Brothers Through Ashes(Complete)

Touch Scares Me

Tanjiro followed his now healed nose along with his students. They were still shaking that he was in fact, alive. The scent led them into a gave. The overwhelming smell of blood was so potent, even Zenitsu could recognize it. "Master, shouldn't we go in slowly?" Voiced Zenitsu.

"No."

Tanjiro dropped in on them. "What do you have here?"

He looked out to see... Slayers and Villagers alike strung from the neck as if they were ready-to-eat meals. Some were still alive. Some were dying. "Intruder!"

Tanjiro didn't even listen to the battle cries. All he focused on were the dead and dying, the living and traumatized. "The Death Knells has been rung."

Several demons rushed him from all angles. "Ash Breathing! First Form!" Tanjiro unsheathed his blade and swung it in an arc, decapitating two of the oncoming demons. He then skewered another and manually ripped off its head. "Now then! I have a proposition! I am the Ash Hashira, Tanjiro Kamado! Join me and the Demon Slayer corps and you'll be saved from death. You will atone for your sins. You will be my slave. But, you'll be alive. You'll be treated well." He offered with his arms held high. The demons looked at each other.

"Master, is that a good idea?" Inosuke queried. Wow, he sounds smart. "Shut the hell up." He cursed. "Ha! Do you really think we'd do that?" One of them said. "Okay, be like that. Children, kill them."

The tsugokus all stood and nodded. It was an utter bloodbath. He watched as they hacked and stabbed like the world was ending. He breathed in the sweet essence of blood. What was left were a few with their hands up. "Stop! Collect the living. I'll have a little chat." He ordered. "Master?" Kyoka spoke. "Do as your told."

They began handling the few living victims. Tanjiro stepped up to the surrendering demon. They looked like they were in their late teens. "You give up?"

"Yes."  Said one of them. "And your willing to become a slave? Just because you fear death?" He asked. "I speak for myself when I say, as long as I don't have to eat humans." She said.

Tanjiro shifted into his demon form. His teeth were daggers, he was ready to drink them in.

He bit one of them on the arm. And drank their blood. When he released, they completely disintegrated. He did the same to the others. "Master! 5 able-bodied survived and a few of them on the brink of death!" Kyoka reported.

"Bring them to me." He ordered. Two demon slayers and one civilian. "How do you feel?"

They could barely answer. "Now, I have a proposition. Join my Demon Slaying Army. You'll neither be dead, nor alive. You'll have revenge on those that hurt you, but you will be bound to me for eternity. Until I die. Do you want that?"

One of them weakly smiled and shook his head. He wanted death. The farm girl and other slayer reached out, to taste life once again. Tanjiro produced his charred blade and sliced his hand. The blood dripped into their mouths.

This was Tanjiro's Blood Demon Art. Eternal Atonement. If a Demon willingly submits to him, and Tanjiro drinks their blood, they become his servants. If a human willingly submits and drinks Tanjiro's Blood, they become his servants.

He watched as the life returned to their eyes and the other he stabbed in the heart, blessing him with a quick and painless death. "Help carry the bodies."

Hours later at the Butterfly Mansion

Tanjiro and his party arrived and they dropped off the injured. "Tanji-Kun. Looks like you've had a full day. Come, you need a shower... And new clothes." Shinobu chimed. "Yes, I do." He chuckled.

"Katsu, Hatsume! Follow Kyoka and Zenitsu to the barracks." He ordered. "Who are they?"

"My soldiers. For the upcoming war."

Later he took a long-needed shower. He hadn't bathed or changed clothes for 9 months. It was well needed. He was led to his shared room where he saw Shinobu in a nightgown with their son in hand.

"Is he..."

"Yes."

Tanjiro took his son in hand as he sat on the bed. The child had his fiery hair and Shinobu's blank eyes. "He's beautiful." He admitted with a smile. "He is. Isn't he?" She agreed sadly. "I'm so sorry. I should've escaped sooner." He apologized.

"It's okay."

"It's not okay! I'm not okay! I... I feel theirs two of me fighting for control. My mind is as good as broken... Not to mention our relationship."

"W-w-what do you mean?"

"I've been presumed dead for 9 months. I assumed you would've moved on and maybe date Giyu it something. I tried my best to forget everyone. Even you. But I couldn't." He sobbed. She stood and took Tanshiro and placed him in the cradle. She then sat at bedside ones again.

"First off, no one likes Giyu," She started. "Secondly, I understand your concerns. We may not be married but you are my husband and I will always love you. If I had seen your body buried, yes I would've moved on. But something told me you were alive."

Tanjiro smiled. She reached out to touch him but he withdrew. "Sorry... I'm not used to friendly touch anymore." He said drying his tears. Shinobu looked downcast. Noticing this, Tanjiro added, "But I'll try."

She immediately smiled and tried again. "Slowly." He suggested. She inched his delicate hands closer and closer to his face. The cold and heartless expression he wore melted into that of sadness and sorrow. She cupped his face and gazed into his eyes.

They were broken. He was broken. His mind was shattered. His body was deformed. His back and arms were mostly scar tissues beyond repair. "What did that monster do to you?"

He smelled one of her hands and said, "Terrible things. But nothing in comparison to what I'm going to do to you."

"Wh-"

He forcibly pinned her to the bed and laid pecks on her delicate body. "9 months. For 9 months, you never had me massage your feet, kiss you good night, or even satisfy your food cravings. You suffered while I rotted." He said calmly. She wrapped her legs around him. "I missed you so much."

His teeth grew into fangs and his bloodlust grew. "Let's pick up the broken pieces of what we were."

"You're so headstrong as always, Tanji-Kun."

"When you have a body like this, how could I not be, my little butterfly."

Words 1108

Posted 6/12/2021