Kyoto.
Deep in the mountains, inside an abandoned temple.
A man with closed eyes and terrifying markings across his face sat in seiza, radiating an overwhelming presence. An old, eerie sword rested by his side, adding to the intimidating scene.
As he opened his golden-and-red eyes, two additional pairs above and below the original ones snapped open, narrowing sharply. The middle pair bore the inscription Upper Rank One.
"Something is wrong with the lord. My cells are trembling. I can feel the lord's emotions so vividly…"
He fell silent for a moment.
'However, it's impossible to stand against the lord. The current Demon Slayers aren't even worth noticing. Then…'
His mind drifted to a distant memory from centuries ago, a specific person he still remembered.
His six eyes flickered with dread for an instant.
"Not possible… No other human has come close to that man's strength in these past centuries. He was the only one…"
Refusing to believe it, he closed his eyes and waited patiently for further instructions.
....
Outskirts of Nagoya, in one of the villages.
In a dark room of a grand castle, a rainbow-eyed young-looking man with Upper Rank Two etched in his eyes chewed on a grotesque, mangled body.
It was a pale thigh dripping fresh blood.
"Mmm~ Since Lord Muzan has no use for me, I guess I'm not needed…"
He glanced at the severed head of a female girl placed on a cushion beside him and showed a sad expression. "Why is everybody so mean to me… Wahh."
Tears falling, he continued devouring the remains anyway.
....
Tokyo, Northern prefecture.
A basketball-headed demon with Upper Rank Three visible in his eyes sat on a tree branch, an unreadable expression on his face.
'Muzan-sama…'
He had tried contacting Muzan countless times, but to no avail.
Since demons still existed, Kibutsuji Muzan was alive.
"Just what is happening… Don't tell me there's a human out there capable of this…!"
Goosebumps exploded across his body as his eyes widened.
Though fearful, anticipation also rose from deep within.
His fighting spirit burned. If there truly was someone worthy…
....
Deep inside dense mountains, in a massive cave.
A slouched figure with a terrifying horned head shivered on the ground for an entire day.
"Forgive me… My lord… Forgive me… Forgive me…"
He remained in that position, trembling and crying, begging for forgiveness.
....
Kamakura.
On an empty, well-lit street, a flower-patterned pot rested near a streetlight.
Excited yet dreadful voices echoed continuously from inside. "Hee! Someone strong enough to injure Muzan-sama! What unthinkable events! Hyo! Scary! Scary! Scary!"
....
Entertainment District, North of Central Tokyo.
Kyogoku House.
In the most luxurious room, a curvaceous woman smoked a pipe while slouched on a comfy cushion.
Releasing smoke slowly through her mouth, she mumbled to herself. "Onii-chan, we'll continue to grow here, right? Muzan-sama got—"
A heavy yet caring voice came from within her body. "Stop thinking, little sis. You're not good at it. Just do whatever you want. Don't have useless thoughts that'll get us killed…"
Hearing those serious words, she nodded.
Her pink sash slithered across the entire room as a human body was absorbed into it from the ceiling.
....
Butterfly Mansion, laboratory.
"The blood you wanted…" Tanjiro handed over the device filled with crimson liquid to Shinobu.
However, the purple-eyed girl simply stared behind him in utter silence. Her gaze locked onto Kie's mature figure, who had followed Tanjiro everywhere by clinging to the hem of his clothes.
Shinobu, with her scrutinizing look, said softly. "Hē, so Kie-san only remembers Tanjiro-kun after losing her memories…" She glanced at him with her big eyes and added. "That's really unfortunate and heartbreaking for Nezuko-chan and the others."
Touching her chin, she continued. "Hmm, maybe your memory had the most influence on Kie-san's mind since childhood. That's why she didn't forget you."
Hearing her reasoning, Kanae smiled proudly. "See, isn't my sister smart? Fufu…"
Releasing a sigh, he simply slumped his shoulders.
"Things just turned out like this… It wouldn't have happened if I had been there with them in the first place…"
He realized Shinobu was approaching and could have easily stopped her hands, but he let her pull on both of his cheeks anyway. It was more of a playful act either way.
She said warmly. "Hey, hey, do not blame yourself. Your family is alive thanks to you. Kie-san is also fine, and I'll help her become human again, so everything will turn out okay."
"…"
Kanae and Tanjiro fell silent, staring at Shinobu's lovely face radiating a happy smile.
Kie simply observed quietly, not caring about anything as long as her child was safe and sound.
Shinobu's cheeks flushed slightly as she mumbled out loud. "W-What? Why are you looking at me like that?"
He couldn't help but grin at her reaction. "Heh, I was just wondering about the person who said not to come too close to other people's faces this morning."
He leaned forward since she was small and gazed at her shaking eyes calmly. "I forgot—maybe Shinobu-san remembered?"
The moment he said that, she bit her lips funnily and showed fake anger to hide the blush that had flashed across her cheeks. "You…"
Yet he couldn't care less and showed a smile.
"Payback time…" he said calmly before reaching for her cheeks quickly.
Shinobu didn't have time to react as his hands came out of nowhere and pulled and squeezed her cheeks in pure enjoyment.
Kanae's desperate voice sounded next to him. "AH, I want to do that too!"
"W-Wait…! Sto—op…"
Seeing that it was more than enough, he let go and backed off immediately.
"Shinobu-san was the one who treated me like a kid first… So I only returned the favor." He said warmly. His figure was already half out of the door, followed by a smiling Kie who had enjoyed what he did.
"Hey! Get back in here! We're not done yet!" Embarrassed as hell, she responded sharply.
Though he was gone, and so was Kie.
"Damn it." She released a flustered sigh. "He's such a naughty boy! Hashira my foot…"
Even though she was muttering loudly, the blush on her cheeks was still there.
Kanae watched her little sister's behavior and smiled wryly. "Be more honest with yourself, Shinobu… Or else you will lose him."
....
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