Release and Loyalty

Returning to Yakunitatta

Shinsetsu hoisted Tanjiro onto his back and burrowed into the ground.
"Master, what happened?!" Shinsetsu asked, concerned.
"Ungh..." Tanjiro groaned from the pain.
"Forowā and I have found another underling for you." Shinsetsu said trying to lighten the mood.
Tanjiro faintly smiled with gratitude.
"Her name is Isyasashī, she can control living being actions." Shinsetsu informed him.

When they got back to The Eye Tanjiro got off Shinsetsu, walked a few steps, then fell on his face.
"T-Tanjiro-sama?" Said a quiet and sweet voice from the corner.
The demon walked over, her small feet gently taping on the floor. She helped Tanjiro get up, her small body shaking under his weight. He looked at her face, her eyes were a light lavender color, beautiful yet sad. She had soft, elegant features, her mouth curved in a small smile. Her white hair was so long that it touched her heels, her thin wispy bangs covered one eye.
"A-are you...Isyasashī?" Tanjiro asked shakily.
"Yes, Tanjiro-sama." She replied quietly.

She took him to his room and laid him on his side.
"You should rest, Tanjiro-sama." She advised.
He smiled up at her before passing out.

"So...?" Muzan asked.
"'So'what?" Tanjiro answered with a question.
"What are you doing?" Muzan asked.
"Surviving." Tanjiro replied.
"You've barely eaten and you haven't killed all the demon slayers." Muzan told him, irritated. "That's barely surviving."
"Don't care." Tanjiro said...

"You think he's okay?" Isyasashī's voice asked.
Tanjiro had opened his eyes to see what was happening, he was starring at the ceiling.
"Tanjiro-sama!" Isyasashī said leaning over him.
He was laying on several pillows, Isyasashī was pressing a cold, wet cloth on his forehead.
"Are you feeling well, my liege?" Forowā asked, she too was leaning over him.
"N-no." Tanjiro answered.
He tried to sit up but just ended up coughing blood again.
"Master!" Shinsetsu exclaimed.
"I'll help you, Tanjiro-sama." Isyasashī said.
She helped him up to a sitting position.
"How long...was I asleep?" Tanjiro asked.

"One month, my liege." Forowā answered.
"I must visit someone." Tanjiro said.
"Would you like help, master?" Shinsetsu asked.
"No...i'm fine." Tanjiro told him.

A while later Tanjiro got to Yakunitatta's house, he went to the door and knocked.
"Hello? T-Tanjiro-san?" She asked.
"Yes, i'm back." He replied.
"Your back..." Yakunitatta pointed out.
"Oh, yes, that..." he said.
Tanjiro coughed more blood into his hand.
"What happened?" Yakunitatta asked, concerned.
"Wisteria poison." Tanjiro answered.
"But what about...that?" Yakunitatta said, pointing to his back.
"I don't know...unfortunately." Tanjiro admitted.
Yakunitatta brought him inside and they sat down, Yakunitatta put a hand on Tanjiro's back, he winced.
"Does it hurt?" She asked.
"V-very much..." he said.
"Have you tried cutting it off?" She asked.
"Hm...no, but I assume it would regenerate." He replied thoughtfully.
"Would you like to try?" She asked.
"Sure." He agreed.
Totemo tied Tanjiro down while Yakunitatta held Tanjiro's katana.
"Do it." He said.
Yakunitatta raised the katana over her head, ready to strike.

Tanjiro was trusting them a great deal considering what Yakunitatta had done
last time. Yakunitatta cut through Tanjiro's spine, removing the spikes and tendrils. Totemo had put a cloth in Tanjiro's mouth, he bit into it and screamed. He freed himself from the ropes and took the cloth from his mouth.
"Tanjiro?" Totemo asked.
Tanjiro was breathing heavily and slowly running his claws through the floor. He lay limp on the ground, his severed spine healing slowly. Yakunitatta got a rag and put it in cold water, she, then, walked to Tanjiro and cleaned the wound. Once Tanjiro's spine had healed, he sat up.
"Your clothes are torn, would you like some new ones?" Yakunitatta asked.
Tanjiro nodded subtly.
Tanjiro went to the other room to dress himself. Yakunitatta had given him a black kimono with a grey haori; that sudden pain in his spine came back again.
"Agh!" He shrieked.
"Tanjiro-san, are you okay?" Yakunitatta asked, opening the door.
She picked him up and brought him to the other room.

The spikes and tendrils on his back were regenerating, it was hurting him severely.
"Oh...sorry..." Yakunitatta said, staring at the tendrils.
"I-it's...fine..." he said.
"Why'd you come back?" She asked him.
"I was hoping you could help..." he replied.
He opened the door and began to walk outside.
"Wait...it'll be better for you if you wait until sunset." Yakunitatta advised.
"I think i'll be fine-" Tanjiro said before coughing blood again.
"You're not fine." Totemo pointed out.
"Okay, i'll stay." Tanjiro said.
He sat on the floor with them and tried moving his tendrils around.
"Can you pick up this pillow?" Totemo asked.
"I'll try." Tanjiro said.
He wrapped a tendril around the pillow, lifting it in the air.
"Interesting..." Yakunitatta said.

When the sun set Tanjiro said goodbye and left. On his way back to The Eye he met two demon slayers.
"Tanjiro, come with us." One said.
"Yushiro?" Tanjiro asked.
"Yes." Yushiro said.
"Stop following me." Tanjiro said as he walked away.

Yushiro did not listen, however, he and Murata continued behind Tanjiro, undetected.
When Tanjiro got back Shinsetsu, Forowā, and Isyasashī were sitting on the dock.
"His grandness has returned!" Forowā said, her golden eyes sparkling with delight.
Her cloak and black-and-white kimono waving in the wind as she stood. Isyasashī was poking the horn on Shinsetsu's head, his long ears pricked when Forowā spoke, his ice blue eyes facing Tanjiro. He got up, his tall frame towering over Isyasashī.
"Tanjiro." Yushiro said from behind.
"Isyasashī, use your blood demon art!" Tanjiro said.
Blood demon art: marionette!
"What should I make them do?" She asked softly.
"I need them to leave." Tanjiro replied.
Isyasashī forced Yushiro and Murata to leave, when they got too far away, she stopped. Tanjiro put his hand on her head.
"Good work." He congratulated her.

992 words, this was six pages long