chapter 2

Summary: Muichiro, Sanemi, Giyuu, and Tengen are all on edge, every surviving member of the corps is messed up in one way or another. Having a demon show up when trying to unwind doesn't help either.

Most of the young villagers had never seen such a new car before and ran after Sanemi's PX33 excitedly as he pulled into their mountain town, Muichiro looked back at them and smiled, "Your car is so cool Sanemi!" he exclaimed with admiration,

Sanemi managed a smile and a 'hmph', he had put all feelings of apprehension to the back of his head. Apprehension tired him out, (and he was starting to feel a little sleepy) but he ignored it, today was a day of celebration, he was going to feel better once he had gotten out of this car and saw everyone else again, he wasn't even thinking about what he saw at the cafe anymore, just that nagging thought in the back of his mind which would soon pass, that was all.

Muichiro meanwhile had other stresses, but he was handling them differently.

"You must be friends of young Tanjiro," one of the older villagers told them through the window, "we were all so proud of you Demon Slayers, to help him defeat those awful demons and save Nezuko-Chan"

"Thank you ma'am" the two of them responded in unison.

"No no, it is our honor to have you in our village, your colleagues are waiting for you in the banquet hall, you're already going the right way, just keep following this road"

She smiled kindly, and saw them off, before turning to go back to her home, just as another car passed by, being driven slowly by a man in a western-style business suit.

Tokito and Shinazugawa came to the roundabout in front of the hall, it was small and simple, yet well cared for, and pretty in its simplicity. Sanemi parked, and the two of them got out.

Ever since they left the cafe, Muichiro noticed something was bothering Sanemi, but knew better than to try bringing attention to it a second time after being reprimanded the first.

But Muichiro meanwhile had his own issues, and while they lay covered by the fact that he was happy; as they approached the hall, and heard so many familiar voices from the inside; these issues began to bubble towards the surface.

Muichiro stopped and looked down at his feet. This time it was Sanemi who noticed that something was the matter with his friend.

Sanemi was a hard man, but he wasn't made out of stone, he genuinely understood why Muichiro was started to tremble.

"Hey, Tokito," he began approaching him, "It's alright kid."

He put his hand on his junior's shoulder, and Muichiro seemed to breathe a little easier.

"It just feels so strange Sanemi" he finally said, but when he heard his own voice cracking, he stopped for fear of breaking down, He was thinking back to his fight against Kokushibo, how terrified he was, and how weak and helpless he felt, pinned to the pillar with his own sword, helpless while Genya, the only remaining family of the man who now stood before him; was killed, and how he had for reasons unknown to him or anyone else; was brought back by the demon's blood. How he who faltered so badly that night; had survived, while Genya, Shinobu, Obanai, Mitsuri, Gyomei… so much for not breaking down. He hurriedly tried to turn away from Sanemi to hide his face as he felt his eyes get warm and then wet.

Normally, Shinazugawa Sanemi was one of the last men in the Demon Slayer Corps to sympathize in these moments, but since Genya's death, he had learned however painfully to truly cherish what he had left, he had spent his last hours with Genya pushing him away, his last younger brother, he would have been 17 today had he still been alive, and Muichiro who barely escaped the same fate that night was not even 15 yet, he was even younger than Hiroshi would have been.

"Hey… Tokito, look at me." He said, shaking the boy's shoulders slightly.

Muichiro hurriedly wiped his eyes and looked up at him, ~sniff.

"Look, believe it or not," Sanemi began a bit awkwardly (consolation was never his thing) "I know exactly how you're feeling right now, you ain't alone, we've all been there at one point or another, feeling like we shouldn't be alive while our comrades are dead."

Muichiro collected himself as best he could, and looked down at the side. "I know," he began, "I realize that this can happen, I just… I'm just… I'm really scared to see everyone again… after all this!" He cut himself off to suppress another wave of tears that threatened to take hold of him again.

But he was trembling less, this at least was good, Sanemi understood that Muichiro was young, and this was a process.

"Tokito… I understand, you fought against upper moon one, you were turned into a demon, and then turned back into a human, and you ain't really had muchova chance to get used to everything that happened while you were out either, Tanjiro's gone through the same thing, and I know you've recovered slower than he did, and this is a bit freaky for you, but you still wanna see em dontcha? C'mon, you were practically singing about how excited you were the whole goddamn drive over here!" and he drove the point home with a slap on the back!Muichiro looked up at Sanemi and managed to smile "Your right Sanemi, I don't know what came over me, I really am excited to see them again"

"That's it kid," Sanemi grinned,

"I'm ashamed that you saw me like that, but then again, you were also with me in my worst moments weren't you? I know I'm young, but I'm still a former Hashira, I should have behaved better"

"don't worry about it, don't you worry about a damn thing! Tanjiro went through the same thing you did and no one blames him, no one's gonna blame you either, and remember, whatever's going on in that head of yours, if anyone's gonna understand you, its gonna be these guys," he said pointing with his thumb to the banquet hall.

"I missed those guys" beamed Muichiro, he now seemed completely different from how he was just a moment ago, he was holding himself well.

Just then, the door to the hall slid open, and their faces lit up when they saw who it was.

"Aaahh! Shinazugawa-San! Tokito-San!" Tanjiro exclaimed excitedly as he stepped into the veranda to welcome them, "I thought it was you! I'm so happy you could make it!" Tanjiro was looking good, when Sanemi last saw him his right eye looked dull, and his left arm looked shriveled, now they almost looked like they were back to normal.

It was good to see him.

Tanjiro greeted them warmly, before beckoning them inside.

Sanemi let his two Juniors catch up while he went on in, he didn't quite expect to be greeted as warmly, all of the surviving Hashira, along with Zenitsu, Inosuke, Kanao, Nezuko, Murata, and a number of swordsmiths and kakushi did not recognize we're all there.

Nezuko ran up to him first, and bowed to him, "Welcome Shinazugawa-San" she said cheerfully, "I'm so happy you could make it, is Tokito-Kun with you?"

Nezuko was also looking a lot better, wearing a brand new kimono with the same colors and patterns as the old one she liked so much, her hair tied back in a wareshinobu bun; it gave Sanemi that uncomfortably good warm and fuzzy feeling he felt watching his own younger siblings grow up.

"Yeah… he's with me, he's still talking with Tanjiro on the veranda,"Just then, the two boys walked back into the Hall, Muichiro's presence was met with even more cheers.

"Shinazugawa-San," said Nezuko, "please sit down and have something to eat, you came all this way XD" Sanemi nodded and went to rejoin his old comrades as Nezuko went to greet Muichiro.

"Hohhh! You sure made a flamboyant recovery, long time no see Shinazugawa!" Tengen said as Sanemi sat between him and Giyuu.

"I see you're the same theater-man as always," Sanemi said, helping himself to rolls and sake, good to see your one-eyed face again Tengen!"

"Need help with those chopsticks?" Tengen teased back.

"Neither of you has changed at all" Giyuu said turning to them, "actually, Uzui, I think you've regressed a bit"

"And I see you haven't changed either Tomioka," Tengen said, "you're still the same old boring guy".. A silence passed between the three men before they all broke out into laughter, even Giyuu! Something which they had previously considered impossible!

These were brothers in arms, and the only three living Hashira (who were old enough to drink at least) it felt good to drink together.

"How are your wives by the way, Tengen?" Sanemi asked when they had almost run out of other things to talk about.

"You just missed em" he said, "They had to leave for an important mission this morning, but the four of us spent a few days here before that, they got to spend time Tanjiro and Nezuko,"

He looked up to another part of the long table which ran along the walls of the room, Tanjiro, and Kocho Shinobu's former student Tsuyuri Kanao were sitting next to one another, talking, laughing. They were definitely getting close.

"There is certainly a spark of flamboyance between those two" Tengen smiled.

"Don't stare," Giyuu said cooley, "it rude Uzui"

"DaHell is this?" sanemi said suddenly, feeling something slither across his leg. "Oh, it's Kaburamaru." He said picking up the white snake that had slithered under the table to him, and as he held the snake up to his eye level, so many memories flooded back. Giyuu and Tengen felt it too, but for Sanemi, Obanai was his closest friend among the Hashira up until his death, they were the only two who really saw eye-to-eye on everything, and while all of the Pillars had suffered, no one shared such an intense hatred of him as Obanai did.

"Iguro's snake" Tengen commented, "you know that guy had a crazy crush on Kanroji?"

"She did too," said Giyuu, remembering having witnessed the shared final moment between the two of them, "She did too… "Iguro, Kanroji, Himejima, Rengoku... ..Kocho, Oyakata-sama, and all the others, we could not have won without them"

"And its thanks to your efforts as well."A fourth gruffer voice had alerted all three of them, the old man who stood before them was not unknown for his stealth after all, even after having disregarded his notorious goblin mask.

"Sensei, when did you get here?" Giyuu asked in surprise.

"You mustn't dwell on what you've lost Giyuu" the old man continued (not answering the question) "and the same goes for you two as well, you were all instrumental in the defeat of Muzan seven months ago, do not feel guilty just because you managed to survive."

Urokodaki's usual serious expression became a smile, and he raised a cup of sake, "we are at a celebration now, continue to live each day as a blessing, that goes for you too, Giyuu."...

"What is it Zenitsu?" Tanjiro asked, noticing that his friend had picked up on something, They were both already in an excellent mood, and now something else was making Zenitsu smile.

"It sounds like a lot of hearts are coming to peace here" He answered, "This was a good Idea Tanjiro"

"Thank you Zenitsu, but it wasn't my idea, it was Kanao's"

Kanao smiled, as she pets Kaburamaru who had since returned to her; "Well, since last month, everyone has been discharged, our physical wounds are now healed, I just felt this would be a good way to ease everyone's minds"

"Hahhahaha! I didn't even go to the hospital!" Inosuke bragged.

"Well, Inosuke, Kanao," Tanjiro began, "it was…"

"Big brother, what's wrong?" Nezuko asked noticing the sudden change in expression, as his voice trailed off.

Something had suddenly gone wrong, Tanjiro sniffed the air and suddenly began to tremble like a leaf.

"Nii-san!" Nezuko started towards him, then the others began to sense it too.

"It can't be," Kanao exclaimed.

"I thought they were all gone!" cried Zenitsu

Just then the door to the hall opened, and two men walked in, one was large, wore a western-style suit, and had a look on his face as though something were assaulting his nostrils, the other had his features obscured by a cloak and hood, normally the entrance of these two men would have hardly been noticed, but it was the presence of the hooded man that made every former Demon Slayer in the room alert.Sanemi recognized the businessman immediately, and his eyes widened with anger. "You!" He said venomously, "so I was right the first time, you're traveling with a fucking demon!"

But then Sanemi fell silent, in fact, the whole hall did, it was the familiarity of the accusation, "you're traveling with a demon" that made everyone pause to reflect. For a moment, all eyes in the room were directed to Tanjiro, then to Giyuu, who was the most senior surviving member of the corps, but noticing Giyuu was looking to Kiriya for instruction, all eyes turned to the young master.

Kiriya looked down, he had thought it was over!

"The corps was already disbanded~" he began somewhat shakily, "but all the same! The people in this room are from that Corps! State your business demon, we will hear you out, but if you're not here to talk we will slaughter you where you stand!"

"Ufufufufu, that little boy has an authoritative voice, he's much older than his age," the demon said in his native language, "but does he think that what's left of the demon slayers can do against me? They've all left their swords behind"

"Do you want me to translate that?" Shu Yong asked sarcastically.

"No," said the demon, removing his hood, "Start with the introductions, and then translate everything else after that..."

The tension in the room could now be cut with a knife, every demon slayer was willing to listen first but ready to move in for the kill at the drop of a pin, and at the center of it all, stood a European-looking demon, with long prickly blonde hair tied back, black markings all over his pale skin, an unsettling grin, and a fire in his eyes.