New Moon, Old Blood
Chapter 1 - Asphodel
Kanae Kocho was going to die.
She could feel it in every breath she took. Normally, a person was not too aware of their own breathing. It was automatic; just something their body did naturally without them even having to think about it. But for a demon slayer, the act of breathing was more than that. It was a lifeline that brought them strength beyond human limitations. Strength that they could use to protect those who were weaker, who could not defend themselves. For that reason, even a novice demon slayer was thoroughly acquainted with the feeling of each breath and it entered and then left their lungs.
But now, that strength was waning. With each inhale, the air seemed to scrape at the inside of her body. It felt as if she was being cut apart, slowly but surely, from the inside out. Each breath was shorter and more shallow than the last. She could still stand now, but even that was a struggle. Her muscles burned at the strain to simply move. It was a sort of total physical exhaustion Kanae could hardly recall. Even during training, when she and Shinobu had been pushing their bodies to their absolute limits in order to master their breathing techniques. Soon enough, she would fall. That was a certainty. Still, she could remain standing for a little longer, at least. Maybe a day, maybe less. She would at least be able to hold on long enough to say goodbye to Shinobu and Kanao.
It was almost certainly a technique of the demon before her. The red-clad man had taken an evasive approach once it had become clear that she could match him in direct combat. Maybe if things had stayed as they were in that moment, Kanae could have won. If it was simply a direct battle, strength and skill tested against one another. But expecting such a thing would have been the height of foolishness. Life was never fair. That was why it was important to fight for it, to take what happiness you could in the world around you.
The demon had worn her down, slowly but surely. Every time she saw an opportunity to close in, another wave of ice rose up and blocked her path. She couldn't close distance against the demon like this, and from far away she simply had no way to strike him. He was stalling, dragging things out until Kanae could no longer defend herself. At the start she could easily avoid being struck by the swirling gusts of frigid wind the demon scattered about, but bit by bit the cold had sapped the strength and feeling from her body. She was slowing down, and it was costing her. She had suffered several blows already as a consequence, but now the numbness pervading her flesh had taken even that. She could barely feel her sword, broken in half blocking a nearly-lethal attack minutes ago, held steady in her hands. All that was left was a dull ache, a slight burning feeling that filled every inch of her body. Kanae was not as adept in the world of medicine as her sister, but even she knew that once you were cold enough that your body was starting to feel warm, you were near the end.
Kanae wouldn't go down without a fight, though. The demon's smile, empty of all life even from the start, was becoming more and more brittle. Sunrise was near. If she kept it up, perhaps the demon would make a mistake. There was still time to make a difference here.
"You're going to make me feel disappointed." The demon said, that bright yet hollow smile still painted across his face. "You're dead on your feet right now, but I'm still having trouble striking you! If I'm being honest, I'm getting a bit excited here. I can hardly recall the last time I was challenged like this! And yet…"
The demon's smile dimmed just a fraction.
"The way things are going, I'm not even going to be able to see how it ends. You understand how disappointing that is, right?"
Kanae was hardly listening. The world was starting to blur. It was all she could do to stay standing. There was still a chance, however slim. She would just need a moment's distraction, an opportunity, anything that could give her an edge…
"Why not let this end properly? At least that way we can both walk away feeling satisfied, right?" the demon continued. Kanae didn't answer, taking a single, slow breath that rattled in her lungs and stung her skin. She could still do this. She could still last until sunrise, at the very least.
And then it happened.
The sound of wood creaking, or perhaps crashing and breaking, echoed through the streets. The demon turned to look towards the sound, seeming oddly perplexed. It was a distraction, if only a momentary one.
Kanae tried to leap forward, sword reaching for the demon's neck, but to no avail. A violent, wracking cough tore through her, forcing the Hashira to her knees. Ah, so she had already reached that point. The coppery taste of blood filled her mouth, a few drop spilling out from her lips. Despite the pain, the tiny bit of warmth held in the bleeding felt like an incredible blessing. Scant as it was, she would take what she could get.
The demon didn't so much as look back, entirely transfixed by the source of the noise. If she were in better condition, Kanae might have been insulted by the total disregarding of her presence. Now, she was just thankful for the momentary reprieve.
Something had…
sprouted in the end of the alley, ash-colored roots crawling across the road and up the walls of the nearby buildings. It almost looked like a tree had suddenly appeared behind them. The pale bark of the abruptly-arriving foliage split open in several places, revealing an emptiness inside that seemed unnaturally deep and dark.
The tree cracked open, and Kanae's senses were suddenly overwhelmed with the scent of spring. Blossoming flowers, a gentle breeze, the warmth of sunlight. It all seemed to flow through the alleyway, easing the pain that had enveloped Kanae's entire body. For just a moment, in spite of the confusion she was feeling at the sight before her, in spite of the circumstances, Kanae felt hope. She couldn't identify why, but something about this sight was reassuring. Everything would be alright, it promised.
And then the demon stepped out of the gap in the tree, and that hope died.
The new demon was dressed in a black haori with dark green branch patterns extending across the surface. Though it may have been Kanae's own inherent bias, they formed a shape reminiscent of wings. Messy, red-brown hair fell down just barely above their shoulders. The demon's face was hidden, a root-like wooden mask covering their eyes and most of their mouth. At the demon's side, they wore a sheath that looked disturbingly similar to those carried by members of the demon slayer corps. They looked a little older than Kanae herself, though she knew that with demons appearances could be deceiving. Even a weak demon entering the fight at this point would have been a disaster. But this demon was clearly not weak.
Though their eyes were hidden and Kanae couldn't see if they were marked as one of the Kizuki, they were without a doubt an equal to the demon she had just been fighting. Not just in the clear way the first demon was looking at them, but also from the way they carried themself. This was without a doubt a trained warrior. Their stance, the way they scanned the surroundings as the entered… but there was something beyond that.
Kanae Kocho was not particularly inclined to believing in the supernatural. Demons existed, of course, as did the afterlife, but having a talented scientist in the family tended to incline one more towards skepticism towards folklore and myths. Even so, there was something inherently otherworldly about the arriving demon. Their outline was strangely distinct in the near-dawn light, and the details of their body seemed sharper and clearer than the dreary alleyway or even the demon that stood staring at them. If the world were a painting, then this demon was given far more time and dedication than any other part of it. It was somewhat surreal just to look at it.
"Douma, you said this would only take a moment. It's getting close to morning, and you're still out here. What's going on?"
Kanae was taken somewhat aback. This new demon actually sounded concerned for the first. To most demon slayers, the very idea of that would be unthinkable. It was the generally-accepted opinion of the corps that all demons were, without exception, monsters without a shred of empathy or care for the lives of humans and other demons alike. Kanae knew better, knew that demons were capable of a full range of emotions just like any other person, but actually seeing it was still highly unusual.
Moreover, it was practically proof that this demon was one of incredible power. There was no other way they would be able to speak to one of the Twelve Kizuki, specifically the one ranked as highly as her opponent.
Said opponent looked delighted at the new arrival, though Kanae could still not detect a hint of genuine emotion behind their smile. "Tanjiro! I'm touched that you came all the way out here. I just ran into a particularly interesting woman and was having a bit of trouble closing things out. I'll be done in just a moment."
"You should've retreated by now." the new demon… chided? "If I hadn't shown up, you might not have made it back to safety before the sun rose. You really need to learn to take better care of yourself, Douma."
"Ah, it's a bit embarrassing getting scolded like this in public, you know? But you're right. We can just end this here, and then-" the first demon said before being cut off.
"No." the second demon interrupted, suddenly sounding stern instead of the gentle, caring tone they had taken before. "Lord Muzan would be unhappy if you risked yourself without a good reason. Head back now. I'll take care of things here."
The first demon stopped, and though his smile remained as wide and brilliant as before, Kanae could tell he was deep in thought. She remained in position, trying to draw up whatever vitality she could for one final fight. If the first demon cared about maintaining their easygoing facade, then she would be ending the night with a different opponent. Against Douma she hasn't been able to get close, but maybe this new demon would have a poorer matchup. It was a slim chance, especially given her condition, but she would take it. Kanae had two, maybe three Breath Forms left in her. She would make them count.
"If you say so!" the first demon answered cheerfully before stepping back towards the tree and vanishing into it. For a moment, Kanae and the second demon stood alone in the alleyway, silent. Then the demon spoke.
"I'm really sorry about Douma. He doesn't really understand people, so he tends to act without thinking about how other people are affected."
"I know." Kanae replied, the words weak and hollow. Even speaking burned, now. That demon was empty, even as he smiled and laughed in their fight. Soft as it might seem, Kanae couldn't bring herself to hate somebody who lived such a pitiable life.
Her words were followed by a fit of coughing. Kanae could feel more blood spill into her mouth. Seeing the moment of weakness, the demon rushed forward. Kanae tried to raise what remained of her sword, but her arms wouldn't respond.
So this was it, then. She had hoped to at least see her sisters one last time before she died. Hopefully they would go on to live long and happy lives, free from all this mess. It was a vain, impossible hope, but Kanae held onto it. That was where people found the strength to do the impossible.
The demon closed in, and Kanae held its gaze. She would not die with her eyes closed. Its claws reached her, ready to tear her apart, and…
Began wiping the blood off of her face?
"Careful!" the demon warned. "Your lungs are severely damaged. You'll only hurt be hurt if you keep exerting yourself. Here, try to match my breathing."
Kanae stared in shock as the demon fretted over her injuries. What was happening? Was she starting to hallucinate? She had lost a lot of blood…
Oh. How ironic.
This demon was truly a kind person. Just like she had always wished to meet. Proof that demons and humans weren't destined to war with each other for as long as they both existed. And when she finally met that person, finally had her hopes proven true…
"It doesn't matter now, does it? I don't have much longer."
The demon shook his head. "Don't say that. You're not dead yet, I can still-"
"I won't become a demon." Kanae said, putting as much finality as she could muster into those five words.
The demon seemed genuinely distressed by her refusal. "Please, I don't want to watch somebody die in front of me when I can save them."
"I'd have to eat people. I won't-" Another coughing fit. More blood stained Kanae's skin. She couldn't feel it this time. "I don't want to live at the cost of other people."
"There are ways to feed without killing people. You won't lose your memories, either, as long as you don't resist the transformation." the demon insisted, voice strained. They sounded strangely far away, even though they were now kneeling right in front of Kanae. "I promise, you won't have to become a monster. Just don't throw your life away like this. Don't you have people who would miss you?"
Shinobu. Kanao. It would hurt them if she died like this. Would they be able to go on without her? Kanao was still too young to tell. It was practically a guarantee that she would become a demon slayer like her sisters, no matter how Kanae wished for her to be safe. And Shinobu…
Shinobu had always been passionate. It was beautiful, the way she attacked a challenge from every angle and found solutions to problems that anyone else might see as impossible. But it was burning her, too, the way she pushed herself. No matter how strong her sister become, Kanae always worried for her. How could she not? She was one of the only two family members Kanae had left. If Kanae died here, without a word to her sisters….
"I know what it's like to want to protect your family." the demon said, with a weight that Kanae could barely begin to understand. So many emotions, all packed into a single sentence. "So please, trust me. If you leave them behind, if you disappear… it'll hurt them. Don't make that mistake."
Kanae tried to answer, but found she could no longer speak. Her body was finally starting to give out. This was it, then. There was no more time to decide.
Maybe this would be a mistake. Maybe she was being tricked, putting her trust in the wrong person because she was desperate to hold onto proof of the dream she had held onto. None of the other Hashira would have ever fallen for such a thing. Maybe that made her naive, believing that all this was just a possibility instead of a certainty. But when she considered the alternative…
Kanae Kocho reached out and took the demon's hand.
