Kibutsuji Muzan's reprise (sequel to Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba)

Chapter six: The dying embers of great souls

Zenitsu, Inosuke, Aoi, Tanjiro and Kanao could not believe their eyes. The usually docile, innocent, and easy-going Nezuko was doused in red blood right in front of them from head to toe. Try as they might, they could not deny the unquestionable fact that there was deer-blood running down her lips and spraying her teeth.

Azami had immediately run to Tanjiro, informing him of this calamity, who had secretly told the other four of this disaster before rushing to the spot in the woods where Nezuko was last spotted. According to the other guests, the ceremony was going smoothly and there were delays in the refreshments and other preparations. Luckily, the demon-woman was still in the same place as she was left earlier. 

Despite Zenitsu's warnings, Azami, Fumihiro, and the other children who were close relatives of Nezuko had followed the small group into the forest to see what was amiss. Presently, Azami, Fumihiro, Kenji, and Rika- Tanjiro's four children- were clinging tightly to their parents' clothes and hiding behind them, for they did not understand what was happening to their dear aunt and why she was behaving in this unorthodox manner. Kanao even held five-year-old Kenji and six-year-old Rika's faces away from the gruesome sight, for they were too young to see this horror. 

Nezuko's eyes were bright pink, just as they used to be when she was first turned into a demon some twelve years ago. Her nails were long and sharp. Presently, her veins were popping out of her neck. Compared to her previous demonic avatar, this one was more ferocious. Nezuko had already feasted on her prey. There was no telling as to how dangerous she could potentially be and if she could really go back to being human. 

"Father," Fumihiro pulled on Tanjiro's hand. "What happened to Aunt Nezuko?"

Tanjiro swiftly wiped away his tears and forced a smile as he looked at Fumihiro. "Everything is fine. She'll come back quickly"

Fumihiro had a crease up his brows. "Are you sure?"

Tanjiro scrunched up his face, before taking in a deep breath with immense difficulty and saying in a shaky voice, "Yes, I promise".

Fumihiro sighed with relief and buried his face into Tanjiro's stomach- his father had guaranteed him a promise, he would never lie. 

As for Inosuke and Tanjiro, they stared long and hard at Nezuko, someone who was only previously laughing and blushing at the prospect of being a mother again. Someone who was harbouring another small life in her. What would happen to her child, now that this happened?

"Nezuko, it's me..." Zenitsu slowly approached his wife, attempting to make her recognize him. But she only growled and scratched Zenitsu's cheek with her long fingernails. Zenitsu squirmed and retreated with a bloody face. Aoi rushed over to nurse Zenitsu's face, but he pushed her away and was crying, loud and inconsolably. She could not recognize him, her own husband! Why could she not recognize him?

Startled by the loud crying noises, Nezuko looked at the rest of the humans staring at her, apparently now realizing that they were around her. The first victim she lunged for was her youngest daughter Yuko. Her eyes were bulging out of her sockets as she extended her claws for the young girl's soft and tender flesh...

It took Zenitsu some time to recover and lunge to protect his daughter, but Tanjiro jumped ahead before him and took the attack to his right forearm instead. He covered the petite, shivering girl with his entire body, making sure that Nezuko could not see her. He grimaced at the immense pain that resulted from the scratch.

"Tanjiro!" Kanao gasped and ran to her husband's side. She wrapped his hand tightly with a piece of cloth she carried with her.

Nezuko curiously looked at her brother's blood, dripping steadily from her fingers. She slowly popper one of her fingers into her mouth, tasting it. Her eyes exploded and she issued a low moan. She enjoyed the taste of the blood. It sent her own blood coursing through her veins with rejuvenating strength. She did not know what was so special about this blood, but she wanted more of it.

Nezuko's attention shifted directly to Tanjiro, and she made an attempt to cleave off a huge portion of his flesh, until Inosuke stepped in with a log he picked up from the foliage. He shoved it up Nezuko's hands, her fingernails caught in the wood rigidly. Nezuko effortlessly tore the log away from her nails and kicked Inosuke into a nearby tree. Inosuke's boar mask fell off his head, exposing his feminine face and a nosebleed. He was knocked out cold. 

Nezuko once again made way to Tanjiro, who had picked up a handful of rocks and was pelting them at her. The makeshift projectiles were random and scattered, due to Tanjiro's determination to not hurt his sister. Yet, Nezuko was hit by a few stray stones. They left scratches on her face and arms, which immediately healed as soon as they appeared.

With an enormous bout of strength, Nezuko jumped onto Tanjiro and they both tumbled down a steep hill that was behind them. Tanjiro's voice echoed behind him as he hurtled down deeper into the woods. Azami, worried for her father, rushed down after him down the hill.

When Nezuko hurtled down in top speed along with her brother, she accidentally grabbed onto Tanjiro's hand firmly. The two of them had hit the ground with a huge thud. Nezuko was temporarily unconscious, and Tanjiro was aware of the vice-like grip on his hand. But immediately afterwards, Tanjiro immediately felt a sharp, intense pain in his head.

It was as though there were people trapped in his head, pounding against his skull, yelling, pleading, imploring deafeningly to let them out. It was the exact pain he had experienced some days ago, the last time Nezuko and Zenitsu had visited his home. It was hurting in the exact same area. Except, the pain was amplified tenfold, no, thousandfold.

Tanjiro couldn't withstand the pain anymore. He clutched his head in pain, yelling and screaming, clawing at his hair with his fingernails. Birds and animals from a ten-meter radius fled away from the fearful, blood-curling shriek. Black spots in his eye, and a harsh, burning feeling coursing through his body as though he was on fire. Tanjiro lay on the ground and writhed, twisting and turning in all directions like a dog scratching its body on the grass. Then it stopped. Instantaneously.

Tanjiro slowly got up and rubbed his eyes with his right hand. He opened his eyes slowly. 

Wait a minute, Tanjiro thought. There's something odd about my vision!

He opened his eyes fully and observed. The scope of his vision had improved. He could see many more things through his peripheral vision. Then it hit Tanjiro. He closed his left eye. Normally, he would only see darkness peering back at him, for his right eye was blind from the fight with Muzan. But today, he could still see the towering trees above him. Tanjiro's heart beat quickened. The hand he was holding himself up from the ground with to support himself with, it was his left hand! The very hand which was supposed to have been useless!

Tanjiro turned around to see the sound of feet running towards him. He lifted his two hands and wiggled his fingers. Immediately, a shadow fell over their eyes.