Chapter 12: Former pillar
Warning: From this point onward will not be for the faint hearted. I suggest for to you come back when you feel you are ready for it. You have been warned.
"Zenitsu! Are you alright?!"
"He's planted inside the wall. You think he's okay?"
"Guys. We have company."
They all scrambled around trying to help their friend out of the rubble. But that weren't the only problem they were facing. At the edge of the forest, a figure standing at a staggering 2.2 metres tall. His eyes were leaking with golden tears. His build is fine tuned and were not someone who you would want to mess with.
"No way. This can't be." Genya said in disbelief
"Remember when i said about she didn't just wake Rengoku san? I think this is what he meant by it." Tanjiro explained
"Its the big ball and chain guy! Why is he alive?!"
"Poor child. I see you all have lost your manners." The figure said
"Who is he?" Nezuko questioned
"He's the former stone pillar, Himejima Gyomei. Said to be one of the strongest swordsman in the corp." Kanao explained
"Well, we're doomed." Aoi simply said
"What do you want Himejima san?"
"I simply came to check on things. And my assumptions were correct. You all have grown to be stronger." He explained
"Cut the crap. I know you came for me!" Yushiro yelled
"No, i wasn't. I came for that blue vial containing the essence of that flower."
"How did he?" Tanjiro thought while holding the vial in his pocket
"Give me the vial and you all poor children will be spared." He stated
"You've gotta get through us first ball and chain man!" Inosuke shouted
"I'm sorry Himejima san. But the fate of humanity relies on this. If you want to take it, i'm afraid we will not go down without a fight." Tanjiro stands up
".... Very well then. I will have to forcefully take it from your dead bodies if i have to."
Himejima began stepping closer towards them. They already have one man down, six remaining. The pressure in the air are so heavy that they're having difficult times to breath. Legs are shaking and mind are racing. They are certainly nervous to fight this veteran fighter. Suddenly, someone got up from the rubble.
"Thunder breathing, first form: thunderclap and flash."
"Zenitsu?!"
"No time to wait. Beast breathing, eight fang: explosive rush!"
"Water breathing, tenth form: Constant flux!"
"Flower breathing, fourth form: Crimson Hanagoromo!"
"Lets do this." Reloads gun
"Fire breathing, first form: fiery chariot!"
"No guys! Wait!"
Tanjiro tried to stop his friends but its too late. The six pillars simultaneously went for an attack towards the really big and tall male demon. As they all boxed the enemy, Himejima didn't even flinch. He clapped his hands together and a wall formed around him. They all didn't have enough time to react as the wall suddenly grew some stone spikes piercing each and everyone of them through various parts of their torso.
"I've warned you. You don't listen then you will pay the price. Hand over the vial boy." Himejima coldly said
Tanjiro stood there watches them in horror as he saw the wall sink back into the ground dropping his friends lifeless body on the ground. His mind was in shambles. He felt something deep inside him that had been a long time since he last had them. It was pure anger and hatred towards the person in front of him. Former pillar or not, he will never gonna let him go.
His permanent mark lit up and spread down to his neck. His eyes glows crimson red and his back grew the six spine like tentacles. He grabbed his sword with no intentions of holding back. This man had killed his family. And now he shall show him pain.
"I see you have no intentions of doing so."
"Yushiro san. Go inside." Tanjiro said underneath his anger
"But, Tanjiro-"
"Do it! Or i'll do it for you."
"Y-yes sir." Ran inside the house
"Himejima san. I respect you as a pillar, but don't expect me to go easy on you."
"Of course. I will do anything to get what i needed."
Tanjiro moves in closer towards his former senpai. No amount of words will describe how tense the air are surrounding them. Himejima did the same and close the gap between them. At one point, they stop and looked each other in the eyes. In that one moment, it was silent. No winds blowing, no bugs making noise, just pure and utter silence. Then, Tanjiro took a really deep breath filling his lung to capacity.
"Dance of the fire god: waltz!"
Tanjiro swings his blade to deliver a blow, only to be met by a chain that stopped his sword dead in its track. The man before him are wielding spiked flail connected to an axe with a long chain.
"You sure have grown a lot since i last met you." Himejima said coldly
"You killed my friends, my family. I'm gonna make you pay!"
"Dance of the fire god: Azure heaven!"
"Stone breathing, third form: Stone skin."
Both of them moves at the speed of lights, exchanging blows and blocking each others attacks. Due to rage blinding him, Tanjiro didn't hold back and utilise all eight arms and two legs to attack the man with all his might. But that same rage was also the reason why he couldn't finish his opponent off. Himejima on the other hand was as cool as a cucumber and kept on blocking the incoming attacks. At last, after an hour of constant blocking and attacking, Himejima finally said enough.
"Blood demon art: Cross of misfortune"
Suddenly, huge amounts of sharp rocks spikes out of the ground underneath Tanjiro which are too focused on his opponent unaware of his surrounding. He was impaled by the spikes and are immobilized, unable to free himself as the spikes kept going through him. He was lowered to the ground and his body was riddled with holes. Himejima crouched right next to him and grabbed for what he came for.
"Ah, the blue spider lilies. She should be satisfied with this."
"Don't. Do this. Please!" Tanjiro painfully blurted
"What a poor child. Its a shame to see you in this position. Weak, pathetic, alone. You failed to protect those who you love. Your friends are dying but you will live because you're a demon. But you have no use for her now. So i will leave you to bury your friends."
"Himejima san. I'm sorry."
"Don't apologise to me son. Apologize to them."
After his last words, Himejima blurred out of existence. Tanjiro, with all his might, got up and walked over towards his friends. Even though demons heal their wounds, it takes away their stamina. Tanjiro has barely any stamina left as he haven't properly eaten for seven days straight.
"Zenitsu, Inosuke. Genya. Nezuko. Kanao. I'm sorry everyone. I've failed, to protect you. I-i don't w-want for any of t-this. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Forgive me please." Tanjiro cried out
After a minute, he reached his limit. His body just shut down and his vision went black. He went into a deep sleep to recover for what he has lost.
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"Kamado Tanjiro."
"Who? What? Where am i?"
"How pathetic. You've lost even when you're a demon."
"Who are you?! Why are you here?!"
"That's rude. I was with you this whole time remember?"
Tanjiro is standing in a field filled with various kinds of flower. The wind is blowing and the sun shines brightly onto him. On the other side of the field was a figure, someone he should recognise. It wasn't his father or his ancestor. It was someone who he defeated one year ago.
Tanjiro: "Muzan?"
Muzan: "Indeed Tanjiro. I've came at last."
Tanjiro: "What do you want?! I know you aren't here to help me!"
Muzan: "Yes yes. Last time we did fought a bit."
Tanjiro: "A bit? You destroyed the whole town!"
Muzan: "Yes, i remember that."
Tanjiro: "What do you want?!"
Muzan: "Believe it or not, i came here to help you."
Tanjiro: "I can hardly believe you. You tried to take over my body. You think i can believe you now?"
Muzan: "You want to know something funny? I'm not Muzan."
Tanjiro: "What? That doesn't make sense."
Muzan: "The one you fought a year ago was the real Muzan. After you defeated him, all that's left are me. His memory cells."
Tanjiro: "Why are his memory cells stuck inside me?"
Muzan: "Because he transferred me into you. Now that both yours and his memories cells are mixed up, i automatically became one of you."
Tanjiro: "And how do i know that i could trust you?"
???: "You don't have to."
Tanjiro: "Father?"
Tanjuro: "Tanjiro."