64 Woes of the Past

Tanjiro, Zenitsu, Inosuke, and Uzui collapsed to the ground in fatigue, however, Uzui was struggling with the poison.

"Tengen-Sama!" The voices of his wives came as they surrounded him and started to give him various medicine, but none of them seemed to alleviate the pain or poison.

"NOOOOO!! Don't die! Please don't die, Tengen-Samaaaa!! We all managed to stay alive!! And we won!! No, noooo!!" The black hair girl cried out.

"What can we do about the Demon poison? The antidotes aren't working!! A girl with white and black hair said anxiously.

Uzui's hoarse voice came in between them. "I have some final things to say... Up until now,-"

"If you let Tengen-Sama die, I won't be praying to you guys anymore, you gods!" One of the girls cried out.

"Hey, shut up for a bit! Tengen-Sama's speaking now!" Another girl yelled at her.

"Both of you, be quiet!" The girl next to him said.

"I'll fill your mouth with rocks, you dumb woman!!" The mixed hair girl said, before gripping the black-haired girl's head.

"Waaaaaahh!! Makio-san is bullying meeee!" The girl cried as she tried to stop rocks from being forced into her mouth.

Uzui just laid there with a blank look on his face as he thought, 'Are you kidding me? Am I gonna die without leaving any last words? I can't move my tongue any more thanks to the poison. Why is this happening? I actually have the time to say some final words now. Come on.'

*creak* *tap tap tap* Various sounds came from the side, as a little girl cloth around her mouth poled up, raising her hands up.

Of course, this was Nezuko who was being followed by Tanjiro.

"?!" The various girls reacted defensively after they saw what Nezuko did before.

*pomf* "Putting a hand on Uzui's arm, she lit him on fire.

(Wife A = Makio. Wife B = Suma. Wife C = Hinatsuru)

"GYAAAAAHH! What are you doing?! Who are you?!" Makio pulled Nezuko back. "Isn't it way too early for cremation here?! He isn't even dead yet and you're burning him! I will spank your butt. Your big sister's really angry now!!"

"Hold on," Uzui interjected, as the flames died down. "What the hell just happened? The poison's gone."

All the girls stared at Uzui in disbelief before jumping and hugging him in relief.

"I think Nezuko removed it by using her Blood Demon Art's to burn it out. I saw her doing it to my brother before too, that was how he was able to recover. But I don't really know…" Tanjiro said, appearing behind Nezuko and carrying the unconscious Hiroto on his back.

Hiroto's face was covered in blood, as well as his clothes being shredded in different parts. Similar to Uzui's current state.

Putting Hiroto down next to Uzui, he said, "Both you and my Brother were wounded more than us, so please don't move anymore. I'm glad you're safe."

"Is that even possible? I'm so confused… No, wait. YOu shouldn't move either, you didn't have it easy in your fight as well." Uzui said, checking Tanjiro's wounds.

"I'll go look for the Demon Heads. I can't be at ease until I confirm that they're there myself." Tanjiro said, before being piggybacking on a small Nezuko as she ran off.

*sigh* "I can't believe that these kids survived. Especially this one, Hiroto." Uzui said, looking down at the unconscious Hiroto.

The buildings around them were incomplete ruins from the fight, but luckily the casualties from the civilians were kept to a minimum as they retreated away from the combat zone.

----

Running through the rubble, Tanjiro spotted a puddle of blood and told Nezuko to run towards it. After having collected the blood and giving it to Yushiro's cat. "To Tamayo-sans place, please," Tanjiro said patting the cat.

"Meow." And with that, it disappeared once more. Being piggybacked by a small Nezuko, they began running forward again.

"Nobody's here, huh. Makio-san and the others managed to get the people out before they were hurt. That's good." Tanjiro said, looking at all the collapsed buildings around them. At that moment, a scent lingered into his range as he could recognize it.

"Nezuko, there. Go over there." Tanjiro said, pointing to the said. "The scent of the Demons is strong over there."

"Mmh" Nezuko nodded and began trodding forward.

As they got closer, they could hear the voices of Gyuutarou and Warabihime arguing with each other.

"Why didn't you save me?!" Warabihime screamed.

"I was fighting a Hashira and that red-haired brat then, dammit!" Gyuutarou refuted.

"So what!! Why couldn't you finish them off! You could've just split their heads open!"

"I was trying to do that!!"

"Huuuh?!"

"The brat with the red sword was still alive, and how would I have known he was practically the same strength as a Hashira?! I mean, you didn't even do jack shit, so you finish the damn Hashira off!" Gyuutarou screamed.

"Then you could've just manipulated me to do that! And yet you didn't do anything! You let your guard down!!"

Tanjiro and Nezuko approached the two heads arguing with each other and thought, 'They're still alive, even after what brother did to him… And they're arguing. But their flesh bodies are crumbling piece by piece.'

"Oh, just shut up! YOu have that Upper Moon title, even if it's just as a joke! At Least try to beat three wounded underlings on your own, dumbass!" Gyuutarou shouted.

"Ha ha ha ha… There's no way an unsightly thing like you could ever be my sibling!!" Warabihime shouted back.

Tanjiro looked on with a look of sadness when he saw the two siblings arguing with each other.

Gyuutarou's eyes were wide open as Warabihime continued shouting at him, "I'm sure you're not blood-related to me at all. I mean, we don't even look alike!! You're so useless! Your only good point is that you're strong. Nothing else. Once you lose, you have no worth at all. A deadbeat failure who's unsightly to boot!!"

Gyuutarou's eyes widened in anger as he shouted back at her, "Don't joke around!! If you were alone, you'd definitely be dead. I saved your ass so many times. You're the one who's a deadbeat failure! You're weak, and you've got no good points. Now I'm truly regretting all the times I've protected a sucker like you. If you weren't there, I would've had a different life."

Tears were beginning to form under Warabihime's eyes as she stared at her brother, as he continued yelling at her, "If only you weren't there!! Why am I the one who has to clean up all your damn messes!! Things would've been great if only you weren't bor…"

Tanjiro's hand clasped over Gyuutarous mouth, as he said softly. "That's a lie." Looking at him with a sad expression, he continued, "You honestly don't think that. It's all a lie. Just try to get along. All you siblings have left in this world are each other. Nobody's going to forgive you for what you've done."

Under the disbelief stares of Warabihime and Gyuutarou, Tanjiro continued talking in a sad tone. "You're hated and despised by all the people you've killed, and now they're disparaging you. No person will be your ally. That's why the two of you shouldn't be cursing at each other right now." Tanjiro had a pained look as he closed his eyes, thinking about Hiroto and Nezuko being his only family left.

Gyuutarou looked at Tanjiro in silence, but Warabihime then shouted out, "Waaaahhh! You're so annoying!! Don't just lecture us! Go away, shitty brat! Go somewhere else!! This sucks! This sucks!" Warabihime started crying and throwing a tantrum, as she started to disintegrate back into ashes.

"Do something, brother! I don't wanna die! Brot…" Warabihime's voice was cut off, as she completely disappeared, leaving only Gyuutarou to stare at where her head was with Nezuko kneeling closeby.

"UME!!" Gyuutarou shouted out.

---- (Next section is optional, but recommended for the feels)

Gyuutarou perspective

That's right, my sister's name was "Ume". It's not "Daki" Or Warabihime, those are shitty names. No… the name "Ume" was also pretty shitty. Because it was the name of the disease our mother died from.

We were born in the lowest castle of the red light district. We were major burdens because it cost money to feed us and kept us alive. Our mother tried to kill herself many times before I was born, and after I was born, I was nothing but a nuisance, so she tried to kill me many times.

But I survived, I had a weak body, like that of a dead branch, yet I desperately tried to stay alive.

Maggot. Dimwit. Coward among dunces. Useless.

They laughed at me for my ugly voice and appearance. They called me dirty and threw rocks at me. It was like all of the vilifications in the world were created to insult me.

I was ugly. I was dirty. In the red-light district, where one's beauty meant everything in this world, I was detected. Like a monster. When I was hungry, I ate rats and bugs. My plaything was a sickle a customer forgot to take back.

But something began to change inside me when Ume was born. Ume. You were my pride and my joy. Ever since you were very young, you were so pretty that even adults would falter.

I realized I was great at fighting, so I worked as a collector. Everyone then feared and became disgusted by my ugliness. I felt great. My own ugliness became my pride.

But, when you turned thirteen, you blinded a samurai by poking his eye out with a hairpin. And as retaliation, you were tied up and burned alive. I wasn't there. When I came back from work, you were burnt to a crisp.

But you were still alive, I could hear your moans and pleas for help. I cried and swore to kill whoever did this to you. I was going to kill the gods, buddha, everyone if they didn't turn you back.

That samurai came back and tried to kill me, but I fought back and killed him.

Nobody would help us. It's the usual. This was the way we lived every day. After all, people who would come and help us.

Don't exist.

We laid there in the snow for who knows how long, then… that was where he came.

"Wazzup, wazzup? How pitiful. I'm a nice guy, so I can't just leave you alone. The girls gonna die real soon, right?"

That man, he was carrying a girl's hand and her body, eating her leg. His eyes said Upper Moon Six.

He told us he would give us his blood, and if we were chosen by "That man" that we can become demons. He said that what they call life is precious, so we have to value it.

I've got no regrets about turning into a Demon. I'd become one, no matter how many times I'm born again. I won't forgive others for having better lives. I'll become the pimp who'll snatch them away and collect them.

Ume… you poked a samurai's eye out before, but if you had stayed obedient, you might have gone down a different path.

My only regret is you.

----

Standing in what seemed to be an empty space, Gyuutarou looked around and wondered, 'What is this place? Hell?'

"Brother!" Ume shouted from the side, having gained her original appearance before she became a demon. "Eww! I hate this place. Where are we? I wanna leave. Do something!

"... Your appearance…" Gyuutarou muttered, before turning to walk away.

"Is that the exit?" Ume said with hope.

"Don't follow me anymore," Gyuutarou said.

"Wh-Why? Wait, I…" Ume panicked.

"Don't follow me!!" Gyuutarou turned and shouted at her.

Ume staggered back in shock and started to cry as Gyuutarou walked away. "Are you mad about a while ago? I'm sorry, so forgive me! I don't think you're ugly, brother! It just sucked! I just hate losing! I just didn't wanna accept that it was my fault we lost! I'm sorry for not being very capable. If I had been more useful, we wouldn't have lost. I'm sorry for always holding you back! Hey, brother!"

"You and I are no longer siblings or anything for that matter." Gyuutarou's emotionless voice came. "I'm heading this way, so you head the opposite direction, where the light is brighter."

Ume's eyes widen in shock, as she then ran and jumped onto his back tightly, not wanting to let go.

"Hey!!" "NO! NO! I won't let go!! I won't ever let go! We're gonna be together forever!! No matter how many times I'm born again, I'll always be your little sister! For sure, brother!" Ume cried on his back, as Gyuutarou's eyes softened.

"Don't hate me!! Don't rebuke me!! Don't leave me alone!! I won't forgive you if you abandon me! Waaaahhh! We're always together! Meanie, Meanie! Don't you remember our promise? You forgot, didn't you!" Ume cried.

Gyuutarou's eyes widened, as he remembered back to a time when they were both just little children. They sat outside, as the snow piled onto them, Gyuutarou covered both of them with straw to keep the crying and freezing Ume warm. He then told her, "When we're together, we're the strongest. Whether we're cold or we're hungry. We'll be perfectly fine. I promise. We'll always be together. I'll never leave you. Look. There's nothing to be afraid of, right?"

"Waaahh!" Ume kept crying as the two kept walking in the empty and dark space, as the fire slowly engulfed everything around them, including them.

----

Holding the ashes of the two Demon's, Tanjiro and Nezuko looked up as they were blown away and drifted along with the wind. "I wonder if they made up."

Nezuko looked from the side, then nodded. "Mmph!" With a resolute harrumph.

Tanjiro smiled at her and said, "It's over, huh… Let's go find big brother. He should be with the others…"