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Discovering the Future

Summary:

The Hashira are summoned into a strange room, to learn about their future. A future in which they shall defeat Muzan.

Notes:

This is my first time writing a reaction fic, so I'm sorry if it's not that nice! Also, the Hashira aren't going to view Nezuko kindly for a while, so please don't be offended! I'll be writing everything from the person's POV, so stuff will be adjusted accordingly!!

Chapter 1: 1.1 CRUELTY

Chapter Text

Shinobu looked around, bewildered. One moment she was preparing to sleep, the other she was here, in this mysterious mansion. She was in a simple room, with two beds. No decorations were there, and the house looked somewhat like the western houses Kanroji told her about. Her hand flew to her waist, where her sword lay. Was this some blood demon art?

The door was pushed open, and Muichiro poked his head in. “Kocho.” He said, in his usually aloof tone. “You are here as well?”

“As well?” Shinobu asked. “Who else is here, besides us? Is it a demon?! Is someone protecting Oyakata-sama?!”

Tokito blinked blankly. Of course, how would he know? Even if he did, he wouldn’t remember it to tell anyway. They began to explore, and eventually heard noises. Familiar noises.

“No, Obanai!” The excited voice of the Flame Hashira made it’s way to Shinobu’s ears. “Ah, Shinobu, Muichiro! You two are here as well?” Standing next to Kyojuro was Obanai, the Serpent Hashira, his snake wrapped around his neck and shoulders.

After some searching, they found the rest of the Hashira as well.

“No one else is here in this house? Just us nine?” Tengen asked, curiously.

“It does seem so.” Giyu replied, quietly, as he picked a piece of paper which was lying on a table nearby. “Oh.” Was all he said, after reading it.

“What does it say?” inquired Mitsuri, only to be handed the paper. It seemed that the Water Pillar wasn’t interested in having a conversation as such. Then, Mitsuri began reading it aloud.

Dear Hashira,

I hope this letter finds you in good health. You were brought here to witness something which will change your fates; your future. I am glad to tell you that Kibutsuji Muzan will be defeated in your generation itself. But the win feels more like a loss, because almost all of the corps will be wiped out in the process of defeating Muzan. Such great loss of life. Seven Hashira will fight in the final battle against the Upper Moons and Muzan, and only two will survive to live the tale...only to perish within four years.

Yes indeed, it is a sad tale. Such tragic loss. All of you here deserve to live till the time your hair grows grey. You deserve to have families and live a happy life. And that chance was snatched away from you. You are getting this chance to live, to survive, to defeat Kibutsuji will all the knowledge.

You will get to see the story of a boy named Tanjiro Kamado, who is essential to defeat Muzan. He and his sister Nezuko will be the catalysts which will lead to Muzan’s defeat. Therefore, it is essential to see his story to learn the way of defeating Muzan.

This house has a kitchen, two bathrooms, one living room, a pantry, and four bedrooms. Shinobu-Mitsuri, Gyomei-Muichiro, Kyojuro-Tengen and Obanai, Sanemi and Giyu will share a room respectively. Please try not to fight in here.

Thank You,

Aoba Hashibira.

 

For some moments, they stayed silent, gaping at the letter. A wave of mixed emotions shot through Shinobu.

Defeated Muzan in their generation?! They had defeated HIM?! God...

It was the best thing she had heard in her entire life. But the fact that only two of them had survived the fight was mildly concerning... It also meant that she, Shinobu, had surely died. There was no way she would live. Upper Two had been defeated, and her plan had succeeded-

“O-only two of us?...” Kyojuro said, his voice faltering. “And just seven of us participated in the final battle?! How can that be?”

“Perhaps some of us retired or-” Mitsuri mumbled, stopping.

Or Perished.

“We should watch the story of this...Kamado.” Obanai said, playing with the hilt of his sword. “It will help us, according to Hashibira.”

“Yes, we should.” Tengen agreed. As soon as he said so, something flickered on the black screen in front of them. Many of them yelped, surprised by this sudden action. Please be seated, written in bold white colours flickered on the screen. They obliged, albeit reluctantly.

“Please keep explaining things to me...” Gyomei murmured. “For I won’t be able to see, as you know.”

 

The screen turned complete black, the sounds of panting coming filling the room. Slowly, the scene changed, showing snow, as someone walked.

TANJIRO KAMADO carries his unconscious sister, NEZUKO KAMADO. She is bleeding from the forehead. Tanjiro is panicking, an expression of terror and worry on his face.

“Do any of you know this boy?” Sanemi asked.

“I think this is that boy we are supposed to learn about. That...that Kamado.” Kyojuro replied. Shinobu didn’t say anything, noticing how Giyu froze up completely, recognition flooding his face for a moment. However, he remained silent. Completely silent.

“Are you hiding something, Tomioka-san?” Shinobu asked, her voice perfectly sweet and composed, as always.

“Why would I?” Comes the reply.

“Indeed. Why would you?” She retorted. “Perhaps we will find in a few moments, hm?” As always, Tomioka fell silent, not replying. Sanemi and Mitsuri’s eyes darted between the two of them, one suspicious, the other curious.

TANJIRO: Why? Why did this happen?

He is shown carrying the girl once more. He is panting, and it seems that he will cry soon.

TANJIRO: Don’t die, don’t die Nezuko! I will save you! Your big brother will save you!

“Oh. So her name is Nezuko.” Mitsuri observed. “Wait, did we just hear his thoughts? His lips didn’t move when he spoke the first lines!”

Yes. Shinobu had observed the same as well.

“That is weird.” Tengen said. “How can a device capture someone’s thoughts?”

“Well, if they can capture the past, then they can capture thoughts as well.” Obanai scoffed. “I am telling you, this is some weird blood demon art. Do we even know anyone called Hashibira?!”

Before they could say anything, the scene changed.

 

The focus shifted towards the sky, and then the scene changed, showing a basket of coal. Then it shows Tanjiro, with his face covered with soot.

KIE: Tanjiro!!

We see KIE KAMADO, who comes to wipe off the soot of Tanjiro’s face.

“Oh. So this is Tanjiro.” Sanemi mumbled. “Finally.” He was blinking rapidly, shuffling weirdly, after seeing the woman who could only be Tanjiro’s mother.

Perhaps she reminded him of...

Shinobu blinked, staring at the floor. The features were similar, yes. Anyone would get mistaken...

After all, even she, Kanae’s sister, had felt her heart stop for a moment. It had felt as if she was seeing Kanae, albeit a bit older...

Continue. You can’t stop living like this, Shinobu. Your sole purpose is revenge, revenge, revenge-

 

KIE: It is dangerous in the snow. It’s best to not go today.

TANJIRO: No, I’ll go. I want my siblings to have their fill this New Year.

Kie smiles at her son, and thanks him.

Two young children, SHIGERU KAMADO and HANAKO KAMADO appear. They want to go out with him, to sell charcoal.

 

“Awww, they are so cute!” Mitsuri exclaimed. “They remind me of my youngest siblings!”

“I bet they are as cute as you are, Kanroji.” Tengen said, smirking. Obanai fumed at the words, huffing irritatedly.

 

KIE: Oh no, you can’t go. You can’t walk as fast as Tanjiro.

SHIGERU: But mommm!

KIE: No. He isn’t taking the cart, and won’t be able to carry you once you feel tired.

Shigeru and Hanako protest, but Tanjiro assures them that he will bring goodies for them, and read to them once he returns home. We see TAKEO KAMADO arrive, with a hatchet.

TANJIRO: Chop some wood while I’m gone, okay Takeo?

TAKEO: Okay, but I was hoping we could do it together.

 

“He is pouting!!!” Kyojuro said, cheerfully and loudly. “He reminds me of my younger brother, somewhat!”

Shinobu observed how all of the family contributed in the working of the house. How hard-working all the children were.

“Their father isn’t around.” Gyomei observed. “Has he been shown so far?”

“He is probably dead.” Sanemi snarled. “Or drunk somewhere. That’s how it is, in poor families.”

“Speaking from experience, Shinazugawa?” Muichiro mumbled. The boy really didn’t know when to keep his mouth and when not to. The room went still, as a vein pulsed in Sanemi’s temple.

Shinobu didn’t know what the hell did Kanae see in him. Surely something that was...clearly not there.

 

“What did you say, Tokito?” Sanemi hissed, rounding on the short boy. “Mind repeating for me?”

“Stop fighting you two.” Himejima intervened, his deep voice rumbling, as he rubbed his prayer beads. “Let’s focus on the greater things we need to deal with.”

 

Tanjiro moves forward and pats Takeo’s head, calling him a good boy. Takeo jumps, clearly embarrassed.

TAKEO: What are you doing?

SHIGERU: You are blushing, Take!

TAKEO: Shut up!

Tanjiro continues to rub Takeo’s head, which makes him jump again, and all the kids burst into laughter. Tanjiro waves to his family, as he begins to head out. He is stopped by Nezuko, in a human form, with ROKUTA KAMADO sleeping on her back.

 

“So...that’s how she looked prior to turning into a demon.” Giyu finally said, crossing his arms. Shinobu’s eyes narrowed as she thought deeply. She had an inkling that Tomioka had something to do with the Kamado siblings-

Wait. Wait, what did he just say? How she looked prior to turning into a demon...

 

“Tomioka-san.” She began, her tone sickly sweet as always. “I might have misheard, but did you just say prior to turning into a demon?”

Tomioka froze, an expression of shock briefly covering his face. “I...never said that.”

“I heard you say it as well, Tomioka.” Uzui pointed out. “Now spill. What is it?”

“If this is the future, then you will know in a few moments.”

Well, he wasn’t wrong...

“Let’s continue watching.” Gyomei said.

 

Nezuko tells her brother that she has put Rokuta to sleep, or else he would fuss. She also says that everyone is clinging to Tanjiro since they are missing their dead father. Tanjiro pats Rokuta’s head, and turns to leave.

NEZUKO: Come back safely!!!

TANJIRO: We don’t exactly have an easy life, but we’re happy. Life can change though, as sudden as the weather. It shifts and moves on. The sun can’t shine forever, and the snow has to stop at one point. But whatever happens, whenever happiness is destroyed, it’s always followed by the smell of blood.

 

“Huh? What does he mean by that?” Kyojuro couldn’t help but ask.

“I think it means...that his family is dead.” Shinobu said, softly. The rest of them turned to look at her with bewildered and shocked faces.

“I mean...” She continued. “Tomioka-san says that the sister is a demon. The note did not mention his other siblings at all, just Kamado and his sister. Perhaps they died.”

 

Though she hoped they didn’t. No one deserved to die so young...especially not those children. They already lived a poverty-stricken life without their father...

 

Tanjiro reaches the town, and is thanked by everyone for the way he has helped them in the past. He sells charcoal, and helps a person who was accused of breaking a vase, using his sense of smell. While returning home, he is stopped by a man called SABURO, and is invited to stay the night with him at his home, to stay safe from demons. Tanjiro agrees, and eats dinner.

 

“He has a strong sense of smell.” Obanai observed quietly. “That will be helpful once becoming a slayer, if he can smell the demons’ scents.”

“Yes, it will be.” Sanemi agreed. “Though he seems too weak willed to become one.”

 

TANJIRO: What do you mean by demons?

SABURO: Man-eating demons have prowled after dark since ages. It’s not safe outside. Go to bed.

TANJIRO: But they won’t enter here, inside the house, will they?

SABURO: They can. That’s why Demon Slayers protect us by killing those demons.

Tanjiro lays down thinking that Saburo is just lonely without his family, which is why he is scared of demons. He thinks about bringing his siblings to visit him the next time he comes here. But then, he recalls how his grandmother used to say the same thing.

 

“That man must have had a run-in with one of us.” Gyomei pointed out. “How else would he know about the demon slayers?”

 

The next day, Tanjiro leaves for his home.

TANJIRO: Whenever happiness is destroyed, it’s always followed....

He stops to smell the air, his eyes widening.

TANJIRO: The smell of blood!!

He races back home, and the back of his head is shown. The basket falls from his back, as he pants. A bloodied Nezuko and Rokuta are shown, laying down on the snow, surrounded by blood.

 

Mitsuri let out a shriek, hands flying to cover her mouth in horror. Tears formed in her eyes. A solemn mood spread in the room.

“Is she...are they...” Kyojuro managed to ask.

“Why aren’t one of us there to protect them?! Where were we?!” Sanemi roared, fists clenching in anger.

Tanjiro screams out in horror, racing towards Nezuko and Rokuta, yelling their names.

TANJIRO: NEZUKO!!! What happened here?!!!!

His gaze falls inside his house, and a horrified look adorns his face. His entire family lies dead.

TANJIRO: Mom...Hanako...Shigeru...Takeo...Rokuta...Nezuko....

 

They froze. Isn’t the scene all too familiar? Haven’t almost all of them lost someone to demons? And now, this young child has suffered the same...

Shinobu closed her eyes, trying to remove the images of a dead Kanae, of her dead parents, of her dead tsugukos from her mind.

“Let’s pray for the Kamados.” Gyomei murmured, praying silently. “Namu Amida Butsu. May they find peace in the afterlife.”

 

The scene cuts to show the first scene, with Tanjiro running with Nezuko on his back.

TANJIRO: Nezuko is the only one who is warm...if I get her to a doctor, she will live. How did this happen?! Was it an animal? Or a bear which couldn’t hibernate?! I can’t breathe, the air is icy, my lungs hurt. Move your legs faster!! The town is still far! I won’t let you die! Your big brother will save you no matter what!!! Hang on, just hang on!

Nezuko’s fingers began to twitch. She threw her head back, growling.

“Shit.” swore Sanemi. “She is transforming, isn’t she?”

“I think she already has...” mumbled Shinobu. It was a familiar scene, for them. They had killed so many newly transformed demons, before they could harm their family members...

 

Nezuko growls, and pulls Tanjiro, making both of them fall. Tanjiro yells and gasps. He notices how the snow saved him, but it was the thing that made him fall. He looks around for Nezuko, only to see her standing in a distance.

TANJIRO: Nezuko, why are you standing? I will carry you to the town on my back! Nezuko!

Nezuko raises her head, showing her fully demonic appearance. She growls, before lunging at Tanjiro, who slams his hatchet in her mouth to prevent her biting him.

 

WHAT THE FUCK?!!!

Shinobu’s hand flew to the hilt of her sword. Her fellow Hashira had done the same. They stared at the screen helplessly. It was clear that this girl, Nezuko, would devour her brother within moments. A hungry, newly turned demon, who had fresh meat in front of it? There was no way Tanjiro would live, unless Nezuko was killed.

“So, this is what happened.” Giyu mumbled to himself. “I see.”

“I SWEAR, IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH THIS, TOMIOKA-” Sanemi was cut off by Tengen restraining him.

“WE CAN’T HAVE FIGHTS AMONGST OURSELVES!” Kyojuro interrupted, loudly. “WE ARE THE HASHIRA, WE-”

 

It took twenty minutes to calm Shinazugawa down. Tomioka had stared blankly at the man the entire time. Sanemi was convinced that Giyu had something to do with all of this.

 

TANJIRO: She is a demon!! Just like Saburo told me...Nezuko is a man eating demon!! It can’t be...

The screen shows Tanjiro and Nezuko when they were babies. Then, a happy, smiling Nezuko is shown, when she was a human.

TANJIRO: No...Nezuko has been a human ever since she was born. Her scent isn’t like before. She was laying down as if to protect Rokuta. Her mouth and hands aren’t bloodied either. Besides, there is one more scent...

He gasps aloud as Nezuko grows in size and strength.

Shinobu stared at the scene with a raised eyebrow, and a thoughtful expression. Rengoku, seeing her expression, nudged her slightly with his elbow.

“Kocho, what’s on your mind?”

“It’s rather interesting...the girl hasn’t consumed any human flesh since her transformation, which means that she must be starved...yet she has the energy to increase her size so rapidly? It’s rarely seen in young demons...”

 

TANJIRO: Nezuko is increasing in size! She’s getting stronger too! When I was sleeping comfortably in someone else’s home, such a terrible incident happened in our home. It must have hurt. It must have felt bad. I’m sorry that I wasn’t there. I’m sorry that I couldn’t save everyone, but I should try to save Nezuko, at least. But she is so strong, that I can’t fight back.

He looks at Nezuko with teary eyes.

TANJIRO: Don’t give in, Nezuko! Fight it back! Don’t become a demon! Don’t give in!

The scene shows a pair of legs running in the snow.

 

“Oh my.” Shinobu said, contemplating. “Wasn’t that you, Tomioka-san? I think I saw your haori for a moment.”

And as always, Giyu remained silent, as if he hadn’t even heard her question. God, Tomioka could be so irritating sometimes.

 

As Tanjiro yells, begging Nezuko to fight back her demonic urges with teary eyes, a tear fell on his cheek. Nezuko is crying, her eyes wide. The scene shows a man with a mismatched haori, and jet black hair tied in a ponytail running. He jumps to strike Nezuko, who notices this, and Tanjiro pushes her out of the way before the hit is landed. The strike ends up chopping Tanjiro’s ponytail instead of Nezuko’s head. GIYU TOMIOKA is shown, standing with his katana in his hand.

 

The room fell silent. Completely silent. It was because of Tomioka’s sudden entrance. So it was confirmed. He had encountered the Kamado boy and his demon sister...

“What happened?” Gyomei asked, curiously. “Why did you fall silent?”

“Tomioka just showed up.” Obanai muttered. “Mind explaining us what you are doing there, Tomioka?”

“...My job.” Was all that came out of Tomioka’s mouth.

He was infuriating.

“But wait...” Tengen said. “I just noticed something. The demon was crying.”

“Yes, many of them do cry after eating their loved ones.” Shinobu retorted, annoyed. What was so special about a demon crying?

“But she hasn’t eaten her loved one, has she? No. There is no reason for the waterworks, is there?” Tengen snapped, rolling his eyes.

“Who knows? Maybe the girl was the one who offed her siblings.” Sanemi pointed out.

“That wasn’t the case, was it? There was no blood on her mouth and hands. And how will she become a demon on her own? Someone must’ve turned her-” Mitsuri froze mid sentence.

Shinobu looked into her eyes, and suddenly, realized what had made her stop. Realization downed on all of them.

“Only Muzan or the Upper moons are capable of turning a human into a demon...” whispered Mitsuri. “Does that mean the Kamados were murdered by one of them? Why?!”

“How will we find out if we don’t watch?” Tokito pointed out, blankly. It was not like the boy would even remember the events later on.

The siblings roll until they hit the tree. Nezuko slowly shrinks to her normal size. Tanjiro wonders about Giyu’s identity and motives. He also wonders why he carries a katana.

GIYU: Why did you protect the demon?

TANJIRO: She is my sister! She is my younger sister!

GIYU: You call that thing your sister?

 

“Behead the girl, Tomioka! No time for a chit-chat!” Kyojuro exclaimed. “Show us that wonderful spray of blood!”

“It might be one of the flashiest things you have done so far.” agreed Tengen.

Giyu, meanwhile, had gone completely still, his face blank. It made Shinobu wonder...

“Tomioka-san!” She asked, turning towards him with a smile on her face. “You did behead her, didn’t you?”

“...I cannot say.” Came the reply.

...

“THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN BY ‘I CANNOT SAY’?!!! DID YOU BEHEAD HER OR NOT?!!!!” Sanemi roared.

Giyu looked at him blankly, for at least a minute before mumbling something that sounded like “No”.

“YOU STUPID FU-”

“There are children in the room, Shinazugawa!!!” Gyomei reprimanded him loudly. The child in question, Tokito, stared at the paused ceiling blankly.

“Who is that boy again?” He asked.

 

Tanjiro ducks, to avoid Giyu’s blow, only to see him standing, restraining Nezuko. He yells out Nezuko’s name.

GIYU: Stay still. My job is beheading vile demons, so I have to behead your sister too.

TANJIRO: Nezuko hasn’t killed anyone! There was another smell in my house! She didn’t hurt anyone! I don’t know why she became like this!

GIYU: Man-eating demons multiply when their blood enters the wound of a human. That’s how she must have turned as well.

TANJIRO: Nezuko didn’t eat anyone! She won’t eat anyone!!

GIYU: Didn’t she almost eat you before I came here?

TANJIRO: No!! She recognized me, she won’t eat me! I will cure her!!!

GIYU: That’s pointless. Demons can’t be cured.

Tanjiro begins to plead in front of Giyu.

TANJIRO: No, please! Don’t kill her! I’ll find a way! I’ll find the one who murdered my family, don’t kill her, please!!

 

Shinobu sighed, feeling a wave of sympathy for the boy. Mitsuri had burst into tears, and Iguro was trying to calm her down. Gyomei was also shedding tears, chanting prayers for the dead Kamado family. The rest of the Hashira were trying to tell Giyu that he hadn’t even explained in detail about demon slayers to Tanjiro.

Giyu raises his sword to kill Nezuko. Tanjiro continues to beg him, howling desperately. He sees his deceased family.

TANJIRO: Don’t take my family away from me again!

He kneels, pressing his forehead to the ground as he begs.

TANJIRO: Don’t kill her! Don’t kill Nezuko! I’m begging you, please!!!

His sobs are heard. Giyu’s hand trembles and he grits his teeth. He raises his head, and he looks very angry.

GIYU: Don’t let anyone else control your life! Don’t beg others pitifully! If this would’ve helped, your family would still be alive!! Now you want to cure your sister and find the culprit?!! What a joke! The weak don’t have choices! Perhaps the demons know how to cure your sister, but why will they respect you? I don’t respect you either!!! Why did you let her push you?! Why didn’t you swing your hatchet? Why are you begging?!

 

“Wow, Tomioka...” Tengen said, grinning. “I knew you had it in you!!!”

“....You did?”

“...Nah.”

 

GIYU: Don’t cry, don’t lose hope. I know it must’ve hurt. Your sister was turned into a man-eating demon. If I arrived a day earlier, your family would’ve lived. But I can’t turn back time. Unleash your fury. This rage will become the driving force for you. Being weak won’t be able to help your sister or avenge your family.

Giyu raises his arm and stabs Nezuko. Tanjiro screams, and dashes into a run, while he throws a pebble at Giyu. Tanjiro charges at Giyu.

GIYU: An attack driven by emotions.

GIYU: How pathetic.

He strikes Tanjiro’s back, making him faint. Nezuko stares at her brother in shock.

GIYU: Wait...where is the hatchet?

He looks up just in time to see the hatchet flying, and dodges it before it can hit him.

“Did that boy just...almost attack a Hashira?!!!” Iguro snarled. “Were you sleeping, Tomioka?”

“If you hadn’t dodged it, your head would’ve been split open.” Shinobu couldn’t help but say with a smile.

 

Giyu thinks how Tanjiro had thrown his hatchet in the air, and acted as if he were still holding it to distract him. Meanwhile, Nezuko growls and escapes Giyu’s grip, running towards Tanjiro.

GIYU: Damn it, he will be eaten!

Giyu stares in shock, as Nezuko crouches in front of her brother, as if to protect him. Tanjiro’s words about Nezuko never eating a human ring again. As she attacks him, and he dodges, he contemplates how often newly turned demons have consumed their relatives, how many relatives said the same thing Tanjiro did, but ended up being eaten afterwards. He thinks how this pair of siblings is different.

 

Silence fell over them.

“You let them go, didn’t you, Tomioka?” Sanemi asked, his voice quiet.

“...Yes.” Came the answer. Immediately, the room erupted into shouts on how Tomioka had broken corps rules, and therefore, had to be banished and removed from his post.

“Perhaps...” squeaked Mitsuri. “Perhaps we should finish watching this without taking such a drastic step?”

“Yes, that would be nice.” Shinobu commented. “We should have a bit of patience with our comrade.” She was angry, very angry with Tomioka. How could he let that...that thing be left alive? Wasn’t it their job to finish them all?

But a rational decision had to be made. So therefore, they decided to wait.

 

Nezuko tries to attack Giyu, but is knocked out by him. Everything turns black, and then, Tanjiro’s family is shown.

KIE: I’m sorry for leaving you, Tanjiro. Take care of Nezuko.

Tanjiro gasps and wakes up. He sees Nezuko laid beside him, her eyes closed, a bamboo muzzle around her mouth. Giyu’s back is shown.

GIYU: So you are awake.

Tanjiro shields Nezuko from him.

GIYU: Go to Mt. Sagiri, and find a man named Sakonji Urokodaki. Tell him that Giyu Tomioka sent you. It’s foggy right now, so it’s alright, but don’t bring her out in the sun.

 

“Tomioka...you should’ve guided them to Mt. Sagiri.” said Gyomei, softly.

“I had...other missions.” Giyu mumbled. “I didn’t think-”

“Did you help them in burying their family?” Kyojuro asked, as loudly as always.

Giyu didn’t reply, but all of them knew what his silence meant.

Tomioka-san...when will you gain social skills?

 

Giyu disappears, and Tanjiro cradles an asleep Nezuko tearfully. Later on, the scene changes to show the siblings back at their house, in front of five mounds. Nezuko stares emptily, while Tanjiro prays.

TANJIRO: Let’s go.

He grabs Nezuko’s hand, and leads her away, while gazing back at the house sadly, one last time. A title screen, in red and black is shown, titled “CRUELTY”.

 

“The fuck is this?!” roared Sanemi.

“I think...the story is divided into parts, and this is the name of this part?” Tengen said, cautiously.

“Cruelty.” Shinobu repeated. “What an apt title.”

Then, a song appeared, showing various scenes of the story. Tomioka froze in a particular one, blinking rapidly.

“Oh my, that’s Kanao!” Shinobu observed.

“What the fu-” Sanemi mumbled under his breath, at the sight of a boy.

Well, they would get their answers soon. The song showcased different scenes, perhaps different incidents from the story. It was hard to decipher what they meant-

“That’s us!” Kyojuro roared.

“It’s unflashy to keep our flamboyant faces in the dark.” Tengen sniffed.

“That’s us...?” Muichiro mumbled. “How so...?”

The screen went black, and all of them fell silent, when-

“Ahem. Mic testing, one, two, three. HELLOOOO!!!” screeched a voice, into the room. All of them jumped, hands flying to the hilt of their swords.

“Y’all, calm down. It’s me, ya boi.” The nasal voice continued.

“Who is this? Hashibira, is that you?” Iguro asked, suspiciously.

“Nahhhh, it’s meee, TENMAAA!”

“Tenma??” mumbled Tengen. “Who is that?”

“By actions, it seems it’s someone related to you, Uzui.” mumbled Sanemi. “Only your descendants can be so...obnoxious.”

“YES, I am the flashy descendant of the equally flashy God of Festivals! Isn’t it flamboyant?? Anyway, what I wanted to say, is that you can have a break right now, the next episode will be shown in thirty minutes!!” The sound went off, perhaps the Uzui boy was done speaking.

“Wait...” Shinobu mumbled. “Hashibira’s note said that 7 Hashira had fought in the final battle, only for 2 to survive and perish within 5 years due to other causes. There are nine of us, which means, two of us either died or retired. And Uzui has a descendant. Does that mean that you lived?”

“Well, I do have 3 wives. Maybe I had a child before dying.” Tengen said, as nonchalantly as he could, though he was visibly upset about it.

“Well, at least one of us have spawned! Congratulations, Uzui!!” Kyojuro exclaimed, clapping his friend’s back.

“Yes, congratulations are in order.” Gyomei agreed.

A box dropped from the roof, landing on the floor with a thud. Kyojuro opened it gently, and displayed it’s contents. It had a map, and a letter of instructions telling them not to step out of the house at any costs. Not that they could do it, they hadn’t seen the entry door.

“When did this incident happen, Tomioka-san?” Shinobu asked.

“A week ago.” Giyu replied, quietly.

“A week.” mumbled Mitsuri. “Which means, soon enough we will really be seeing the future?”

And Shinobu looked forward to that.