Disclaimer: Demon Slayer is not mine. This fanfic is a translation.
Enjoy Reading!
---
After finishing their busy work, the Kamado family finally had some free time.
Tanjiro also came down from upstairs.
With his special sense of smell, he had already smelled his father's scent toward the mansion.
He had known that his father was safe and sound, so he didn't rush downstairs to meet with Tanjuro. It was a joy seeing his sibling being surprised and hugging their father.
Tanjiro came down the stairs with a sincere smile on his face.
---
Tanjuro finally pried off Shigeru from his face and smiled apologetically to the other servants in the mansion, who looked over to see the commotion.
He went and sat down on the veranda facing the garden.
Nezuko carefully observed her father as she also sat down with Rokuta in her arms.
Subconsciously, she reached out and pinched Tanjuro' arm.
"Father, did you... gain weight?"
"Huh?" Shigeru, still in Tanjuro's arm, heard Nezuko's words and immediately raised his hand and put it on Tanjuro's face. He proceeded to rub his father's cheeks, feeling the new sensation of fat and not just skin or bones.
He could even pull it, and it stretched further than before!
"Wow!"
The feeling was so different that Shigeru let go in surprise.
Bam, bam.
Then, he proceeded to tap Tanjuro's chest like a drum, his expression becoming more surprised and excited.
"Hey! Takeo, look!"
As he played, he called out to Takeo, who resumed swinging his wooden sword.
"Father's chest used to sound like tong-ton-tong when you patted it, but now it's Dong-don-Dong."
Shigeru said as he continued to play.
Tanjuro indulged Shigeru in his childishness and rubbed his buzz head.
"Shigeru!"
Takeo had just finished his set of swinging and turned his head to look to chastise Shigeru's childish behavior. His face covered in sweat seems to produce more as he glances at Nezuko.
He was worried...
Usually, Big Sister Nezuko was always kind and gentle. But when she gets angry, she is more terrifying than when Tanjiro gets angry!!!
"Rokuta, are you asleep again?" Nezuko gently rocked her arm.
Fortunately, Nezuko didn't seem to mind.
Seeing that Nezuko didn't get angry, Takeo slowly breathed a sigh of relief.
"Shigeru, stop that."
Kie came out of her office while carrying several rice balls in a tray. She was smiling as she sat down beside her husband. "If you keep making a racket, your father will get angry."
Kie placed the wooden tray on her left and reached out to take the fussing Shigeru away from Tanjuro.
"Mom, Dad won't get angry."
"Right!?" Shigeru looked up and smiled happily at Tanjuro, who was much healthier than before.
Kie smiled helplessly at Shigeru, then she worriedly looked at Tanjuro.
It has been such a long time that she was already used to Tanjuro's shallow and emaciated appearance.
Now his complexion has improved so suddenly... and so fast.
Kie felt a little worried.
After all,
Her husband was fighting off and dealing with demons and monsters a few days ago.
Although he returned safely, if he collapsed again...
Kie pursed her lips and frowned, her beautiful purple eyes full of worry and stress.
"Are you okay, Tanjuro?" She reached out and gently caressed Tanjuro's chin.
"It won't be like that time again, will it?" She asked, referring to the time Tanjuro killed a giant man-eating bear in their mountain and fell into a coma for a year.
"No, it won't."
Tanjuro shook his head slightly. Then, he moved his left hand to circle around Kie's waist and pulled her closer along with Shigeru. He placed her ear to his chest. He had wanted to do this for a while.
"Don't worry, it's okay now."
Feeling her husband's strong arm around her and hearing his powerful heartbeat somewhat reassure Kie's worries.
Then she remembered where she was. Her face flushed from their close contact, and she quickly pulled away from Tanjuro's embrace and straightened up again.
"Tanjuro!"
Her voice was part embarrassed and part angry. She lowered her volume to a whisper and lowered her head. "We're not at our home..."
"Hahaha!" Tanjuro laughed softly. He looked up at the sky under the eaves not far away, and the feeling of loss in his heart gradually dissipated.
The cheerful and rowdy atmosphere returned to calmness.
Kie and Tanjuro were just leaning against each other, their hands holding together.
In the garden, the children were running, jumping, and tagging each other while Takeo was holding his wooden swords and swinging them seriously.
Yes, this is why he fights.
—Family.
Tanjuro looked at Takeo and at Shigeru, who was playing.
If fate wasn't so cruel to weave their thread and send Muzan to their isolated cabin in the mountain, he would happily live his life away from all of this fighting.
But now...
Click.
Tanjuro gripped Kusabimaru at his waist.
'What happened, happens. And now, there is no other way but to kill Muzan.'
'As long as he lives, I won't be having my peaceful life anyway.'
After Kokushibo returned to report, Muzan will know that he was not Yoriichi. He will definitely send the Upper Moon demons on a special errand.
Just like he did to Tanjiro in the original timeline.
Tanjuro suddenly felt a sense of urgency in his heart, looking over his family with Kie in his arms.
He needs to be strong enough to protect his family from Muzan!
Not a single weakness could be exploited!
The Dragon's Heritage can only provide temporary relief, and he has to restore his body strength as soon as possible.
First, the Battle Memory.
When Tanjuro killed the Lower Moon Two, he did not gain any battle memory.
He knew that to earn a battle memory, it needs the requirement of a powerful enemy to defeat.
Since the Lower Moon Two was not strong enough even against Kokushibo's severed arm.
So...
'I need to hunt and kill the Upper Moon.'
Also, he needed another Nichirin blade. He absentmindedly rubbed the handle of Kusabimaru.
He has not yet mastered the Bright Red Nichirin technique like Yoriichi.
When he fought Kokushibo, Kusabimaru was turned into a Bright Red blade because of the high-intensity parrying he did in a short period of time.
In other words, Kokushibo himself helped him hammer Kusabimaru into red.
He couldn't afford to burn Kusabimaru with high temperature every time he encountered an Upper Moon.
But the ordinary Nichirin blades were too fragile... or perhaps Tanjuro was reckless in his uses of the blade.
Kusabimaru is one sturdy sword.
In short, he needs a Nichirin blade specially made for him.
He turned his head to look at Giyu, who was squatting away in the corner of the veranda, silently counting ants on the ground.
To anyone who is friends with him, Giyu has been a little depressed since he's been ignored by the Kamado family after Tanjuro's arrival.
But Giyu didn't have any friends, so no one noticed him unless you searched for him.
Seemingly sensing Tanjuro's gaze, Giyu turned his head to look over.
'Takeo was pestering Tomioka-kun to teach him swordsmanship, if I'm not mistaken...' Tanjuro thought as they locked eyes.
He ignored Giyu and looked over at Takeo, who was still swinging his wooden sword with all his might.
He would not let his children become Demon Slayer members.
But...
Basic self-defense...
"Takeo."
Takeo turned his attention to hear his father's soft voice in some confusion.
"The Hinokami Kagura—do you want to learn it?"
Takeo was stunned at the offer for a moment.
But that soon passed as his eyes shone so bright like starlight.
"Yes!"
Giyu saw and heard this conversation.
He was in a tough place right now because he was being ignored again.
He didn't know what this feeling in his chest was, and the throbbing of his temple was.
Silently, he turned away again.
He was in the Butterfly Mansion just because.
Yeah, he just finished his mission and stopped here to rest.
That's all.