her obi before resuming.
As Yorumi searched further, she finally heard Gyutaro’s voice nearby, stopping to listen to what was happening while hiding inside the rubble. The ugly demon was crouching down to Tanjiro’s level, mocking him for everyone’s deaths as each taunt played in Yorumi’s head.
“A single thrust to the heart finished the boar… the blond’s wriggling like a worm before death. It’s pathetic… those three whores died in the rubble of the attack…”
“Even though the Hashira was weak, determination was his only strength. The poison got him. His heart just stopped, so he’s dead too.”
Hearing his mocking, Yorumi’s veins popped out of her head, wanting to cut off his head as soon as possible. However, recalling the previous encounter when she was impatient, she ultimately decided to wait for the perfect opportunity to strike. She then noticed Daki on top of a different roof, but with Gyutaro’s right eye on her forehead, similar black blots surrounding it.
That explains her increase in power and everything… Yorumi thought analytically.
Suddenly, Tanjiro started to run away, prompting the Upper Six brother to follow him. Within the shadows and rubble, Yorumi followed the pair. Once she caught up with them, the ugly demon had one of Hinatsuru’s kunai stabbed into his left thigh. Taking advantage of his distraction, the redhead slammed him onto the ground and placed his sword above his nape, pushing it to cut through. However, before he could press through Gyutaro’s thick neck, the earring-wearing boy suddenly heard Daki’s words.
“ONI-CHAN!” She cried out desperately.
For a moment, the green-clad Slayer stopped, realizing something important; both he and Nezuko shared a similar bond to Gyutaro and Daki. They were both sibling duos who fought alongside, but only the Kamado siblings were raised with love and stuck with their just beliefs. Meanwhile, the Upper Six siblings enjoyed the depravity of being a demon, taking glee in snuffing out lives. Other than that, there wasn’t much that differentiated him from the ugly demon. If Tanjiro ever had to become a demon, he knew that someone would take his head.
Meanwhile, Yorumi was internally screaming at Tanjiro, scolding him for not taking the opportunity to decapitate Gyutaro while she could do the same to Daki.
WHAT THE FUCK IS HE DOING?! JUST KILL HIM ALREADY! WHERE WAS YOUR RAGE?!
“Wait! No way!” The white-haired demon cried out, worried for her older brother. “I can’t let that kid cut off your head!”
Before the Upper Six sister could send her obis, lightning bounced off of her sashes, revealing a still-asleep Zenitsu fighting.
That other kid! Daki panicked mentally. He got out of the rubble!
As the white-haired demon prepared herself, the blond took a deep breath and put all of his strength into his legs.
Thunder Breathing First Form: Thunderclap and Flash! Godlike Speed!
In a flash, the Upper Six sister was being dragged by Zenitsu’s impossible agility. If she hadn’t turned her neck into an obi, she would’ve been decapitated on the spot. Rubble started to follow the two as her neck began to rip.
Meanwhile, Gyutaro sensed his little sister in danger and summoned his blood sickles to cut Tanjiro. Before the redhead was doomed, he was suddenly pulled away, moving further from the ugly demon. Pausing from shock, both he and the earring-wearing Slayer were shocked to see Yorumi holding the latter with one arm.
“Yorumi?!” The Hinokami Kagura user exclaimed, surprised but relieved that the youngest Uzui was still alive.
“You….” Gyutaro muttered in disbelief, veins bulging from the sides of his forehead before screaming. “How are you still standing?!”
To mock him, the Sound Tsuguko dropped Tanjiro and began to stretch her body from her legs to her arms. The redhead and the Upper Six brother could hear her bones crack with each flex, stunned at how unbothered the obi-wearing kunoichi was.
“I’m a kunoichi. A weapon trained to endure pain until the mission is done.” Yorumi casually answered the ugly demon. “To be honest, you’re kinda pathetic.”
“What?!”
“You keep ranting about how ugly you are when you’re one of the most decent-looking demons I’ve seen throughout my life.” Yorumi bluntly explained before commenting. “In fact, you’re kinda my type, only you’re more of an insecure asshole than him.”
Him?
“YOU BITCH!”
Even more pissed off, he summoned blood sickles to attack the Sound Tsuguko, only for the fuchsia-eyed girl to use her explosives to block them. With each blow that he indirectly felt, the ugly demon felt his blood getting weaker.
Those bombs…! They’re scented with wisteria extract! Not to mention the blood of that demon girl Muzan told us about… but something changed! There’s another person’s blood in her explosives… They’re not Marechi… or any Blood Demon Art…. Is it… half-demon? He thought analytically, fear slowly creeping into his peeking spine. Daki nearly survived those explosives, and it messed up her regeneration!
Hearing his feet slightly step away from her, Yorumi began to maniacally laugh from the bottom of her lungs out of nowhere, unnerving the Upper Six brother. He saw the poison running through her veins and the bruises from her broken bones, but she was still holding her ground against him. Not only that, but the Sound Tsuguko was wielding bombs that could even weaken an Upper Moon’s Blood Demon Art and regeneration. The ugly demon could feel his cells quaking from fear, but it wasn’t from Muzan’s memories; it was because he had never encountered someone this formidably terrifying in his life, and it scared the shit out of him.
This girl…
“Oi, I was getting to a point.” The fuchsia-eyed girl lightly giggled at the Upper Six brother before menacingly glaring at him, switching her tone from elated to serious. “I get it. We’ve all been through shit, but you have to make it your entire personality because your maturity hasn't aged with your lifespan. I don’t know your life, and I don’t care. I would’ve felt bad for you if you weren’t throwing such a pathetic tantrum.”
“Yorumi….” The Kamado brother muttered worriedly, smelling the poison mixing with her bleeding wounds.
“Tanjiro, I don’t know how much time I have before the poison really kicks in.” The youngest Uzui stoically replied, her back facing towards him. “So if I die before killing this guy, I’ll leave the rest to you.”
Unseen by the Kamado brother, Yorumi’s face began to look more twisted as the veins on her forehead popped out more. Her fuchsia eyes became clouded with all the bottled-up emotions she kept repressing, ready to blow up. Terrified out of his mind, Gyutaro stuttered out a question.
“W-Who are you?”
“Yorumi Uzui… the Goddess of Dance.” The obi-wearing kunoichi declared, throwing one of her cleavers to slash the Upper Six brother.
Using her incredible speed, the Sound Tsuguko ran towards him to pull out the sword, intimidatingly glaring at him with all the hatred in the world.
“Shall we waltz to the fires of Hell together?” She questioned before kicking him hard and far away.
While Yorumi chased the ugly demon enthusiastically, seeing an opportunity to win, Tanjiro proceeded to follow her. Seeing that the Sound Tsuguko could kill both him and his sister, Gyutaro sent all of his blood sickles towards her as he ran away, each one dodging the blocking debris.
Blood Demon Art: Flying Blood Sickles!
Hearing a musical score from their movements, the short-haired kunoichi proceeded to cut each attack using her new explosives, even kicking some incoming debris towards him.
Sound Breathing Fifth Form: String Performance!
“GAH!” The ugly demon grunted fearfully, summoning more blood scythes to surround the Sound Tsuguko like a tornado engulfing her from all sides.
Grinning to herself, Yorumi swung one of her chained cleavers in circles above herself, hitting each attempt.
Sound Breathing Sixth Form: Ringing Bell Tree of Dawn!
As one of the blood sickles tried to attack her from the side, Tanjiro jumped out and cut it down.
Finally catching up to Gyutaro, Yorumi leaped forward, threw her bombs, and slashed away. Meanwhile, defensively, the ugly demon summoned his blood scythes to surround himself, too far away from Daki to summon her obis.
Sound Breathing Third Form: Spinning Kotsuzumi!
Blood Demon Art: Rampant Arc Rampage!
With his Blood Demon Art weakened by the mixed blood in the Sound Tsuguko’s explosives, the Upper Six brother was left vulnerable as the short-haired kunoichi neared him, raising one of her cleavers to cut his neck. However, she heard one blood scythe charge towards her, allowing Gyutaro to move away from her, grinning to himself. Yorumi didn’t know how or when, but she was about to be sliced. That is, until Tengen suddenly appeared, blocking the attack with his cleavers.
Seeing the Sound Hashira was still alive, now without his left hand, the Upper Six brother looked in shock at both the Uzui siblings, who had survived.
“What? I can control my heart, remember?” The Sound Hashira casually reminded her.
What the hell is wrong with these siblings?! The ugly demon panicked internally.
“And from what I can tell, you’ve scared this guy shitless.” The silver-haired shinobi remarked, feeling proud of his youngest sister.
Noticing Tanjiro approach him, also overjoyed to see that he was alive, Tengen cockily swung his cleavers and flamboyantly posed as if he still had both hands.
“We’re poisoned right now, so you have to be the one who decapitates him. Besides, Yorumi and I will do the heavy lifting.”
“Got it!” The redhead agreed wholeheartedly.
In the blink of an eye, the Uzui siblings both rushed towards Gyutaro, taking turns to attack the Upper Six brother. Now, in the defense, the Upper Six brother was splitting his focus between the duo, overwhelmed by their coordination.
Sound Breathing Second Form: Rising Shamisen Pitch!
Blood Demon Art: Flying Blood Sickles!
From observing and comparing the pair, despite using the same Breathing Style, the ugly demon noticed that their attacks operated differently.
The older brother has more strength before his swordsmanship! Not to mention his cockily fast movements! Gyutaro analyzed as he blocked an explosion from Yorumi, wincing from feeling his blood weakening. But the little sister’s range is longer! Even without those explosives of hers, she’s faster and more unpredictable than her brother!
Jumping away from the ugly demon, Yorumi took a deep breath, feeling the poison spread further throughout her body.
Guess I have no choice. She concluded, glancing at her new bombs in her hand. It’s time to use it.
Noticing his youngest sister behind him, Tengen smirked, charging ahead to occupy the ugly demon. In the middle of debris and flames, the two eldest brothers of the Upper Six and Uzuis kept exchanging quick, substantial blows at each other, blocking their moves.
Sound Breathing Third Form: Spinning Kotsuzumi!
Blood Demon Art: Rampant Arc Rampage!
Blood and gunpowder splattered across their fight as the Upper Six brother cut through the Sound Hashira’s left eye. Ignoring his new injury, the silver-haired shinobi sidekicked his opponent far away before throwing an explosive in front of him, cutting it to explode.
Sound Breathing Second Form: Rising Shamisen Pitch!
Blocking the impact with his flesh sickle, once the smoke had cleared, Gyutaro noticed that the Sound Tsuguko had disappeared. The Upper Six brother kept looking around for the fuchsia-eyed kunoichi, but realized that Tengen had distanced himself from him.
Why is she–?
Before the ugly demon could react, his body was covered with slashes while being surrounded by cut bombs. In the blink of an eye, Yorumi reappeared behind the Upper Six brother as he exploded in glittering shades of deep blood-orange.
Sound Breathing Seventh Form: Requiem.
As the smoke dissipated, Gyutaro’s body was smoldering into crisp, almost at the brink of death. Slowly regenerating, he felt a chain strangle around his throat like a snake, giving him a burning sensation. With his eyes healing, the ugly demon looked behind to see Yorumi holding onto it, tightening it harder before Tanjiro jammed his sword through the ugly demon’s neck. Following this, Tengen stabbed both his cleavers into the Upper Six brother’s body. In retaliation, the ugly demon stabbed his sickle through Tanjiro’s chin, penetrating the earring-wearing boy’s mouth.
Despite the fear of being decapitated approaching him, Gyutaro was reassured that he would still survive. All three of his opponents were now poisoned; two of whom are nearing death, while the third would have his poison quickly spread to his brain. Not only that, but his sister still had her neck intact, so he would just regenerate if he did get decapitated. The Upper Six brother was still confident in his victory. That is, until he looked through his other eye, watching over his younger sister.
~~•~~
While Daki was dealing with Zenitsu, she was getting cocky with him. With Gyutaro controlling her movements from afar, she became more powerful to the point that the blond was struggling to get a hit on her. The blond could hear that the Uzui siblings and Tanjiro were close to decapitating Gyutaro, so he needed to cut off Daki’s neck at the same time. Otherwise, the other will regenerate, and everyone will start all over again until death or dawn.
“Ha, ha, ha! I’m going to dice you up…” the white-haired demon declared gleefully, “before you can even cut off my head!”
Just then, all three of Tengen’s wives snuck behind her. Each of them held their wisteria-coated weapons and stabbed through each obi. With the paralysis taking effect, the Upper Six sister’s movements became a little slower.
“Huh?!”
“Don’t forget us, maggot hag!” insulted Makio angrily, jamming her sais hard onto the demonic sash.
“We’re kunoichi, remember?!” Suma loudly reminded the Upper Six sister, stabbing with her kunai.
“Why you…”
Before the white-haired demon could strike down the wives and Zenitsu, she felt rugged cuts on her obis. When she looked at who caused the attack, it was Inosuke who suddenly jumped into action. Somehow, he was disregarding the supposed poisoning in his heart.
“How?!” Daki exclaimed, appalled at what was happening before her.
“Never underestimate my flexibility!” The boar-head bragged unrulily. “I can easily shift my internal organs around! And poison doesn’t work on me… I grew up on a really dangerous mountain!”
How does that work?! The Upper Six sister and Tengen’s wives thought in sheer disbelief.
Using his two jagged swords, he helped Zenitsu and the Kunoichi Trio cut Daki’s obi-like neck. Due to their saw-like edges, they were easily able to tear through the white-haired demon’s neck. Worried, she cried out to her older brother, believing that he would survive and prevent her from dying.
“Gyutaro, do something! Save me!”
~~•~~
Meanwhile, Yorumi was tightening her chain around Gyutaro’s neck, burning his already charred flesh more. She was feeling the poison in her veins reaching her heart soon, using up all of her remaining strength to defeat the Upper Moon. As the Upper Six brother was still being strangled, Tanjiro was suddenly experiencing an increase in strength, despite the poison spreading across his body. His body temperature rose to immeasurable heights as the scar on his forehead grew larger. Now, he was halfway through cutting down the ugly demon’s neck.
With the help of the obi-wearing kunoichi’s chain, the Upper Six siblings’ heads were synchronously decapitated, both of their heads rolling into each other, until their faces met once the rolling began to stop. Upon their eyes locked at one another, they were both shocked with the realization that they were actually going to die. Then, Tengen heard a strange heartbeat from Gyutaro’s decapitated body.
Wait a minute…
Meanwhile, Hinatsuru had tripped from exhaustion, scaring her co-wives.
“AHHH!”
“It’s fine…! It’s fine…! Let’s just look for Lord Tengen…” The purple-clad kunoichi reassured them before looking at Inosuke and Zenitsu. “You two stay here just in case.”
“Got it!”
Moving across rooftops to search for the other fight, all three wives were relieved to see that not only did they defeat the other Upper Six, but the Uzui siblings and Tanjiro had survived.
“YORUMI!!!!!” The Kunoichi Trio shouted in astonishment, shocked but overjoyed that she was there.
Looking upwards, small tears came out of the edges of Yorumi’s eyes once she saw them.
“Hinatsuru…! Makio…! Suma…!” She cried out.
“You guys did it!” cheered the blue-eyed kunoichi, both elated and exhausted.
“But something strange is happening…” muttered Tengen.
Realizing what he was hearing, the short-haired kunoichi knew that something was going to happen.
“WE HAVE TO RUN!” screamed the youngest Uzui as everyone ran away from Gyutaro’s body.
From the other side, Zenitsu could hear something strange happening to Daki’s decapitated corpse, instinctively grabbing Inosuke before bolting away.
“HEY! WHAT GIVES?!” shouted the shirtless Slayer.
While everybody was fleeing from whatever was happening, Tanjiro, whose hearing had been hit by his earlier increase in strength, knelt still. As his power slowly dissipated, the earring-wearing boy could barely hear anything, even when the Sound Tsuguko was shaking his shoulders.
“RUN, YOU FUCKING IDIOT!!” She yelled out as he finally heard her.
Before the redhead could do so, the Upper Six brother’s body exploded into a swarm of blood sickles. Meanwhile, Daki’s corpse had sprouted out hundreds of obis that cut through everything, startling both the blond and boar-head. Once the collateral started, all Yorumi could remember was Tanjiro’s box opening in the air and pink flames engulfing her.
~~•~~
Author’s Note:
Update on the meetup: Due to conflicting schedules, it got cancelled so I unfortunately won’t be able to hang out with friends before I leave for college.
On other news, I recently read the final chapter of Chainsaw Man. I’m a little mixed on the pacing of both Part 2 and its ending, but I enjoyed it thematically. However, I still want to write a post-canon fanfic following it to cover up some plot holes or tie up loose ends, but I already have a lot of fanfic ideas (original character-centric, rewrites, post-canon) that I don’t know how or where to start. Plus, I’m unsure if I will make it a one-shot or multi-chapter.
Either way, I might make a post on my Tumblr to see which fanfiction ideas I would do next after I Love You, Scars and All to see how I should proceed. I already made something similar for JJK but it would include fandoms and franchises that I’m interested in making fanmade content for. Please let me know if you guys are interested by commenting. I’d like to hear more in-depth feedback.
I’ve also tried posting this chapter on my phone, but the format looked off so I had to repost it once I came back home after a trip.
For some reason Wattpad saids that your story was updated but I don’t see the next chapter
I actually deleted it because I tried posting it on my phone, but the format looked off. Since I’m currently abroad, I’ll repost it once I get back home.
I Love You, Scars and All Chapter Twenty-Six: Gyutaro vs. the Uzui Family
~~•~~
Chapter Additional Tags: Entertainment District Arc, Protective Uzui Tengen, Parental Uzui Tengen, Uzui Tengen is Bad at Feelings, Uzui Tengen Needs a Hug, Protective Kamado Tanjirou, Kamado Tanjirou is a Good Friend,
Chapter Content Warnings: Blood and Gore, Profanity, Self-Worth Issues, Objectification, Past References to Domestic Abuse, Sexual Harassment,
~~•~~
Chapter Twenty-Six was originally published on March 22, 2026
~~•~~
Links:
Masterlist
AO3
Wattpad
~~•~~
Rising from Daki’s body was the upper half of a skinny, yet muscular man, with most of his torso made up of his ribcage. Without a second thought, the Uzui siblings synchronously charged toward the figure and swung their blades at his nape, followed by their explosives. As they moved back, both Tengen and Yorumi’s eyes widened upon hearing Daki’s sobbing. When the smoke cleared, they turned back to see the supposed Upper Six and that mysterious man to be unharmed. The latter had his bony back face towards the duo as he comforted his presumed little sister.
“It’s no use crying, you know.” He advised with a sickly voice, patting Daki’s head as she cried. “At least attach your own head yourself. You’re not very smart when it comes to fighting, are you?”
Is that… the real Upper Moon Six?! Yorumi thought with horror, hearing how much more powerful the sickly demon sounded.
I chopped off her head, and yet she’s still alive, and that thing came out of her body. He’s quite fast! Tengen analyzed.
“Did you get burned?” Daki’s older brother asked as his finger wiped away her scarred face, his touch healing all of the burns immediately. “You have to take care of your face, you know? After all, you’re born with a pretty one.”
Taking advantage of the two demons being distracted, the Uzui siblings charged at them once more. Then, the older brother noticed them on time, looking back at them annoyedly with his yellow sclerotic eyes. Hearing the sounds of slashing, Yorumi thought that she had taken some hits from the new demon. However, upon opening her eyes, the short-haired kunoichi realized that Tengen absorbed them all for her.
“Tengen!” She cried out, looking at him before glaring at her opponent.
The other Upper Six held two sickles adorned with flesh as dark red obis wrapped around his arms and neck. His black hair had similar green tips to Daki’s, while dark blots decorated all over his body. He was wearing baggy pants as the Uzui siblings looked at his face. In comparison to his little sister, the demon was at the receiving end of the genetic pool with a hideous face and a sickly physique; it was hard to guess that these two were actually related.
“Wow, such a good big brother. You stopped my attack for your little sister,” he mocked back nasally, “even though I tried to kill you both. Not bad.”
Despite his youngest sister’s worries, Tengen stood up without breaking a sweat from his injuries. With his headband damaged, his hair became messier while blood spilled from the left side of his head.
“You’re quite good-looking, you know?” Daki’s older brother complimented mockingly before listing down. “Flawless skin, nice muscles, over six feet. I bet you’re quite popular with the ladies.”
He then looked over to Yorumi, admiring her appearance a bit.
“And I can see you also have your older brother’s good looks. You must be popular among the guys, huh?”
Getting even more irritated, he started to scratch his eyelid and chest to the point of bleeding. His tone sounded angrier as he continued talking to the Uzui siblings.
“How lucky you guys are! I’m quite jealous! Could you just die painfully already?! I’ll skin you alive, cut your bellies, and so on!”
“Onii-chan, it’s not just these two.” Daki complained in the corner, still sobbing. “There are more just like them. There are three sluts, a boar, an ugly blond, and two siblings. Especially the little girl who burned me!”
“Sluts?” Yorumi questioned menacingly, causing the Upper Six sister to cry more.
“I’ve been doing my best! I’ve been doing all the work all by myself!” She whined more, making herself look like the victim. “Now, they’re just bullying me! Bullying me!”
Yorumi was getting more irritated but decided to brush her feelings aside and bury them, prioritizing the Upper Six brother instead.
“I see. Well, that’s unforgivable.” He agreed without a second thought, angering the Uzui sister even more. “My cute little sister has been doing her best with the little brains she has.”
In an instant, the ugly demon’s scratches began to heal as he lifted his sickles. Anticipating the attack, both Uzui siblings prepared themselves with defensive positions.
“I’m gonna kill you bullies for hurting my little sister. I’ll collect your debts for every scar you gave my little Daki. I’ll make your obis spin round and round until I’ve seen your skin. Because my name is Gyutaro!”
Suddenly, he threw his sickles towards them before they broke the rooftop. From outside, Tanjiro watched what happened, wondering why that Blood Demon Art looked different from Daki’s sashes. Meanwhile, both scythes went back to their master as they entered the building. Smelling Uzui’s blood, he could tell that he and his sister were in danger… until help arrived. It was Inosuke and a sleeping Zenitsu who was somehow still active.
“I’ll fight flamboyantly!” The shirtless Slayer proclaimed, being influenced by Tengen’s charisma.
“Okay, but I need to put Nezuko back in her box.” Tanjiro said before carrying Nezuko. “I’ll be right back, so please cover for me!”
“Got it, my minion!”
“Thank you!”
Back inside, both Tengen and Yorumi had their blades out in front of them, protecting them and a couple behind him from Gyutaro’s scythes. Meanwhile, the Upper Six siblings were on the other side, glaring at them.
“You make me quite jealous.” The ugly demon groaned annoyedly. “You’re such a good person for defending those poor bystanders. I bet you’re only doing that to feed your ego. After all, they see you as their savior.”
“Shut up.” The fuchsia-eyed girl spoke coldly, catching Tengen’s attention. “My older brother is already strong enough. He already has a huge ego to begin with, so saving these people won’t affect anything. It’s our job, after all.”
“Just admit you’re jealous because you’re ugly.” The Sound Hashira stated boredly. “After all, we’re flamboyant and good-looking. I even have three beautiful, badass wives for crying out loud.”
Tengen, you’re not helping the situation with that braggadocious nature of yours. Yorumi mentally scolded, processing her eldest brother’s words as she turned her head towards him with a deadpan expression of disappointment.
“THREE WIVES?! YOU’VE GOT TO BE SCREWING WITH ME! HOW UNFORGIVABLE!” shrieked Gyutaro angrily, scratching his face strongly.
At the peak of his voice, blood poured down from his hands as they coated his sickles, signifying the start of his Blood Demon Art. Blood trailed down as he swung his weapons around to slash them, screaming out.
“Blood Demon Art: Flying Blood Sickles!”
Instantly, blades made out of blood were sent towards the Uzui siblings. Realizing that there was no way to defend people with these many attacks, both of them sent out their bombs. Upon impact, the Uzui siblings jumped backwards before Gyutaro realized that they had escaped with the civilians. At the bottom, Tengen held both the couple and his cleavers before helping the former go down.
“Now, run away!” He yelled out as they followed his words.
The ugly demon’s Blood Demon Art still circled the spot the four were originally at, hovering over the hole.
“You’re not escaping, you know?” He threatened irritably. “Bend, Flying Blood Sickles.”
Instantly, the blades moved to Yorumi and Tengen as they slashed each blood sickle. With each attempt, the slashes kept coming back.
He can control the blades? Tengen analyzed, suddenly feeling a subtle pain in his body, but brushed it off. Each attack moves until it hits its target and bursts. What’s with those siblings? The little one is still alive, even with her head chopped off. What if I cut the older brother’s body instead? Will they both die? Is he the main body?
Backing away, the Uzui siblings pulled out their bombs as they listened closely to the sounds of the building. Realizing that only the Upper Six siblings were inside, they threw their explosives in the air and sliced them above for the demons to receive. Two glowing lights appeared below them as they blew up in an explosion of orange and red. Outside, Inosuke and Zenitsu were overwhelmed by how powerful the combination was, holding onto the ground. As the smoke cleared, only a ball made out of Daki’s obis appeared in front of them. Yorumi glared out of frustration while Tengen simply grinned with anticipation.
“Well, of course, it’s not that easy.” He brushed it off casually.
As the sashes unwrapped themselves, they revealed Daki sitting on top of Gyutaro’s shoulder.
“After all, we’re two-in-one, you know?” The Upper Six brother spoke before paying more attention to Tengen. “You’re quite the lucky one, aren’t you? You have a handsome face, three wives, and now you’re showing off your moves. You’re different from all the Hashira we’ve faced before. You must have been special ever since you were born. A chosen one with talent, I suppose. I’m quite jealous. Why won’t you just die already?”
“Of course, he is special. It’s been that way throughout childhood.” Yorumi said stoically. “He’s a Hashira and lives up to his title, so he’ll be the one who will slit off your throat–”
“Talent?” Tengen casually chuckled like a madman, shocking both his youngest sister and Gyutaro.
“What?” muttered the ugly demon.
“Do I look like I have any talent?” The Sound Hashira taunted the Upper Six brother. “If that’s your opinion, then you must have had a happier life than I did.”
Meanwhile, the Sound Tsuguko was stunned at what her brother had said, finally realizing and noticing the brutal honesty behind his tone. She knew that they both suffered through their training back in the shinobi village, but she wasn’t aware of how much he was in, even before she was born.
“It doesn’t matter how many centuries you’ve lived,” Tengen taunted again, “if you’re still in that mindset, no wonder you and your sister are so naive.”
“What do you know about us?!” Daki yelled back.
“I know it clearly.” The silver-haired shinobi mocked back. “I bet you two didn’t know how big this country is. There are tons of strong people living here. There are some mysterious guys, and even those who became Hashira in just two months after picking up the sword. You still think I’m chosen? Bullshit! I’ve let lives slip away from my hands and even killed innocents with my bare hands before I even joined the Corps!”
After all, I can’t be like Rengoku-san…
With each word her eldest brother spoke, guilt festered more within Yorumi. From the Uzui sibling massacre to her first mission as a Demon Slayer, she recalled how she basically handicapped Tengen from the moment she was born. All the fuchsia-eyed girl saw was her eldest brother succeeding while she rotted away from being the weakest link. Despite all of her training, all the strife and resentment, Yorumi couldn’t reach the heights the rest of her siblings reached, especially Tengen. She was too blind to even notice something was wrong with the brother who basically raised her. Like always, Yorumi had failed again.
“Then why are you still alive?” Gyutaro asked exasperatedly, starting to scratch himself. “My blood is poisonous, but you’re not dead.”
Tengen… poisoned himself for me…?
“My sister and I are from a shinobi family.” The Sound Hashira casually answered as if he were talking about the weather. “I was basically trained to resist poison, so it barely works.”
Despite this, his youngest sister could hear more toxins flowing through his veins as his heart pumped more blood.
“Ninjas have been extinct ever since the Edo period!” The Upper Six sister shouted back defensively. “Liar!”
“Really, shinobi still exist.” The tall shinobi argued before explaining further. “Our family was made up of nine siblings. Only three, including Yorumi and I, were the only ones who remained by the time I turned fifteen. Over the years, as the clan slowly declined, our father was obsessed with our rigorous training. Afterward, my second-youngest brother became a copy of our old man. He even shared the same thoughts and actions as him.”
As soon as Tengen mentioned Kirisame, Yorumi remembered his cold words in her head, repeating them like mantras.
“Subordinates are pawns.”
“I don’t care if my wives die, as long as they give birth to heirs.”
“Don’t you dare show weakness here…”
“And you’re the weakest of them all.”
“He was barely human at all.” Tengen continued with remorse, his cocky tone now gone. “I don’t want to be like him.”
I’d like to thank you more, Lord Oyakata. I’ll risk my life and do whatever I can for you. Those who are conflicting and contradictory are foolish and weak.
Suddenly, the short-haired kunoichi and the ugly demon both noticed Tengen’s erratic breathing, realizing that the poison was taking effect. Gyutaro began to chuckle manically, giving him a devilish grin.
“Oi, what’s with that smile?” Yorumi insulted, trying not to panic over her eldest brother.
“As I thought, the poison is still working, although a little slower than usual.” The Upper Six brother laughed. “Your brother is just bluffing. That’s kinda lame of him, you know.”
Ignoring the ugly demon’s taunting, Tengen suddenly stabbed one of his cleavers into the ground and bragged, trying to reassure his little sister.
“No, it’s not working at all! Want me to dance for you? I’m on a roll and could eat a hundred tempura bowls flamboyantly!”
Realizing what he was doing, the Sound Tsuguko sighed and nodded her head as she and Tengen charged toward the demonic siblings. They swung their blades, but each attempt was dodged. Tengen aimed for the older brother as he kicked Daki in the air. Jumping on top of her older brother, Yorumi went towards the white-haired demon.
“How dare you kick my sister!” Gyutaro shouted at the Sound Hashira.
“You pieces of shit!” Daki swore, sending her obis towards the siblings.
At the same time, both Yorumi and Tengen threw their explosives at their respective targets. Instinctively, the Upper Six brother avoided the bombs, but the sister had their sashes hit them. Consequently, she exploded with Yorumi falling safely with her eldest brother’s help, picking her up before landing her onto the ground. Then, Gyutaro glared at them while being careful not to touch the bombs.
These bombs… he analyzed meticulously, they’re made out of special gunpowder with the capability to injure demons. The slightest friction could cause them to explode. Both the Hashira’s and his sister’s smell like wisteria flowers, but the girl's is more complex. It smells like special blood, but not Marechi…. Either way, they’re using their swords and bombs to kill us.
Once the smoke dissipated, the Upper Six brother noticed his sister with her head lopped off and some burn marks on her skin. Her obis were undamaged, thanks to their durability.
They’re also light on their feet…
Before Gyutaro could notice even further, Tengen swung his cleaver towards his neck, only for it to extend somehow. He looked over to see the Hashira using two fingers to hold the tip of the other side. Despite being impressed with his grip strength, the ugly demon knocked the blade away, leaving a slight cut on the side of his neck. In response, the Sound Hashira got both his blades with Yorumi by his side.
“AAHHH!!!!” Daki screamed out towards the Sound Tsuguko, holding her decapitated head near her body. “THE FUCK IS THAT SMELL?! I THOUGHT THAT REDHEAD’S BREATHING STYLE WAS WORSE, BUT THESE BOMBS REEK! IT’S DISGUSTING!”
“Disgusting?” The obi-wearing kunoichi repeated menacingly.
“MY HEAD GOT CUT OFF AGAIN!” The Upper Six sister complained like a child, her burns slowly healing. “YOU BITCH! I WON’T FORGIVE YOU! THIS SUCKS! HOW COME I’M THE ONLY ONE GETTING DECAPITATED?!”
She started to screech again like a whistling kettle while Yorumi winced in response. Wanting to avoid her, the short-haired kunoichi paid closer attention to the older brother of the demonic pair.
“Your big brother is dying, you know?” Gyutaro mockingly reminded her, scratching his face again. “Even as we speak, my sister and I are winning by the minute.”
As the Uzui siblings faced away, Zenitsu and Inosuke arrived inside. The former had a snot bubble from sleeping, despite acting more seriously. Meanwhile, the latter was confidently yelling at his opponents.
“Don’t you dare forget about me!” The boar-head cried out, not understanding the context. “Lord Inosuke and his lackey are here!”
The blond snored as everyone else looked at the duo.
“Who are you guys?” irritatedly asked the Upper Six brother.
Then, Tanjiro landed from above in front of the ugly demon. His sword faced his opponent with his eyes focused. The box holding a sleeping Nezuko had one of its straps knotted for the redhead to carry her. Gyutaro glared at the Slayer in front of him, feeling insulted that a supposed weakling had interrupted his fight. With a slither of hope, the Uzui siblings might be able to defeat these siblings.
~~•~~
While the battle raged on, hundreds of people were evacuating Yoshiwara. With the help of the Muscle Mice and their crows, the Kunoichi Trio were looking after the citizens. Due to the destruction heard from far away, everyone was on board with leaving the Entertainment District. Makio and Suma were carrying people who weren’t able to run on their own on their backs. Meanwhile, Hinatsuru was resting near the evacuees to recover from poison.
Since she was at the Kyogoku House where Daki was hiding, the ponytailed kunoichi was near the lion’s den. She wanted to warn her husband and sister-in-law, but the oiran grew more suspicious of her. To absolve her from suspicion, Hinatsuru poisoned herself in order to pass as being sick, alerting the House Masters to transfer to a lower brothel. However, Daki had given her one of her obis as a supposed gift to watch over her, preventing the woman from warning her family about her whereabouts. Afterwards, she continued to poison herself in order not to blow her cover.
Thankfully, she was saved by Tengen before returning to rescue his other wives. However, Hinatsuru knew that she needed to help somehow.
“This way!” yelled Makio, gesturing with her hand for the people to follow.
“Everyone, run!” screamed Suma panickedly as she and the blonde-banged kunoichi ran outside Yoshiwara’s gate.
Once they arrived at a nearby field, they carefully put down the children they were carrying and went over to see Hinatsuru.
“Hinatsuru, are you doing okay–?” The blue-eyed kunoichi asked, only to see her empty blanket before overreacting. “GAAHHH! SHE’S GONE!”
“Suma-oiran?” asked a familiar voice.
The two kunoichis turned around to see Koinatsu and her two trainee girls. The Muscle Mice had carried her over when Daki, Tanjiro, and Yorumi had moved away from her unconscious body. The rodents helped pull the tayuu’s lower half away from the cut-off sash, releasing her from capture.
“Koinatsu-oiran!” Suma surprisedly exclaimed.
“Um, that woman who was lying down there…” the golden-eyed tayuu said worriedly, “she went back to Yoshiwara. She was still limping, so I tried insisting that she should continue resting, but she ignored me.”
“GAAAH!” The shrinking violet screeched out before getting smacked in the ass by Makio.
“Come on, Suma! We have to go!” The red-clad kunoichi shouted back as she and Suma, albeit the latter was reluctant, went back to get their other wife.
Once they arrived back in the district, they saw Hinatsuru in an alley, holding onto the walls to support herself.
“Hinatsuru, what are you doing?!” cried Suma.
“Trying… to help… Lord Tengen….” She muttered out with hints of desperation in her voice. “I already talked to the crows to call the Kakushi and some other Demon Slayers to look after the evacuees.”
“You need to rest! What we fought earlier was an Upper Moon Six!” Makio shouted back defensively, trying to pull her away. “Suma and I were captured by that thing, and you had to poison yourself so that it wouldn’t kill you! Our husband is strong enough to kill that thing!”
“What about Yorumi?” Hinatsuru asked, causing the two other wives to go silent. “She’s strong, but she’s a teenager, the youngest in our family. There are also three or four other children fighting in our place, including the ones who helped save you two. What would happen if Yorumi and those kids died because we weren’t there?”
Not knowing how to respond, Suma and Makio sighed as they both went under the purple-clad kunoichi’s shoulder to support her walk.
“Thanks…” Hinatsuru gladly said as they exited the alley.
They all smiled at each other, determined to help.
~~•~~
Meanwhile, Tanjiro was frozen in front of Gyutaro. In comparison to Daki, his smell was the most pungent out of all the demons he had faced so far with the exception of both Muzan and Akaza. He didn’t know how to react, already exhausted from fighting his weaker sister, but the Uzui siblings heard his hesitation. Cockily, Tengen began to brag.
“We’re the Demon Slayer Corps… and we’re going to win!”
“You can’t win if the Hashira you’re counting on is poisoned!” Daki screamed back, finally reattaching her head.
Poisoned?! Tanjiro thought in surprise, looking at the Sound Hashira behind him.
He then turned over to Yorumi, whose face was filled with regret, with a crumpled lower lip, confirming his fears.
“Listen up, demons! We’ll win, and we’ll do it easily!” Tengen yelled back flamboyantly. “I may be poisoned, but I’m still more than your equal! And don’t underestimate humans! Especially my four Tsugukos! They’ll stand true to the end!”
Tanjiro and Yorumi looked up at him as if seeing someone familiar, while Inosuke rallied alongside him.
“Yeah! That’s right!”
“Cut off their limbs, and they’ll bare their teeth on you!” The Sound Hashira declared proudly. “Besides, I know your weakness. It’s cutting off both your heads, isn’t it? I’m right, am I? Otherwise, you’d absorb your sister and limit your powers! How foolish!”
Daki and Gyutaro weren’t phased by this discovery, considering the number of Demon Slayers and Hashira they’ve killed over the years together. Meanwhile, all Yorumi and Tanjiro could see was the spirit of Kyojuro’s burning spirit overlapping with Tengen’s face. The Sound Hashira looked away to focus on the demonic siblings.
“Shut up, won't cha?” complained Gyutaro before bragging. “I’ve eaten fifteen Hashira, while my sister ate seven.”
“Yeah. Until dawn breaks, you’re stuck with us, so none of you are safe!” Daki gleefully taunted. “So why don’t you all give up already?!”
Suddenly, a barrage of obis went towards the Uzui siblings and Tanjiro until the silver-haired shinobi blocked. At the sound of cackling thunder, Zenitsu zipped upwards to the rooftop.
“Zenitsu!” cried out the redhead.
Meanwhile, the shirtless Slayer ran outside to follow the blond before proclaiming.
“Leave the worm-woman to me and sleepyhead! You guys handle that mantis! Let’s go!” He shouted before waving back. “Watch yourselves!”
“Will do!” replied Yorumi loudly.
“Not if my little sister has anything to say about it.” The ugly demon said as his sister moved upwards to the rooftop.
“Why don’t you shut up already?” The short-haired kunoichi said coldly. “You’re just a pathetic man who can’t help but look down on everyone else because you’re immortal. You can’t even acknowledge the horrors your precious sister had caused, seeing her as some goddamn angel.”
Gyutaro scoffed before defending him, his left eye somehow disappearing.
“If I don’t cause misery equal to my unhappiness, I’ll never balance the scales!” He yelled out arrogantly. “That’s how it is when you’re a demon! And we kill anyone who tries to tell us otherwise! And in the same way… We’ll slit your throats too.”
Suddenly, the Sound Tsuguko heard similar muffled words coming from the roof, but from Daki’s mouth. She also noticed how the Upper Six sister's aura sounded more powerful than before, ever since her older brother lost his eye.
That Gyutaro guy… the obi-wearing kunoichi thought, he must’ve done something to increase her strength.
Suddenly, the ugly demon had the tip of his blood scythe near her chin, as well as Tanjiro’s. Before he could stab and poison them, Tengen threw both Slayers out of the way to deal with the Upper Six brother. Once they landed behind the fight, Yorumi felt hopeless, burdened by the weight of responsibility for her eldest brother’s safety for the sake of his wives. Looking at the redhead beside her, they both shared the idea to run back to the fight. However, before they could do so, rumbling started from above as the obis blocked their way to the silver-haired shinobi and the ugly demon.
These moves seem more calculated than Daki’s regular moves… Yorumi analyzed, scowling a bit.
“Heh heh heh…” Gyutaro laughed mockingly, irritating the Sound Tsuguko. “You were lying about their capability as Tsuguko. They aren’t nearly as good as you said. That won’t do. That won’t do at all!”
With the combined Blood Demon Arts of Daki and Gyutaro, all the Slayers in the area were overwhelmed until the building crumbled. Using his cleavers, Tengen sliced away the debris in his way until the Upper Six brother got in his way. Before he could strike the Sound Hashira again, the silver-haired shinobi was able to block the attack.
He’s fast. The Sound Hashira thought, focusing on the moment. He really is like a mantis!
Suddenly, blades of blood appeared behind him under Gyutaro’s control, ready to strike him. However, Tanjiro and Yorumi were able to block the attacks with their own swords, albeit struggling. Defensively, the redhead reverted to using Water Breathing, a stream of water following his blade. Hearing this opportunity, Tengen took a deep breath and prepared his explosives, charging towards the Upper Six brother outside.
Sound Breathing Fifth Form: String Performance!
However, most of the damage received was blocked by Gyutaro controlling Daki’s obis. He commanded them again to strike the Sound Hashira, but the obi-wearing kunoichi and the green-clad Slayer stabbed them to the ground.
Come on, Tengen/Uzui-san! They both thought tensely. Let’s win this!
Tanjiro and Yorumi are fighting for me? Tengen thought in shock as he noticed their conditions. Yorumi still has that head wound, and that kid’s body isn’t fully strong enough to handle the blood blades. It’s my fault for getting poisoned. If I die, then those kids are next!
As his thoughts continued, Tanjiro and Yorumi were overwhelmed by the barrage of blood blades and obis coming their way. The redhead was running out of breath, trying to do Recovery Breathing, but he was barely given a chance. All until hope arrived.
On top of the building nearby, the Kunoichi Trio was there, each holding a crossbow and cannon hybrids full of kunai. At once, the three aimed their weapons towards each Upper Six demon as Yorumi and Tengen looked at them with hope in their eyes.
What? Kunai darts? Gyutaro thought as he looked upwards. Attacking me from above while I’m fighting the Hashira? What a pain. How annoying! Even when I’m fighting four fledgling Demon Slayers? How pointless…
Defending himself, the ugly demon summoned a sphere of blood sickles to protect himself from the kunai.
Blood Demon Art: Rampant Arc Rampage!
Meanwhile, Daki’s obis had already blocked the attack with Gyutaro’s help and their durability.
“OH COME ON!!!” exclaimed Suma worriedly.
After using his Blood Demon Art, Gyutaro glanced down to see Tengen stabbed with a kunai in his body, somewhat looking like a pufferfish. Next, he looked at Yorumi and saw one on her thigh. Then there was Tanjiro, unharmed as they both ran to support the Sound Hashira.
The kunai stabbed them?! How insane are these shinobis?!
The ugly demon tried to slice the silver-haired shinobi with his sickle, but the latter nimbly dodged it. Taking advantage of the Upper Six brother’s surprise, he chopped off Gyutaro’s feet with his blades before Hinatsuru reloaded her kunai and shot them towards him. Thankfully, one of them was able to hit the demon on the neck. Meanwhile, Makio and Suma were trying to break through Daki’s sturdy obis, not helped by Gyutaro’s help.
Blood Demon Art: Blood-Stained Basket!
From this Blood Demon Art, an obi would overlap another to defend its user. Then the previously hit sash would go back and protect the one under another.
“GODDAMN IT! JUST BREAK ALREADY!” Makio angrily cried out, shooting the kunai with all she’s got.
On the other hand, Suma was just crying and yelling while aiming. Meanwhile, Gyutaro was confused by how slow his regeneration became.
My feet aren’t regenerating! Those kunai must’ve been coated with wisteria extract! My body is going numb!
Throughout their years of working under the Demon Slayer Corps, the Uzui family utilized their shinobi training to craft more weapons to harm demons with. The poison-coated kunai were strong enough to paralyze an ordinary demon for half a day, and could even immobilize a Lower Moon. After being distracted, he saw Yorumi and Tanjiro with their blades aimed at his neck.
Interesting! The Upper Six brother thought excitedly. These guys can turn things around so quickly!
Come on! Hinatsuru begged internally as she watched from above. Please work! Even if it’s for a few minutes! We need someone to chop off his head!
Before Tanjiro’s and Yorumi’s blades could touch the skin of Gyutaro’s neck, his feet finally regenerated.
Damn it! The poison isn’t strong enough! Tengen was mentally panicked.
“Wow, that’s some strong poison!” The ugly demon mocked, stomping his feet onto the ground before summoning blood around his arms.
As Gyutaro spread his arms out, swirls of violently rotating blood shot out of them. Overwhelmed by their power and range, Yorumi and Tanjiro were thrown away as Tengen prepared his Sound Breathing.
He slashed each blood scythe that came to approach the Slayers with sparkling lights protecting them. Once the smoke cleared, Tengen realized that the Upper Six brother had disappeared, getting nervous as he extended the chain of his cleavers. He looked over to see his wives to call them, but Gyutaro had already covered Hinatsuru’s mouth with an iron grip. Meanwhile, Makio and Suma were surrounded by blood sickles, ready to attack them if they made the wrong move.
“You’re the one with the poison… so I’m gonna worry about you!” The ugly demon threatened.
~~•~~
It was the evening of the day the Uzui siblings and the Kunoichi Trio escaped their village. In the forest near a town, Makio and Suma were thinking about what Tengen had said to them earlier.
"I want you four to only think about your own lives.”
“I may be the flashiest, but you're all most important to me, so don't get yourselves killed."
It was conflicting to hear such considerate words, no doubt thanks to the brainwashing they had received from their respective clans. Not knowing what to do, the blond-banged kunoichi asked the eldest of Tengen’s wives.
“Hey…” she shyly said, “what do you think about… what our husband said?”
Hinatsuru thought about it for a while before shrugging it off.
“I think it’s alright. After all, that’s how Lord Tengen wants it.”
Upon hearing this, Suma’s and Makio’s eyes widened.
“What do you mean by that?” the blue-eyed kunoichi asked curiously.
The ponytailed woman sighed before continuing.
“Suma… your family has to deal with lots of mouths to feed, so they have to marry all of you off so young. Even younger than our standards.”
“Y-Yeah…” Suma regretfully agreed, remembering how her younger sister was almost married to the silver-haired shinobi.
Hinatsuru then looked at Makio, making the latter cross her arms and look away from her.
“Makio… yours had their clan head gone, so you had to be the man of the household for your younger siblings.”
“HOW DID YOU KNOW–” The red-robed kunoichi tried to yell, facing her other wife fiercely before realizing the obvious. “Right… please continue.”
Makio looked away again as Hinatsuru continued.
“You had to take care of everything on your own, despite the nagging from your mother and stepmothers. You had younger brothers, but they were either too young or killed during their training. Out of stress from your situation as well as the pressure of being the ‘man of the house,’ you would often lash out, right?”
The blonde-banged kunoichi tried to act tough before finally letting her guard down.
“Right…”
Now that the purple-robed kunoichi talked about her other wives’ backgrounds, she had to discuss her own.
“Since my clan was second to the Uzuis, we were often pressured to be the best. After what happened, there were few survivors, but I was immediately married off without a moment to rest…”
“Okay… but how is this related to our husband?” Suma questioned before Hinatsuru replied.
“To be honest, I don’t know if I’m still sane at this point, but Lord Tengen’s point made me realize something. We’ve kept hearing the same thing about us kunoichi, either being pawns or baby makers for our husbands. We’ve experienced many wives abused by this standard, so seeing how our husband cares about our safety…. It gives me hope. Wanting to live… and avoiding deadly danger aren’t bad things. Most people live that way. I’m sure it’s fine.”
Understanding their fellow wife’s point, Suma jumped with excitement.
“I see!” She exclaimed.
“Guess you’re right…” Makio scoffed, trying to sound less impressed.
“Now, we have to go back.” The ponytailed kunoichi reminded them. “It’s getting late, and Lord Tengen is probably getting worried about us.”
“Right.” Both Suma and Makio replied enthusiastically, noticing Yorumi glance at them before she turned away.
~~•~~
“NOOOOOO!!!” screamed Tengen desperately, trying to run towards them, but Gyutaro kept controlling the obis to block his way.
As Yorumi watched with horror, she experienced the same adrenaline she felt before killing Oriko. Her memories invaded her mind again, growing stronger with each second that Tanjiro could smell the negative emotions spilling from her.
“Why can’t you do this?!”
“God, she’s annoying…”
“Father is gonna marry you off to a monkfish!”
“You useless broad…”
“You were the easiest target after all…”
“And you’re the weakest of them all.”
Overwhelmed by her bottled-up emotions reopening themselves, Yorumi vanished in the blink of an eye. Looking beside himself, the Kamado brother noticed her disappearance but prioritized his sights on the Upper Six brother. Out of desperation, Tanjiro decided to use a fusion of Water Breathing and Hinokami Kagura to save the Kunoichi Trio. The three were by the redhead’s side as Gyutaro got angrier.
“Why you–”
Before he could notice her presence, the Sound Tsuguko had already seemingly cut off his head, his body falling.
“Hinatsuru, are you alright?!” Yorumi panickedly asked.
“I’m fine!” Hinatsuru reassured her sister-in-law.
“Us too–!” Makio and Suma tried to speak before being interrupted.
Before the short-haired girl knew it, her back was suddenly slashed by Gyutaro’s scythe. Blood scythes started to surround her as Gyutaro rose back up with strings of flesh holding his almost decapitated head. Slowly healing his neck, the Upper Six brother grabbed the wounded Yorumi before she could drop off the rooftop, wrapping his left arm around her waist to hold her hostage. The Sound Tsuguko tried getting her dropped cleavers, but the demon hugged her tighter, making her spit out blood. One of his sickles blocked Yorumi from escaping while the other was nearing her throat.
Watching this from the other side, Tanjiro wanted to rescue the youngest Uzui, but his body was getting exhausted from combining both Water Breathing and Hinokami Kagura. Enraged, Tengen leaped onto the roof to confront Gyutaro, growling at how hard Yorumi was in the demon’s grasp.
“Ah, ah, ah.” He taunted the Slayers in front of him, devilishly grinning at them while putting his scythe closer to Yorumi’s neck before turning to her. “You know… It’s been decades since someone almost cut off my head. Almost. I thought those muscles of yours were just for show. They were actually worth something with that pretty face of yours.”
Get me out. Get me out. Get me out. Get me out. Yorumi thought silently in fear, her heart racing with every survival instinct in her body screaming.
“If only you were as strong and cool as your older brother, then you would’ve killed me.” The Upper Six brother mocked as his finger scraped the blood spat from her lips, licking it before making a satisfied sound. “Ah well, at least you’re not as ugly as me.”
Strong… as Tengen? If only…? The short-haired kunoichi pondered, memories of a similar event flooding through her veins like adrenaline.
“You were the easiest target after all…”
“Hm, what a sweet flavor. It’s not Marechi, but it’s good enough. Say, why don’t you become a demon?” Gyutaro suggested excitedly. “You’re quite strong and beautiful enough to do so. You can get more powerful and keep your good looks throughout the centuries. Plus, you have me as a friend–”
Suddenly, the Upper Six brother’s remaining eye was stabbed by Yorumi, now holding a kunai.
HUH?! He thought before noticing a piece of cloth tied around her thigh where the kunai was previously. When she was stabbed in the thigh… did she get rid of the kunai… and hide it until I was near enough?
“Don’t you dare touch me like that again.” The youngest Uzui threatened coldly, her fuchsia eyes glaring at him as her temper flared up.
Despite being caught off guard, he instinctively bit onto Yorumi’s shoulder and tore off a piece of it, swallowing it in one bite. She screeched in pain as Tanjiro and the Uzui family watched in horror. As the Upper Six demon regenerated his right eye, he held the Sound Tsuguko before threatening.
“I guess, after I kill everyone here, you’ll be my dessert. What a shame. I like you.”
“The feeling… isn’t… mutual–”
With blinding speed, the Upper Six brother proceeded to kick Yorumi so hard that she collided with multiple roofs before falling.
“YORUMI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
~~•~~
Author’s Note:
I accidentally fell asleep while checking my editor’s feedback, so I’m posting this chapter a day later. Following this, uploads would take longer than expected, due to college. Either way, writing the chapters would most likely be easier since it’s just reusing transcripts from the original fanfic. Also, I rewrote that all three of the Kunoichi Trio arrived at the fight, so that they can have more screen time, since I also noticed that I sidelined them and haven’t highlighted their relationship with Yorumi as much in the earlier chapters.
In other news, I’m planning to meet up with friends before I leave, but the details are unsure, so I hope that they will soon be finalized.
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