Chapter Text
Everyone has a choice on which path to take and which decision to make, between the bad and the worse.
And she, Kamado Nezuko, is no different. She made a choice: not to fall victim to the unwanted instincts that *ell upon her without her consent. She chose to protect and to fight for humans, especially her brother, Kamado Tanjiro.
She made the same choice of almost falling past the point of no return and almost being demonized to help and save her brother from an almost certain death. She made the same choice to let her brother protect the humans instead of her, and she felt the burn of it. Literally.
Looking back, Kamado Nezuko always put others before herself. She tells herself it's the right thing to do, that she can heal but humans cannot, that she must be patient and understanding. However, only she knew why: deep down, Kamado Nezuko doesn't believe she can be saved. She doesn't believe she can become human again.
She doesn't want to break Tanjiro’s heart. Not when he tried so hard. Not when he sweated, bled, and cried. Not when he almost died for it time and again. He had come so far already for that one sole goal alone. Taking it from him will cause her brother to collapse, and Nezuko doesn't have the heart to tell him that.
Lovely and kind Tanjiro, tears don't suit him at all. Neither do sadness and despair, regret and guilt.
The serum that was supposed to turn her back to human, or so what Tamayo and Shinobu claimed, didn't do that. It, however, brought Nezuko's mind back to perfect clarity. She remembered everything: her family, that night.
Nezuko, despite being the target of Kibutsuji Muzan, joined the battlefield. Her heart was beating so fast that her blood roared in her ears as she swooped down, her blood splattering Kibutsuji Muzan from above.
"Kibutsuji Muzan, you will fall here! For my family! For my brother! For the people you have caused despair and suffering! It's time for you to burn in hell already!"
"Blood Demon Art..." Nezuko clenched her hand into a fist, "Exploding Blood!"
The vibrant pink, purification-like flames that burn and will continue to burn anything demonic in nature and origin.
Blood Demon Art, what a curious thing. It will continue to evolve and will manifest according to the will, desire, and past of the demon. That's why each Blood Demon Art is unique. They may not know their past, forgotten, or erased, but their Blood Demon Art is what tied them go the past, long gone and forgotten.
Nezuko’s Blood Demon Art came from her strong desire to burn everything and anything demonic. For her family; for Rokuta who was cold under her body; for the life she failed to shield him from the cruel and harsh reality of passing on before he could fully and actually see the world; for Tanjiro to aid him in his journey; and for him and the friends she and he made along the way. Her Blood Demon Art is the symbol of Nezuko’s love, protection, and oath: She must protect humans and will never forgive demons who harm innocent lives!
So, Nezuko’s Blood Demon Art blossomed once more, evolving once more. To protect and to love, to care and to cherish: "Blood Demon Art... Merciful Flames!"
The variant of her Blood Demon Art, once more, was meant to assist humans, this time to heal. And heal it will. The golden-amber flames spread all across the battlefield.
It was a haze but at the very same time it was clear.
The fleshy, bone-like whip headed towards Nezuko, fully intent to perhaps maim her permanently—the same move that killed Takeo and Shigeru.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
It took three Hashira to block the bone whip. Nezuko looked at the three towering figures in front of her in shock: Himejima Gyomei, Shinazugawa Sanemi, and Tomioka Giyuu.
"You brat! Why are you here?!" the Wind Pillar roared.
Nezuko steeled herself. "Kibutsuji Muzan must die! I must see to it myself! I must protect humans!" Nezuko smacked all three of them with her hands, activating her Blood Demon Art. The mixture of her two Blood Demon Arts mixed together, creating rose-gold flames. "I can heal others, I can! Anyone injured who can still fight, I will heal them!"
"Tch."
"I'll go get your brother," Giyuu agreed, also displeased by her current presence on the battlefield, but since all three of them were already feeling the effectiveness of her Blood Demon Art, they also cannot afford to send her off the battlefield.
"I'll cover you," Gyomei seconded.
Nezuko hoped, she hoped and prayed. "Please let it be enough. Please, please, Hinokami-sama. Tou-san."
"Everyone, please, lend us your strength."
Nezuko was exhausted by the time she had healed enough people so that they wouldn't keel over and die.
Still, she couldn't help but tear up and sob. She was so late. Shinobu-san, Tokito-san, Genya-san, Tamayo-san... Everyone...
It hurts so much, and Nezuko did not have any shame as she bawled.
War.... War is really ugly... Really, truly ugly... There's no winners, only survivors.
However, Nezuko just won't spiral like that. She likes to think on the brighter side of things... As bright as that can be.
Nezuko didn't know if her heart was capable of shattering to this extent....she was proven wrong.
"Those who are marked... will die at 25?" Nezuko asked, shaken. "Is that why, even with my efforts, Gyomei-san died?"
Then...!
Nezuko turned to Tanjiro, and his face was all the confirmation she got. Nezuko burst into tears. "How could this be! We won! We should rest and be happy! How can it be so cruel like this?! No!"
Nezuko cannot... for the life of her, easily accept it. However...
It made her determined.
"You want to learn Water Breathing?" Giyuu is surprised.
"Yes. Well, I know the Dance of the Hinokami Kagura. Even though it's Tanjiro’s birthright. Even though it's his right as the eldest son, he taught me the dance... I... I want to learn the other Breathing Styles, all the Breathing Styles... I am a demon now. Wisteria doesn't affect me as it truly should, and neither does a Nichirin blade... In the future... In the future... I want to keep the Breathing Styles and remember you by..."
Giyuu stared at her with his deep eyes, and he must have seen something in her. "Very well, but you must go to Urokodaki-san first."
"Yes, thank you, Giyuu-san, thank you!" Nezuko teared up.
Learning Water Breathing is... it's a new experience. Nezuko doesn't have the limitations of a human; if she is injured, if she broke bones, she doesn't need weeks and days to train again, she can heal back up. She is going to make it count, especially with time not on her side.
After that is Serpent Breathing. It's more difficult to convince the Serpent Hashira as his dislike for women is strong, and a female demon more so—Nezuko checks that list. However, her help during the Final Battle was a big help in getting in the Serpent Hashira's good graces.... Or maybe because she had healed Kanroji-san; that's probably it.
Nezuko jumped from one instructor to another, learning Breathing Styles as she went. Shinazugawa was a ruthless instructor, that's for sure, but he taught her still, perhaps because Nezuko is friends with Genya. He changed over the years.
Tanjiro taught her the Sun Breathing as well. His teaching is atrocious, like the true Kamado he truly is... but Nezuko won't have it any other way.
She learned from everyone who's willing to teach her and impart their knowledge. They helped her figure out as much as they could regarding the Stone Breathing. The several Mist Breathers in the Corps did their best to try and fill the gaps of the late Mist Hashira.
The Butterfly Girls also try and figure out the Insect Breathing to be taught as well. In the future, these records and these books might even disappear and be damaged, but Nezuko won't. She will carry all of them with her.
And as much as it saddened anyone who really knew Nezuko and came to know her over the years... There was nothing they could do; the cure that was studied and created by a 400-year-old Demon and Insect Hashira still could not turn her back to human.
As the Demon Slayers with Marks began to pass one by one, it was a heartbreaking and heavy affair for Nezuko, because someday, Tanjiro will also...
It was a surprise when he did because... instead of passing his earrings to his son (the son of his with Kanao, Nezuko’s sister-in-law), the Hanafuda Earrings were given to Nezuko instead. And she will wear them.
Nezuko had thought she was prepared for that day, but it turns out she wasn't. One can never be ready. She wasn't ready when Tanjiro passed.
Nezuko still stayed.
Zenitsu and her became friends. Neither of them both could step into that stage of a relationship. Nezuko could not do that to Zenitsu, nor can Zenitsu burden Nezuko with such heaviness. They don't need to say it out loud, but they aren't stupid; they aren't children anymore. Experience shared them, and the future too.
Nezuko busied herself as well. It wasn't just the Breathing Style she must learn, but also how to forge a Nichirin Blade. Just in case, Tanjiro’s sword will need to be maintained in top condition. Just like all Sun Breathers, Nezuko’s blade turned pitch black. Haganezuka forged her sword himself, and Kotetsu had designed her head guard, the Sun—perhaps the inspiration for her and for Tanjiro. The Demon Slayer Mark on Nezuko’s forehead is the same mark as her predecessors and her brother, after all. It's the Symbol of Hope, of Salvation.
So they say.
And everyone passed her by. She had Oyakata-sama for company, and then there's Yushiro as well. Everyone slowly began to be taken away as time passed.
And she met them all once more: their reincarnations.
Perhaps, they can build bonds like this too, in a more beautiful and forgiving world.
It always amazed her how her view fhanged as the world around her also changed. Humans still fight and have conflicts with each other even without demons.
Yushiro told her it's always been like this.
Nezuko was torn and conflicted, of course; however, she still danced the Hinokami Kagura and the other Breathing Styles when she felt like it's too much. Nezuko **forged** her identities and went around, changing her appearances and blending in with the humans.
Nezuko would repeat: Go to school, graduate, become a productive member of society. Become a musician, as she always wanted before. Or become a doctor in honor of Shinobu-san. Become a teacher. Basically anything and everything. Nezuko kept learning to distract herself, to bury her sorrow, longing, and sadness, like how Yushiro is with his painting.
Nezuko still stayed true to her hope and her love. She still danced and kept her heart ablaze.
Even as so many years passed by. Civilization came and went.
Precisely a thousand years since the fall of Kibutsuji Muzan, everything is high tech. and the modern world has become so advanced.
Humans created a disaster.
Demons are back.
And the Demon Slayer Corps was revived once more.
This time, there was less bloodshed, because Nezuko will not allow anyone to suffer as they did back in those days. Nezuko swept from city to city to slay demons who are evil, true to her blade.
"It's self-destruction, that's what," Yushiro said, looking at her pointedly with his cat-like. eyes. Chachamaru meowed in agreement.
"I can't help it. So many died and gave their lives away and yet... and yet..."
Yushiro sighed. "I'm angry too, of course," gripping the haori he had, a replica of Tamayo's kimono. "Lady Tamayo.... Her sacrifice was spat upon like this, how can I not be angry?"
"So... Let's get off our asses and get to work then?"
"Tsk." Yushiro scoffed.
They still won, even though the demons in this era were so destructive and more dangerous. However, Nezuko was never rusty or dull with her swordsmanship. She honed it over the years, not just in memory of her loved ones, but because of Nezuko’s intuition. Humans began cloning some dead and extinct animals in the past; sooner or later, they will create something that will be catastrophic and destroy society. Demons just happened to be on the list.
In the final battle, they won; all is left is to pick out the remaining ones. The last one is particularly slippery. Yushiro had to come with her for this, and it fell easily, but like all other demons with significant power, this one cast a last attack before it cancels out.
It devoured the three. Chachamaru's sharp yowl from a meow, having sensed his partner's distress from far away, unfortunately, caused the demonic cat to be unlucky enough to be caught as well.
The smell of flesh burning, to Nezuko’s horror. Yushiro is tucking Chachamaru in his kimono, but he's exposed still. He is burning! The space around them has the Power of the Sun!
Nezuko will be alright, but Yushiro won't! He'll die!
"Let go, Kamado! I'm prepared to die!"
"You're not dying on my watch! Go! Go!" Nezuko hurled Yushiro as far as she can to safety.
Every action has an equal and opposite reaction; naturally, as she flung Yushiro across space, she was also hurled away as a result.
Nezuko, unknowingly, hurled Yushiro down the Space and Time corridor where the clock ticked back the other way. She, however, was more unlucky, because she was hurled across Space and Dimension.
The Blood Demon Art is Spatial Distortion, used by a scientist that is obsessed with science. He could not step in, for it had the power of the sun. Any humans flung in it would be torn to shreds and die a miserable death, and demons would burn to death as well.
However, the equation now has a Sun-Conquering Demon and a demon who's older than the Sun Walker. Even if the other is not immune to the sun, he won't easily burn as other weak and young demons.
And so... Yamamoto Yushiro was hurled back in Time.
Kamado Nezuko was hurled across Dimensions without her consent.
This changes things.