39. Upper-Rank Six

Hana and Tanjiro arrived back at the Tokito House to settle their affairs with the oiran. They looked at Koinatsu with a look of sincere guilt.

"Excuse me, Koinatsu-san. Forgive us for being impolite, but we are leaving House Tokito," Hana explained, sliding an envelope across the floor. "We owe the master and the other for the care they provided us, so could you please give this payment to them??"

Koinatsu stared at them with confusion. She looked at their clothes and then at their faces. "Sumi, why are you dressed like that? Why are you both dressed that way?"

Tanjiro rubbed the back of his neck. "I had to dress as a woman for certain reasons, I'm actually a boy."

To their complete shock, Koinatsu smiled softly. "Yes, I knew that. It was obvious at first glance. With that body and voice of yours, I knew."

Tanjiro's face went blank. It was a look of pure, comical shock. "...You did?"

"I could tell from the start that you were a boy. I just wondered what you and your sister were doing," she said, looking at Hana. "You have your reasons, don't you? You were worried about Suma for real, weren't you?" She asked.

"Yes, that's the truth and there's no lie." Tanjiro said.

Hana stepped forward, her expression determined. "We'll rescue everyone who vanished." she promised.

Koinatsu looked at them with a look of great relief. "I'm a little relieved now. You see... I'm leaving this town tomorrow." she shared.

Tanjiro's eyes lit up with joy. "Is that so! That sounds wonderful!" he exclaimed.

Koinatsu smiled brightly. "There's someone who's willing to take me in as a wife... I'm extremely happy right now. But... that's why I couldn't help but worry about everyone I was leaving behind. Even though there were a lot of unsettling incidents happening, I had no means to investigate them." she said sadly.

​"That's natural, so please don't worry about it!" Hana said, trying to comfort her. "Just smile."

Koinatsu looked at them both with gratitude. "Sumi-chan, Hana-chan," she said smilinv softly. "Thank you."

After that they said their goodbyes and left the house. They slipped out of the room and onto the roof.

"The sun is setting," Hana pointed out.

"Yeah," Tanjiro replied.

"We need to get to Inosuke's place fast," Hana said as they began to run across the rooftops, leaping from building to building

Suddenly, both of them froze. A foul, rotting scent hit their noses. It was thick and cloying, like old blood.

"Hana! Do you smell that?" he asked, his hand flying to the hilt of his sword.

Hana stood beside him, her face set in a grim mask. Her nose flared as she caught the scent. It was a thick, cloying smell that made her stomach churn.

"It's coming from the Tokito House. Koinatsu-san!" She said.

They didn't waste another second. They spun around and sprinted back toward the Tokito House. They leaped through the air and landed on the windowsill of Koinatsu's room. The sight inside made Hana's blood boilwith a mixture of rage and horror.

Inside, the room was a mess of silk. Koinatsu was being pulled into a long, patterned fabric. Standing over her was a woman with long, dark hair and piercing lime-green eyes, and the kanji for Upper Rank Six was etched into her irises.

"Are you demon slayers? So you came," the demon said, her voice dripping with a cruel sort of boredom. "Very well. How many of you are there? There's you two and that ugly kid with yellow hair. Is there a Hashira with you, or will he be here soon? You do realize I don't want any non-pillars, right?"

Hana's eyes trailed to Koinatsu, her mind racing to understand what she was seeing. Only the woman's head was visible, sticking out from the folds of the fabric. Where is her body? No, she couldn't have been cut. I don't smell any blood! she thought frantically.

"Let her go!" Tanjiro shouted, his voice echoing in the small room.

"Who do you think you're talking to? How dare you," she snarled. Veins bulged out of her forehead. "You brat! I'll kill you!"

Without warning, Daki's obi sashes whipped out like snakes. The force was immense. Hana and Tanjiro were slammed backward, crashing through the walls and tumbling onto the roof of a nearby house.

Hana scrambled to her feet, her body aching from the impact. "Tanjiro! Are you okay?" she cried out, looking for her brother through the dust.

Tanjiro stood up, coughing and shaking off the debris. He carefully set Nezuko's box down on the roof. The leather strap had snapped during the fall, making it impossible to carry.

Hana stood up quickly and stood by his side. "We need to leave Nezuko's box here. It's too dangerous right now," she whispered, knowing they couldn't risk their sister's safety while fighting an Upper Moon.

Tanjiro nodded, his eyes softening for just a moment as he looked at the wooden box. "Stay safe, Nezuko," he whispered.

They leaped into the air together, Tanjiro took the lead. "Water Breathing, Fourth Form: Striking Tide, Turbulent!" he roared. His blade moved like a rushing river, but Daki's sashes were too fast, parrying his strikes with ease.

Hana moved to his left, her sword flashing as she parried three sashes at once.

"You're annoying!" Daki yelled at Hana. "I'll shred that pretty face of yours first!"

"Try me," Hana retorted, side-stepping a lash that shattered the roof tiles beneath her feet.

Tanjiro managed to find a small opening and sliced through a sash, freeing Koinatsu. The oiran fell onto the roof, unconscious but alive. Daki looked at Tanjiro with a mocking smile. "You're cute. But ugly. Now don't get too attached. You're like a rat who's about to die," she said.

Suddenly, a massive explosion rocked the district, the sound echoing through the streets and causing the ground to tremble. Daki stopped, turning her head toward the source of the noise. "Another one? How many of you rats are in my city? How many of you came here? Five?" she asked, her voice filled with a growing irritation.

Tanjiro stood his ground, his breathing heavy but steady. "Not saying," he replied shortly.

Daki sighed, looking at them as if they were nothing more than insects. "If you tell me the truth, I could let you live. We clashed a little just now and your blade is already chipped," she observed, pointing at the small notch in his Nichirin sword. She looked at both siblings with disdain. "I'll spare you if you tell me where the others are."

Tanjiro pivoted, his movements sharp and precise. He sliced through one sash, but Daki kicked him toward the ground.

Hana dived after him, catching his arm to steady his fall. "Tanjiro, your sword," Hana whispered.

The edge was chipped badly.

They both realized in that moment that their Water Breathing wouldn't be enough to win this fight. The movements were too fluid and not powerful enough to cut through the Upper Moon's defenses.

Hana stood up. She looked a Tanjiro as they both remembered the words of Kyojuro Rengoku.

"Tanjiro, now!" Hana said.

"Hinokami Kagura: Raging Sun!" they shouted.

The blue water vanished, replaced by roaring flames. They sliced through the incoming obi sashes like paper.

"Flame Dance!"

Tanjiro lunged, but Daki moved with speed. She dodged and drove her hand forward, stabbing Tanjiro through the neck.

"Tanjiro!" Hana screamed.

She swung her blade in a wide arc, forcing Daki to retreat.

Tanjiro appearing behind Daki. He swung for her neck with all his might, but Daki simply laughed. She spun around and punched him away with enough force to send him tumbling across the roof.

Tanjiro hit the roof hard, gasping. His lungs felt like they were on fire from the strain of the Kagura.

Hana lunged forward, her sword trailing fire. She sliced through four sashes in a single motion, her flames burning Daki.

"How dare you!" Daki screamed.

Suddenly man walked out from a nearby house, looking confused and angry. "What is all this noise? Get out of here!" he shouted, unaware of the monster standing before him. "Don't go arguing in front of other people's stores!"

Daki muttered under her breath, her eyes flashing with annoyance. "How annoying," she whispered.

Hana's heart leaped into her throat. "No! Get away from here! Don't leave the building!" she yelled at the top of her lungs. But it was too late.

Daki flicked her wrist with a bored expression. Her sashes flew out in every direction, slicing through the surrounding buildings.

The sound of crumbling wood and the screams of innocent people filled the air.

Tanjiro stood up, a cold, terrifying rage washing over him. He looked at the destruction and the lives lost in an instant. "Unforgivable. How could you do this?" he asked, his voice low and trembling with fury. He blocked her path, his eyes locked on hers.

Daki looked at him with a yawn. "You're still talking? I've had enough of your plain existence. The lives of grotesque humans have no value whatsoever. You can all have fun rotting in hell," she said.

​Tanjiro glated at Daki, his eyes filled with a deep, sorrowful anger. "Living, breathing creatures do not go the way of demons," he said, her voice echoing through the ruined street. "Why do you take them? Why do you trample on people's lives?" Daki froze for a split second, a flicker of an old, buried memory passing through her mind a man with red hair and a terrifying aura.

She shook her head to clear it. "You were probably human too, once," Hana said, her voice softening but remaining firm. "You must have struggled with pain and suffering and shed tears."

Daki sneered, her temporary confusion turning back into malice. "Blah blah blah, just shut up. I don't remember anything about my past. I'm a demon now, so the past has nothing to do with anything. Demon's don't age we don't need money to eat. We don't fall sick. We don't  die we don't lose anything and strong beutiful demons can do anything."

"Alright, that's enough." Hana said, standing beside her brother.

"Hinokami Kagura: Burning Bones, Summer Sun!"

They slashed through her Eight-Layered Obi Slash. The flames burned Daki, slowing her healing.

Tanjiro saw his chance. He lunged forward with a burst of speed and swung his sword directly into Daki's neck. There was a loud crack as the blade sank in, but Daki's neck suddenly turned into soft, flexible fabric, absorbing the impact and preventing the head from being severed. She grinned at him, her eyes mocking his effort. "You can't cut me! I won't let you cut me this time! It was pure coincidence that you were able to graze my neck earlier!" she taunted.

Hana stared at her in sheer disbelief, her heart sinking as she realized the demon's body was more complex than they had thought. Daki grew even more sashes from her back, but Tanjiro reacted quickly, pinning them to the roof with his sword to keep them from striking.

Tanjiro swung one last time with every bit of strength he had left, his muscles bulging and his face contorting with the effort. But then, he stopped. His body began to tremble violently, and he collapsed onto the roof, gasping for air. He had pushed himself far beyond his physical limits, and his lungs had finally reached their breaking point. Tanjiro's vision began to cloud, and he couldn't move a single muscle.

"Tanjiro!" Hana screamed, running towards her brother. But Daki was ready for her. With a brutal blow from a heavy sash, she knocked Hana aside. She hit a nearby wall with a sickening thud, the world spinning as she struggled to stay conscious.

"How pathetic," Daki laughed, raising a sash high above her head to deliver the final blow. "As a payback for before, I'll now cut your head off‐" She said walking towards Tanjiro.

Hana lay on the ground, her ribs aching and her breath coming in shallow gasps. She felt helpless, watching the demon walk towards her brother.

"Tanjiro..." She muttered trying to push herself up.

BAM!

Nezuko suddenly appeared. Just before Daki could reach Tanjiro, Nezuko’s leg lashed out and struck her. The kick snapped Daki’s head back with a sickening crack.

Hana looked up, blinking through the pain.

Nezuko stood there, her bamboo muzzle gone, her body growing larger. Vine-like markings spread across her skin, and a horn grew from her forehead. She let out a roar that shook the very ground.

"Nezuko..." Hana whispered, her heart sinking. "No....Not like this..."

Hana struggled to stand, clutching her side. She looked at Tanjiro, who was unconscious, and then at Nezuko, who was losing her humanity to the rage.

"I have to stop her," Hana whispered, her voice cracking. "Before she loses herself forever."

Nezuko rushed Daki, slamming her foot into the demon's back. She began to kick Daki's face repeatedly. "Blood Demon Art: Exploding Blood!"

The blood ignited. Daki screamed as she burned. Nezuko kicked her through several houses.

But then, Nezuko smelled an injured girl in the rubble. She lunged toward the human.

"NEZUKO, STOP!"

Hana moved with a final burst of desperation. She slammed her scabbard into Nezuko's mouth, tackling her sister to the ground. "Nezuko, no! Look at me! It's Hana! Please, go to sleep!" she cried out, trying keep Nezuko from lunging at the terrified humans nearby.

Tanjiro began to stir, crawling over with trembling hands. He reached out, helping Hana hold the thrashing, powerful demon girl down. "Please, Nezuko! Don't do this!" he begged, his voice thick with tears.

"I'll kill you all!" Daki crawled out of the rubble, her body charred and her clothes rags, her eyes wide with a manic fury. "I'll kill every last one of you!"

Before she could use her obi to attack them, Tengen rushes into the house and cuts them.

He looked down at Hana and Tanjiro, who were covered in dirt and blood, desperately trying to restrain the growling, transformed Nezuko. "Is that Nezuko Kamado I see? She's becoming a flashy demon," Uzui said, his tone shifting from his usual bravado to a sharp, angry edge.

He looked at them with a glare that felt like ice. "After all that grandstanding in front of the Master, what's this sorry state? No one told her to become a flashy demon."

"You're a Hashira, right? You came to me? You just made it easy for me," Daki said.

"Shut up. I'm not talking to you. Get lost. You're not an Upper Rank," Uzui said, his voice cold and disappointed. "You're too weak. Now, move aside. The real fight is about to begin."

"How dare you!" Daki cried.

Suddenly, her head slid off her shoulders.

Tengen had decapitated her.

"The battle isn't over yet," Tengen warned. "Get your sister under control. Stupid brats who start acting cranky don't belong on the battlefield. Just be unflashy and sing her a lullaby or something," he said.

Nezuko suddenly jumped, breaking out of the house and taking Hana with her.

Seeing her sister's eyes wide with wild hunger, Hana took a deep breath. Despite the pain in her lungs, she began to sing. It was the low, sweet lullaby that she and their mother used to sing for the younger children in the mountains.

Nezuko froze, the growling stopped. She looked into Hana’s eyes, and for a moment her mother’s face flashed through her mind. Tears welled up in her eyes as her began to cry. Her body slowly shrank back to normal, and moments later, she collapsed into a deep sleep.

Hana exhaled, her forehead resting against her sister's. "Thank you, Nezuko. You did well."

Tanjiro approached them, his own tears falling as he saw his sisters were safe. Hana pulled him into a tight embrace, the three of them holding onto each other in the middle of the wreckage.

Inside, Daki begins to cry and whines that she is Upper Six and that she is amazing. Unable to believe he's witnessing a demon throw a tantrum, Tengen suddenly realizes she isn't disintegrating despite being beheaded.

As she rants and pounds the floor in anger, Daki suddenly calls out for her "brother." At that moment, something emerges from the stump of her neck and grows out of her body.

Tengen speeds forward to decapitate the new threat, but the demons vanish before his swords can reach them.
When he turns around, he stares in horror at the sight of two demons.

Hana and Tanjiro saw the house collapse further as the new demon's aura filled the street. Two blood-red sickles glinted in the moonlight. Hana sniffed the air, her eyes widening. "Tanjiro, we have to back Uzui-san. I can smell his blood... something's not right. The scent of poison is everywhere. Get Nezuko out safely."

​Without waiting for a response, Hana drew her sword once more. She ignored the pain in her ribs and the exhaustion in her limbs, sprinting back into the fray to stand beside the Sound Hashira against the true Upper Moon Six.