The Water Hashira
The snow fell in thick, silent sheets as Tekeo and Tanjiro stumbled down the mountain, their injured sister Nezuko cradled in Tanjiro's arms. The darkness was closing in, and with it came a biting cold that gnawed at their bones. Tekeo's heart raced with fear and determination to help his sister. They had to find help, but the nearest village seemed miles away.
As the minutes ticked by it was already evening and the sun was going down, Tekeo realized it was too late to find a doctor. "Tanjiro, we need to find shelter and try to heal her ourselves," Tekeo said, his voice trembling with urgency and hope that Giyu Tomioka would find them before anything happens. Tanjiro nodded, his face pale with worry.
They wandered through the forest, the snow crunching underfoot trying to find shelter for the night. Nezuko moved, her eyes fluttering open. She suddenly jumped away from Tanjiro, landing with a thud in the snow. Tekeo and Tanjiro watched as her wounds began to heal rapidly, her body growing larger and her nails sharpening. Her eyes snapped open, revealing pink, slit pupils. A guttural growl escaped her lips.
"Nezuko!" Tanjiro shouted in horror of what he just witnessed, reaching out to her. But she leaped at him, knocking him to the ground and trying to bite him. Tekeo rushed to help, struggling to keep her away from Tanjiro. Suddenly, a blur of motion swept through the forest, and a man wearing a distinct and memorable haori appeared, knocking Nezuko out with a swift strike before leaping away. Tekeo finally breathed in relief as the person he waited for finally made his appearance, all he had to do now was to put on a brilliant act in front of him and get his approval.
The man stood a few meters away, his katana at his waist. His expression was cold and stern as he turned to them. "If I had gotten here just a day earlier, your family would have been safe," he muttered. "I am truly sorry for your loss, but please move aside. I need to kill that demon and ensure your safety." as he walked towards Nezuko.
Tanjiro scrambled to his feet, placing himself between the man and Nezuko. "No! She's my sister! I have to protect her!" Tekeo stood beside Tanjiro, his resolve mirroring his brother's.
The man sighed. "My name is Giyu Tomioka, a Demon Slayer and a Hashira. I have the responsibility to kill all demons and destroy their very existence when I see one." He slowly drew his katana, pointing it at Nezuko.
Tekeo's eyes hardened. "We won't let you kill our sister."
Giyu's gaze pierced through them. After looking at the brothers protecting theur demon sister he asked "How will you feel when your beloved sister takes someone's life? When she bites into the flesh of your brother in front of you and enjoys the taste of blood? Can you keep your mind sane while imagining it? Don't you want to let your sister die happily without hurting anyone?" He told them with the unyielding resolve to kill the demon
Tanjiro's voice trembled with emotion. "Please, my whole family has been massacred, and only us three are remaining. I will not let you take my sister away from me. She is all I have left of my family."
Tekeo nodded, backing up his brother. "We promised to keep eachother safe no matter what the situation is, and I trust my sister enough to know that she wouldn't hurt anyone ."
During the commotion Nezuko slowly stood up, slowly opening her eyes. Giyu moved swiftly, grabbing her hands and locking her hamds "Be happy with each other and lead a happy life," he said, his voice softening as he was about cut Nezuko's Head with this katana.
Desperation fueled Tanjiro's actions. He immediately threw an axe at Giyu, while running towards him pretending to swing it at him. Giyu knocked him out cold with the handle of his katana, but the axe flew straight at him, barely missing by an inch. Giyu was shocked at Tanjiros quick thinking. While still processing what happened, Tekeo seeing his opportunity, threw a handful of heavy stones at Giyu and rushed to retrieve Tanjiro. In the chaos, Giyu slipped, releasing Nezuko, who rushed towards her brothers.
Giyu, fearing the worst, watched as Nezuko positioned herself protectively in front of Tekeo and Tanjiro, growling at him. Shocked at the scene that was unfolding in front of him Nezuko leaped towards him, Giyu knocked Nezuko out again instead of cutting her head and approached the brothers. Tekeo stood his ground, eyes blazing with determination to protect his family.
"The path you want to walk is filled with blood and revenge," Giyu warned. "Do you still wish to take that path?"
"It doesn't matter how the path is," Tekeo replied. "As long as I can reach my destination, I am willing to walk it a hundred times."
Giyu smiled faintly, impressed by Tekeo's resolve. "My name is Giyu Tomioka, and I am the Water Hashira, one of the strongest Demon Slayers of the current generation." He extended his hand. "I am Tekeo Kamado, the younger brother of Tanjiro and the son of a charcoal maker," Tekeo replied, shaking Giyu's hand firmly.
Giyu instructed him on how to reach his teacher Urokodaki, and learn the ways of the Demon Slayer. He crafted a bamboo muzzle for Nezuko and hid her in a cave near their home, explaining everything they needed to know to keep her safe. After bidding farewell Tekeo took a sigh of relief and bumped his fist at the sky marking his first achievement.
The next morning Tekeo woke up early and started to dig the cold land near his house to bury his family. Although he was Noah but he still had the memories of the real Tekeo which made him start crying while burying his dead siblings. At the same time, Tanjiro woke up to find Tekeo and Nezuko missing. He searched frantically and eventually found Tekeo digging a pit and laying their siblings' bodies to rest. Tears streamed down Tekeo's face as he gently placed the bodies in the ground. Tanjiro started to weep watching the scene of his brother burying his family, he then joined him and together they buried their family, praying for their peace.
With heavy hearts, Tekeo told Tanjiro how to handle Nezuko and soon they started creating a large basket with a lid for Nezuko. Tekeo explained everything that had happened with Giyu Tomioka and their plan to meet Urokodaki while making the basket, they had Nezuko shrink down and fit inside the basket. They walked for an entire day following the directions giyu gave them, on the way they took turns carrying Nezuko to not tire themselves out before reaching. Tekeo was marveling at the beauty of the world he had only seen in anime as they walked which made him forget all about the pain his legs were giving bim. Finally, they reached Mount Sagiri where Urokodaki lived, ready to begin their journey as Demon Slayers.