2 Chapter 2

After an exhausting night of fighting and dealing with the aftermath of the Spider demon family, Tanjiro and Nezuko were taken to meet the Hashira and the man leading the Demon Slayer Corps. Tanjiro passed out due to exhaustion after he was certain that his sister was safe. The two Hashira that were present, Giyu and Shinobu, were still not certain what to do with the two God-like entities they had faced, but seeing how protective the one calling himself Takemikazuchi was, it was obvious he would be satisfied with only one option.

And thus Cocytus and Takemikazuchi found themselves traveling across the rural landscapes of Japan, admiring things that they had never even dreamed of seeing mere hours prior. The odd pair did receive several glances from various members of their escort but none gathered the courage to ask the two any questions.

And after a short while they found themselves in front of a grand estate. During his life in the dystopian world of his past, this was the type of estate Takemikazuchi had dreamt of living in. To live his life here, to hone his skills as a warrior and to found a family with a headstrong woman with the same thirst for battle as he possessed, to raise children in such a place, it was a dream of the past, yet now that headstrong, battle-thirsty woman was gone, and he had only someone he could call a son to raise into a perfect warrior.

Takemikazuchi was snapped out of his thoughts when he noticed Tanjiro slowly started waking up. "Good Morning young warrior." The Nephilim player exclaimed with great enthusiasm and positivity.

Tanjiro shook himself awake. "Oh good morning Sir Takemikazuchi, uhmm, where are we right now ?" He asked, looking around and blinking a few times to adjust to the light.

"I'm told this is the Demon Slayer headquarters." Takemikazuchi looked around. "Looks like a nice place." He smiled and looked at the trees and flowers across the estate. "Those are some pretty flowers." Takemikazuchi commented.

Cocytus nodded in agreement after letting out a puff of steam. "This may be blasphemous of me but I think this land rivals even Lord Blue Planet's creation." Cocytus pointed out, recalling that one time he was allowed to visit the colosseum on the sixth floor and Takemikazuchi found himself nodding in agreement.

After a few silent moments of contemplation a lower ranked Demon Slayer corps member approached them. "The Hashira and the Master will meet you now, please be respectful to them." He informed them politely.

The group nodded and were led inside where the Hashira were standing. Takemikazuchi noticed their gazes were mostly glued to him and his creation, but the proud Nephilim warrior did not mind, he observed every one of them, gauging their strength.

"When I heard that a Demon Slayer corps member had a demon in tow, I expected to see someone more flamboyant." Uzui Tengen, the Sound Hashira, a very tall, broad-shouldered, and muscular man with lightly-tanned skin and white hair noted and thought to himself privately. 'Now, these two warriors, they look like the definition of flamboyant.' Tengen observed the pair of warriors that towered even over him and Gyomei, it was an odd sensation, to be standing in front of someone that felt fully unbeatable. His uneven braids swayed in the wind as his reddish eyes focused on Takemikazuchi.

Sanemi Shinazugawa, a short yet incredibly well muscled white-haired man with several scars across his face, attempted to determine the strength of the two giant warriors yet his senses failed time and time again. It was frustrating, since they were standing there in front of him. He was certain they weren't demons, the estate was surrounded by wisteria trees after all, yet even if they were not demons, he still found very little reason to blindly trust them.

"You two, even though you are not members of the Corps I expect you to show courtesy and kneel before the Master." He warned with a gruff tone. Takemikazuchi was thinking about complying with said request, yet Cocytus had to interject.

"You dare to ask a Supreme Being to kneel?" Cocytus let out a puff of steam. "Such insolence and blasphemy cannot be ignored!" Cocytus drew his sword and before Takemikazuchi could process what happened the Wind Hashira already launched himself at the Vermin Lord and their blades clashed against one another.

'This bastard is crazy strong' Sanemi thought and had no choice but to back off and activate one of his breathing techniques.

[Wind Breathing Second Form: Claws, Purifying Wind]

The Wind Hashira lifted his sword upwards towards the right, above his head and unleashed four vertical slashes at once down on Cocytus.

The Vermin Lord observed the move with slight interest, he considered drawing a secondary weapon but concluded that the enemy before him did not deserve such an honor.

The Guardian of the Fifth floor swung the God Slaying Emperor blade faster than the eye could see and blocked all four strikes heading towards him.

"Tch strong bastard." The Wind Hashira muttered and stepped back to regain some distance.

[Wind Breathing Ninth Form: Idaten Typhoon]

Shinuzagawa backflipped into the air and while upside-down, unleashed a powerful gust of circular wind that was supposed to slash apart anything below him, yet as the razor sharp circular wind struck Cocytus' carapace, it failed to create even a single scratch.

"You lack strength, now kneel and beg the Supreme One for forgiveness, or face punishment for disrespecting one of the 41." Cocytus pointed his sword to the Wind Hashira and as he finished that sentence he lifted it high in the air as if he were getting ready to cut apart the puny human that disrespected his master.

Takemikazuchi was about to say something in hopes of easing the tensions between the Hashira and his creation but was once again interrupted by a short man with pale skin. "You are embarrassing us Shinuzagawa, to think you, a Hashira would fail to deal with an overgrown insect." The Serpent Hashira shook his head while speaking in a dull monotone voice.

"Losing to a creation of the Supreme One is an honor few get to experience while keeping their lives." Cocytus turned his head towards the Serpent Hashira, he felt his intent to strike. He let out a puff of steam to show his disappointment, this opponent would prove to be no challenge to him either. The Vermin Lord debated whether he should even use the God Slaying Emperor Blade but concluded that sheathing such a precious gift in front of his creator would look distasteful.

"Are those breathing techniques the only ability you possess?" Cocytus began ranting. "The arsenal of a warrior should be far wider than that." Cocytus moved faster than most could see as the ground shook and shattered beneath him. He swung the Odachi vertically and seeing that his opponent would not even be able to parry that strike, Cocytus had to put less force into his strike than he had originally planned to.

Obanai Iguro clenched his teeth as the massive blade of the odachi met that of his serpentine shaped katana, sparks flew and his eyes widened as he noticed the massive blade almost fully cut through his blade as he was sent flying across the garden. He stood up and dusted off his black and white pinstriped haori and his navy blue demon slayer uniform. He realized his chances of winning were slim and moved to sheathe his now chipped serpentine nichirin, hoping his insect-like enemy would do the same, but luckily the other giant man moved to reprimand the Vermin Lord.

"Cocytus, that is enough." Takemikazuchi ordered. "We are guests here, we shouldn't cause an even greater commotion." the Nephilim instructed.

"As you wish my Lord." Cocytus acknowledged the order and bowed respectfully before assuming his place beside his creator.

"Kneeling before a man we have never met is not an option, but I hope a polite bow will suffice." Takemikazuchi spoke in a voice filled with pride and dignity and the Hashira faced with such indomitable strength had no choice but to comply.

"Whatever, this meeting is mostly about determining the punishment for the kid. A member of the corps housing a demon, it's ridiculous." The Wind Hashira stood up and muttered. Before Takemikazuchi could refute two small women with white hair which looked like twins announced the master's arrival.

"It's good to see you all, my beloved children." The pale man with black shoulder length hair spoke in a charismatic voice. Takemikazuchi and Cocytus bowed respectfully while observing the obvious illness that covered the man's face. Over a white kimono he wore a black one and over that a white haori with a distinct flame pattern that contrasted the rest of the outfit.

Tanjiro ended up starring a bit too much at the charismatic man and had to have his head pushed to the ground by the wind Hashira.

Takemikazuchi noticed that all the Hashira highly respected this man and his evaluation of him increased in his mind's ledger.

"Now, firstly, I'd like to thank our pair of guests that are with us today. My name is Kagaya Ubuyashiki and I wish to express my full gratitude, your aid in that forest helped save many lives of my precious children." He kept speaking in the same charismatic voice and even Takemikazuchi felt himself drawn to it.

"We happened to be passing by, it wasn't particularly difficult." Takemikazuchi admitted and Cocytus nodded. "My opponent was weaker than any of the Hashira here." The Vermin Lord added.

Kagaya's smile did not waver but he knew that this unknown pair was a variable that, if utilized correctly could achieve something the Demon Slayer corps hadn't achieved in centuries, but still, they posed a risk as well.

"I think we can converse more about your intentions in a more comfortable setting, perhaps with a good cup of tea?" Kagaya, although blind attempted to face Takemikazuchi when offering to drink tea with the Nephilim.

"That tea is something I will look forward to." Takemikazuchi answered politely and the smile on Kagaya's face angled a bit further upwards, showing his happiness after hearing his guest accept the offer.

"Master, while I am overjoyed to see you again, what about the boy on trial ?" The Love Hashira interrupted. Her high pitched voice carried a tone of great respect towards Kagaya. Her pink hair was woven into two large braids and her green braids covered the perfect amount of her forehead. The surrounding Hashira approved of her question as they themselves wanted to know what would happen to him.

Takemikazuchi noted to himself that the timid looking girl was fairly attractive by objective standards and her behavior was overall cute. 'She somehow reminds me of Bukubukuchagama.' He observed certain similarities and his thoughts wandered to memories of adventures with the absurdly durable pink slime and the frustration he felt when she managed to survive several of his strongest strikes during a friendly spar.

The amusing reminiscence of old memories was put to an end as the Nephilim player shifted his attention to the kind man the Hashira called Master.

"What do you think, Sir Takemikazuchi? You have spent some time with this young boy and his sister, even though it was just a single night. I still would like to hear what you think of them." Kagaya asked. He wanted to learn more about the thought process of the immensely powerful warrior.

Takemikazuchi stopped to think for a second and then a small smile formed beneath the mask that hid his hideous face. "When I ran into them and the demon kid activated something he called a Blood Art, this young man ran in front of me, a man he had never met before and he gave his all, he displayed a beautiful form of swordsmanship, and with the assistance of his younger sister, he defeated that demon. He displayed the prowess and behavior of a commendable warrior and he has my respect." Takemikazuchi spoke evenly without a hint of nervousness. When praising a warrior's skill and manners, he would never hold back.

The great warrior felt warmth engulf him as he recalled the days when he was praising the great warriors of the distant past and how patiently Momonga and Yamaiko had listened to him. He felt the same feeling coming from Kagaya, that unwavering fairness and kindness that made him respect his former comrade, friend and guildmaster.

"It seems you speak from the heart Sir Takemikazuchi, while your opinion may not be enough for some of my children here, I have recently received a letter of someone whose opinions I am certain all nine of you would carefully consider." Kagaya's smile remained unwavering as one of the two small statured girls started reading the letter.

"I, Sakonji Urokodaki, the former Water Hashira, guarantee that the demon Nezuko will never resort to eating humans. I have hypnotized her to believe that all humans are family and thus that she should protect all humans above herself. If Nezuko Kamado ever breaks this oath, I Sakonji Urokodaki, Tomioka Giyu and Tanjiro Kamado will commit Seppuku to atone for our crimes."

The handmaiden of Kagaya read the letter evenly and even some of the Hashira gasped out in shock, going against the word of a former Hashira is not something they would dare to do.

"Well with this, I hope you are satisfied. Now forgive me Sir Takemikazuchi yet I am in need of rest, I will call upon you later so we can share that tea once I recuperate." Kagaya, much to the surprise of the Hashira, bowed his head politely and was then led away by his Handmaidens.

Takemikazuchi was impressed by the man's charisma and leadership. And he found himself searching through his inventory. 'I have a few items that can remove diseases and curses… Should I use it on him ?'

'Hmm I still don't know enough about him, and as the annoying plant used to say, revealing one's hands too early is always a bad thing.'

Takemikazuchi would contemplate such a decision at a later time, since he sensed a lot of eyes were directed at him as he approached Tanjiro. "Are you alright young warrior?" The Nephilim patted Tanjiro's head.

"Yes, thank you for your help, both with the demon and here." Tanjiro said, wincing slightly as he craned his neck to look up at the massive warrior in front of him, "Well, I guess I haven't recovered yet, but when I do, I will repay my debt to you! I promise!"

"Do not worry about repaying me, once you fully heal from your prior battle, a spar is enough, that swordsmanship of yours, is something truly impressive." The Nephilim chuckled warmly and Tanjiro's eyes gleamed.

"Very well, it's a promise!"

"Now excuse me but I have to find my friends and check if they are okay." Tanjiro excused himself and a subordinate of the Insect Hashira led him away.

Takemikazuchi smiled behind his mask as the boy walked away and started contemplating his current situation once more. He doubted he'd see his comrades or family again but somehow he felt at peace. He was surrounded by swordsmen, not extremely powerful swordsmen when compared to him, yet a sense of hope still clung to him.

'Maybe I'll find a person worthy of being called my rival here.' A part of Takemikazuchi knew it was a childish wish, but it was one of the few things the proud warrior wished for.

Soon enough the Hashira dispersed, probably going off to tend to their duties, and another servant approached him and Cocytus. "I will guide you to your rooms." A man of short stature spoke with a shaky voice. Seeing what only one of them had done to two Hashira brought a sense of fear and respect to many of their underlings that were at the garden.

Takemikazuchi nodded and they were led into a part of the complex with simple yet spacious rooms. "These are the rooms with the highest ceilings we have, so I hope they will be enough to accomodate you." The servant spoke shakily, he wanted to leave as soon as possible but knew it would be a discourteous thing to do so without being dismissed.

"Thank you young man, we'll get settled in. Just one more thing, could you tell us where the training grounds might be ? You see, Cocytus and I are Warriors, and we ought to hone our skills and train our bodies regularly." Takemikazuchi chuckled in a friendly tone that came off as slightly menacingly thanks to his deep tone of voice.

"Uh… yes, of course. The training grounds are located at the eastern side of the facility, when you walk out of this building just follow the path left and you should find it." Beads of sweat formed on the servants forehead and he was surprised he was dealing with such an intimidating pair without passing out.

"Thank you, my good man." Takemikazuchi moved to pat the man on his shoulder and the servant felt a lump form in his throat but was surprised that instead of being crushed he was only gently patted as a sign that he did well.

"Ah… Thank you, I will excuse myself, dinner will be brought to you. If you require anything else, you can ask the servant nearest to you!" He bowed politely and quickly left while taking deep breaths to calm himself and resume the expected composure an attendant should possess.

Takemikazuchi smiled at his creation, an idea having already formed in his mind. "Now Cocytus, shall we find those training grounds and have a nice spar?"

"It would be an honor, my Lord." The mandibles of the Vermin Lord clacked in excitement. It's as if his dreams had come true. After months of yearning for his master's return, his prayers had finally been answered.

The pair wandered around the spacious compound for a few minutes and soon enough they found themselves at their desired location. The spacious training grounds where many could gather, spar and strengthen bodies by training, yet now it was empty and where sounds of hard work should originate from, only a slight howl of wind and the rustling of sand picked up by the breeze prevented silence from fully engulfing the area.

"Cocytus, let us spar shall we, but to avoid obliterating our host's estate let's avoid using our skills and only display our swordsmanship." Takemikazuchi drew the Takemikazuchi Mk.8 and Cocytus nodded then followed suit by drawing the God Slaying Emperor Blade.

"Cocytus, do you think I am unworthy of facing you at your strongest with a weapon in each hand ?" Takemikazuchi spoke in a teasing tone but to Cocytus came off as a sign of annoyance.

"Forgive me for the disrespect I have shown you, my Lord." The Vermin Lord bowed and three of his free arms reached into his inventory and selected the most suitable weapons out of his collection.

"That's better, now come and face me!" The Nephillim felt his heart pumping and chest swelling with excitement. To fight against a being that rivaled his power, a being he himself created, and not in any form of game but in reality! One of the wishes of the headstrong warrior was about to be fulfilled.

"Begin!" Takemikazuchi yelled and decided to wait for his creation to strike. Cocytus closed the gap at a speed most mortals couldn't comprehend but the rapid movements Cocytus made were no challenge to the eyesight of a level one hundred Nephilim.

Takemikazuchi sidestepped, the ground beneath him starting to crack. He knew Cocytus would attack in a certain pattern to deal the most damage in the shortest amount of time.

He was no tactician, yet he knew the fine art of dueling better than any other. In most areas, Takemikazuchi wished to simply overwhelm his opponents with brute strength inherent to his race. But in a duel, he had learned the bitter truth when he faced that man. Brute strength would not cut it.

Thanks to his perseverance, he learned all sorts of patterns and countermeasures. It was the bare minimum, his opponent was the World Champion after all, a man that outmatched him in every way imaginable. But that is why fighting him was the most exhilarating thing he had ever felt.

The first time he had fought him, he was defeated in thirty seconds, the second, a minute, the third it took three minutes for the World Champion to deliver the winning blow. The passionate Nephilim smiled under his mask. The times he had most fun was when his guild gathered to watch the duel and, even though Takemikazuchi always failed to win, he never failed to surpass the expectations of every guild member or Ainz Ooal Gown.

'Thanks to that man, I am a better warrior than I would have ever been if I hadn't met him. I ought to repay that debt to him sometime.' Takemikazuchi chuckled and proceeded to dodge or parry all four of Cocytus' weapons.

The Vermin Lord wanted to praise the skill and technique his creator displayed in his movements, yet he recalled that talking should be reserved for before and after duels, so he dedicated the infinite number of praises his mind conjured to a part of his memory and kept on the pressure.

Takemikazuchi moved his blade to strike. He noticed Cocytus took a moment to estimate how many arms he would need to block that strike and, knowing that the strength of a Supreme One was unfathomable to someone as lowly as him, he dedicated all four of his weapons to halt the strike of his Lord's blade.

It turned out to be the right choice as the weight of such a strike caused a depression in the ground where Cocytus was standing. 'Such magnificent strength.' The Vermin Lord was overflowing with happiness, yet he knew this spar was not over, and he should do everything to avoid failing to meet his creator's expectations.

He gathered strength in his carapace-covered muscles and parried, hoping to catch his opponent off balance. Cocytus noticed his Lord was seeming to stumble while taking a step back.

Takemikazuchi chuckled. 'This kid, he's starting to fight more and more like that guy.' In a few of the many times he fought the World Champion, he often moved to catch Takemikazuchi off balance and deliver the finishing blow while he was still struggling to catch his balance.

'It was a good plan, Cocytus, but I already developed countermeasures for that.' Takemikazuchi smirked while instead of stumbling trying to catch his balance, he spun in the direction that Cocytus' strike pushed him in. He stuck his sword into the ground to halt himself and Cocytus thinking there was an opening rushed in.

'Getting a little impatient, are we?' The Nephilim took his two handed sword into his right hand and, as Cocytus moved to strike Takemikazuchi, performed a vertical slash making Cocytus use three of his weapons to block.

While three of his weapons were stuck blocking the heavy one handed strike, he moved his fourth weapon to strike the unarmed hand of his lord.

"Good initiative, Cocytus!" Takemikazuchi praised, his voice rumbling with excitement as he dodged the strike by ducking under and grabbing Cocytus's wrist with his left hand. He moved his leg to sweep Cocytus over and the Vermin Lord fell off balance with Takemikazuchi towering over him.

"It was my defeat, to think you would use such techniques to defeat an opponent with multiple weapons. Truly you are a Supreme One." The Vermin Lord bowed with respect and Takemikazuchi patted his creation's head.

His smooth cool carapace felt nice even under his gloved hand and the happiness Cocytus was feeling from such a simple gesture was something indescribable.

"You fought well my son. Next time we ought to fight while using our skills, don't you think?" He chuckled and looked around at the damaged field.

Craters, cracks and many other visible consequences of the recent spar had scarred the area. "A magic caster would be useful around now. Well, let's hope the Master doesn't kick us out thanks to this." Takemikazuchi scratched the back of his head.

Unbeknownst to the two warriors that were too involved in their spar, several pairs of eyes observed them from afar. The Hashira silently moved away and looked at one another. "Do any of you think you can win against something like that ?" Giyu asked with his usual calm voice.

"That fight was the peak of flamboyance and… They didn't use any breathing techniques, did they?" Uzui's eyes scanned the faces of the other Hashira.

"None were visible to me, umu!" Rengoku Kyojurou the Flame Hashira nodded his head as his fiery orange hair with red streaks moved rhythmically with each nod. His beaming orange reddish eyes glimmered with admiration and enthusiasm and privately he thought. 'I have much I could learn from those two.' The Flame Hashira wondered how powerful he could have become if he had a master like that when he was younger.

"But did you hear Sir Takemikazuchi call the insect his son? What admirable father and child love they have!" The Love Hashira Mitsuri spoke in her usual cutesy tone.

"For our master's sake and our own, I hope those two stick by our side. They aren't human but they aren't demons either, if they help us kill that bastard Muzan, I don't care what they are." The Snake Hashira spoke without a trace of hostility towards them. He seemed to hold no grudge that he was thrown like a ragdoll by the one calling himself Cocytus.

The Hashira sighed collectively, uncertain what the future would bring, the branches of the surrounding wisteria trees swayed in the wind and much like with the current situation, the group did not know what this wind of change would bring, would it be a storm like no other, or would a day come where the sun overpowered the dark clouds that hid it. The group dispersed soon enough each having other duties they needed to attend but still, their thoughts kept wandering elsewhere.

The pair of proud warriors ended up discussing techniques and tactics and only noticed they may have gotten a tad too invested in it when they noticed the sun in the sky was replaced by a beautiful silver moon.

They decided to head to their rooms when a servant bowed respectfully and turned towards Takemikazuchi. "The Master would like it if you would join him for a cup of tea." This servant appeared to be calmer than the last and Takemikazuchi smiled, excited to have a longer conversation with Kagaya.

"Cocytus, you go rest, I'll go drink some delicious tea with our host." Takemikazuchi patted Cocytus' shoulder and let the servant lead the way.

He was glad that the buildings here could at least partially accommodate his height. The ceilings were higher than an average home of the period, yet the doorways still required Takemikazuchi to bend down to pass through them.

Soon enough he was led into the room where the Master would accommodate him. The servant politely opened the door for him and then excused herself.

Two cups of steaming hot tea were placed on a small table and across from Takemikazuchi, the master was already sitting down.

"Please, my friend, sit down." Kagaya recognized the heavy footsteps of the mighty warrior and did not let his smile falter.

Takemikazuchi noticed there was no one else in the room and since the man in front of him was blind he concluded that it would be alright to remove his mask. He set it by his side and took the cup of tea in hand.

"Would you like to have a toast first, Master Kagaya ?" Takemikazuchi asked politely, and the cursed man nodded. He picked up his cup and rose it towards Takemikazuchi and moved it carefully so as not to spill.

Takemikazuchi picked up his own cup and gently clashed it against Kagaya's, what Kagaya noticed though was that Takemikazuchi's cup struck his at a slightly lower level.

"Sir Takemikazuchi, are you not older than me?" Kagaya asked with slight confusion.

"Yes, maybe a few years, but I placed my cup lower than yours merely as a sign of respect. Even in sickness, you care for your people and you do not falter." Takemikazuchi smiled and continued his reasoning. "I had a friend like you once, he always put me and my comrades as his first priority, even in sickness and in dire times, he would uplift heaven and earth if it would help us." The Nephilim chuckled at the bittersweet memory.

"I see, well then, let's toast shall we? To a better future, and to that kind friend of yours." Kagaya smiled and moved to sip on his tea and Takemikazuchi mimicked him.

The Nephilim kept thinking about helping Kagaya by removing his curse. 'Uh why are you hesitating so much, did that nagging plant get to your head, this isn't how a warrior should act or think!' Takemikazuchi reprimanded himself and out of his inventory pulled out two bottles, one an ornate silver bottle containing a gold coloured liquid, the other an ornate golden one filled with a velvety red liquid

He twirled the pair of bottles in his hand and decided to take on a more serious tone.

"Master Kagaya, what do you wish to do before dying ?" Takemikazuchi understood that the reason why this man could maintain such a smile and calm demeanor was because he had resolved himself; he knew his death was inevitable and only seeked to fulfill his goal before meeting life's greatest equalizer.

"I wish to kill Kibutsuji Muzan." Kagaya spoke and noticing Takemikazuchi remained silent he continued talking. "Muzan is the only demon that possesses the power to create other demons, the demons apart from Nezuko then hunt and consume innocents." Kagaya spoke and Takemikazuchi nodded.

"Very well, I shall aid you in this mission, but first,. What is the nature of your condition? Do you suffer from a disease or a curse?" Takemikazuchi inquired

"It is a curse passed down the family, that is why most of us die young." Kaguya explained with his gaze unflinching.

"Well then, as a sign of our mutual trust, I wish to bestow upon you a gift." The Nephilim player took the ornate silver bottle and placed it in Kagaya's hand.

"Drink this, its a potion that should be able to remove your curse." The giant man spoke in a gentle voice and even though his eyes were covered by the curse, his face still bore a surprised expression.

Kagaya took a deep breath, this was a risk he was willing to take. He knew Takemikazuchi had no reason to use underhanded methods to harm him. He unscrewed the bottle and drank all of the liquid. It felt like liquid honey, smooth and velvety, and as soon as he swallowed the last drop, the curse disappeared into motes of aetherial white light.

Kagaya opened his eyes for and for the first time in years he could see. His eyes landed on the form of Takemikazuchi and seeing the unmasked hideous face of the man that had just saved his life made his chest swell with joy.

"But… Are you… Are you a god that has answered my prayers?" Kagaya asked and Takemikazuchi chuckled. "I have prayed and prayed for help against the demons to any deity I could think of. So, are you a god that has come to help me?" Kagaya repeated himself.

"I am a warrior, nothing more and nothing less, but you, Master Kagaya, may call me a friend." Takemikazuchi put his mask back on and shook hands with the man that reminded him so much of Momonga.

"Thank you, you have given me a chance to see my wish fulfilled." Kagaya bowed as two glimmering tears slid down his face.

"Wipe your tears and go to those that you call your adorable children. I am certain they will be overjoyed to see you in your current state." Takemikazuchi patted Kagaya on the shoulder.

"Oh, and thank you for the tea, it was the best I ever had." The kind warrior stood up and retired for the night, and for the first time in ages, in this mansion, tears of joy were wept. Where usually only stories of tragedy roamed, a joyous event had taken place and by morning the feelings of fear towards the giants that now lived among them, were replaced with feelings of gratitude and most importantly… hope.