Hashira With A Demon

Chapter 1: The discovery

The day was tough for tanjiro as he had been out selling charcoal around his small town all day. As the sun started to set tanjiro decided that it was time to head home since he had sold all of the charcoal. He starts heading home, walking up the mountain through the thick snow.

Once half way up the mountain he hears someone calling his name. Tanjiro looks to the right to see old man saburo calling out to him through his window.

"Oh, greetings saburo-san!"

"What are you doing out this late tanjiro?"

"I was off selling charcoal again"

"You shouldn't be outside at night it's dangers, Come inside and don't argue!"

"What do you mean it's dangers?"
The younger male questioned the older one

Stepping forward just enough where tanjiro can see saburo clearly before stopping.

"What's so dangerous?"

"Demons"

"Demons.?"

"Yes, I'll tell you more about it inside, It isn't safe out there!"
Saburo yelled out to the younger male

Tanjiro stood there thinking, he looked toward the direction of his house then back at saburo.

'Maybe I can just stay for a bit or until he falls asleep...'
Tanjiro had thought

With that he walked up to saburo who was now at the door frame.

"I'll stay for a bit"

"Stay the night, you can head out in the morning if you'd like"

"Arigatō!"
Tanjiro thanks the older male as he bows his head

Saburo nods his head in response, both males then head inside of the house. He then tells tanjiro to get comfortable while he makes food for them. As tanjiro is looking around the older male finishes making their food. He set a bowl down in front of the younger male then sets one infront of himself.

The two eat in silence until the younger of the two decides to break it.

"So..what was that demon thing you were talking about?"
An obviously curious tanjiro questioned

Old man saburo stayed quiet for a minute before eventually answering tanjiro.

"Demons...there heartless creatures who kill humans with no mercy and feast on there flesh..."
Saburo replied

This left tanjiro looking for words, not knowing what to say he finished his meal. Saburo picked up the bowls to place them else where.

'I should get going I promised my siblings a bed time story once I got back'
Tanjiro had thought himself

He got up and grabbed his things before facing saburo.

"I really should be going now. Arigatō"

"You can't go it's to risky!"

"It seems peaceful though. I promised my siblings I would read them a story too"
Tanjiro explained before heading out

Ignoring the man's warnings he continued on not wanting to disappoint his younger siblings.

---

Tanjiro stopped right before he made it to the top, smelling something odd.

'What's that smell? It smells metallic..'

'Blood!'

With his heart pumping rapidly he races up towards his house closing the distance as he runs faster. The smell growing stronger he makes it to his house only to see nezuko on the ground with rokuta in her arms. He looks in horror as blood stains the white snow underneath them. He picks up a different scent, one that he can't recognize and that is strong.

He runs to nezuko and frantically shakes her wanting her to get up.

"Nezuko! Nezuko! Please get up!"
The boy screames desperate for his younger sister to get up

He looks to his left, into the house only to see the horror that awaits him inside. Only able to see as much as the moon light shows him he falls to his knees shocked not wanting to believe what has happened to his family. He suddenly remembers the unknown smell that he had picked up not to long ago. Realizing this he gets up and steps back only for someone to step into view.

"Ah, I guess I missed one"
The mysterious man said.

Tanjiro was scared of the man wondering if he could have done this. He backed up and got ready to grab the axe which was still on his belt.

"W-who are you and what did you do to my family?!"

"Call me muzan, I didn't do much to you're poor pathetic family-"
Muzan tunted before he stopped suddenly

He had froze as he realized tanjiro was wearing familiar looking earings. This caused him to become inferred after remembering yorichii. Tanjiro took this chance to attack, he ran forward with his axe now in his hands holding it over his head. Muzan quickly moves out of the way and scratches the back of tanjiros neck.

Tanjiro drops the axe out of shock and stands there shaking as he fells the effects kick in. Trying to with stand it he slowly picks his axe back up and faces muzan anger present all over his face as he's still shaking. He runs toward muzan again and lands a hit on his left arm before muzan throws him against the wall near where nezuko and rokuta are.

He grunts in pain as his back hits the wall he falls onto the white blood stain snow unable to get back up. Muzan walks up to him and bends down infront of him as he watches tanjiro slowly pass out. The last thing tanjiro sees is him getting up and starting to walk away.

"Get back...here..."

---

Tanjiro wakes up and all he can hear are birds chirping in the distance as the gentle sun hits his face. He slowly sits up not remembering anything. Looking around he sees his younger sister and brother on the ground covered in blood. All of a sudden he gets flashbacks about what happened last night. He gets up and goes over to nezuko to check on her. He checks her only to find out that she had died as well as rokuta. Without even knowing he was crying he sits there staring blankly at his now dead siblings his tears falling rapidly.

Tanjiro gets up and goes to dig graves for his dead family.

...

Once he finished digging them their graves he takes his siblings one by one out of the house and places them into one of the many holes he had dug. After placing the last member of his family down and covering them with dirt he gets on his knees and starts praying. He gets up after praying and looks at them one last before he turns around and starts to walk away. He walks through the tree's heading farther into the mountain.

---

Nightfall has struck and tanjiro walks mindlessly through the snowy night as he rethinks everything leading to this moment. He runs into a small inn which looks abandoned. He enters the inn and looks around before heading to one of the rooms, he sits there blankly staring at the floor with tears in his eyes.

'...w-why them..?'

'why me..?'
The helpless boy thought

...

No more then 15 minutes pass before tanjiro starts to smells someone near. As he senses them go into the inn he backs away and trys his best to stay quiet not wanting to lead the person to them. Soon the door to the room tanjiro was in slides open. He looks over to see a tall, black haired male with no facial expression standing infront of him.

'Who is that..?'

---TBC---

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~Words: 1230 (not including this)~

Thank you for reading. :]