Demon slayer: Reborn

Chapter 1 - Reborn

After Muzan's fall, the villages felt calm, people wandered without worries, Japan became safer, and demon slayers went back to their families, believing their purpose was now fulfilled. But even so, there were rumors, demons not associated with Muzan still meandering around, hiding in the shadows waiting for the right moment to strike. These demons were few, but different from the ones under Muzan's control some were said to be evolving and some looking to reign amongst them, slayers that encountered them spoke of their dangerous abilities and impressive intelligence. The demon slayer corps, now with a smaller number, remained aware, ready to defend against them.

Tanjiro, now the leader of the slayers, stands outside of a huge building that looks like a fortress, his house, the Slayers HQ, he has rebuilt the place, walls surrounding it, and gates that are closed to any intruder. Now with multiple dormitories, so the upcoming slayers can rest if they don't have anywhere else to go, each Hashira also has their room inside the huge building that looks like a temple, the inside filled with training arenas, meditation gardens, and forges where slayers crafted their Nichirin blades.
Tanjiro is old, his hair has tones of grey and his face is starting to form wrinkles.
While he is outside, admiring all he has built, a kid appears behind him, pulling from his kimono, he turns and sees a tiny child no more than 6 years old.
–Grandpa, look what brother did–
Tanjiro follows the kid inside the building and sees a picture frame on the ground, there is another child, before Tanjiro can say anything he runs away. As Tanjiro bent to pick up the picture from the ground, his breathing stopped and his face filled with sorrow. The image of Kanao smiles back at him, his heart felt heavy at the sight of their firstborn cradled in his arms.
–Oh Kanao– His voice heavy with years of unspoken grief, his sight suddenly focused on the kids fighting each other.

–You made Tanjiro mad!– One of them cries

Tanjiro Ran his fingers across the edge of the frame, lingering for a moment before putting it back from where it fell.
–You would've loved them...–

Seasons go by, year by year, Tanjiro watched as his grandchildren changed from wide-eyed children to devoted warriors. they trained with wooden swords made by Tanjiro himself, it reminded him of his old days as an apprentice.
The older one, Daisuke, holds the katana with a firm grip and starts hitting a tree, doing little damage to it, Tanjiro is standing far away watching him silently, Daisuke stops and turns around, it's his brother Jun, a year younger than him, and has black hair, opposite to the white hair he has, which no one seems to know why he does.
–I'm ready to become a Hashira!– screamed Jun to Tanjiro
Tanjiro let out a subtle laugh
–If you want that you will need to practice more, but I'm sure that you both will become something greater–
Daisuke walks closer to Tanjiro
–Grandpa, when can we start training like the others?–
Living in a place where everyone trains hard to continue a legacy he thought they didn't need anymore.
–Soon, for now, I will let one of the Hashiras train you–

At first, no one believed the rumors, but then it became evident, that demons were attacking nearby villages, and slayers began to fall, one by one, buried in the graveyard nearby. As the demons multiplied, the corps knew they needed to take action.

Daisuke would rise before anyone else, the sound of his wooden katana cutting through the air as he trained with the zodiac hashira. Each failure was made into a lesson, he would practice until his muscles prevented him from continuing and his hands were filled with blisters. On the other hand, Jun struggled to focus on his daily training, his eyes often drifting to the insects that scrambled across the training grounds instead of the target in front of him. "Focus Jun" were common words he would hear from the Hashira, but his mind wandered freely, his heart yet not set on the path before him.

At night, when the training grounds were quiet, Daisuke and Jun would sit by the fire, listening to the stories of the older slayers. Tanjiro would often join them, his words telling the tale of past fights and memories of those who had fought alongside him. It was in these quiet moments that Daisuke felt closest to his grandfather, not in the training grounds, but here, surrounded by stories of a time long gone.

The years flew by, and the children once small and innocent, began to grow. Their steps became steadier, their swings deadlier. By the time Daisuke turned 16, the wooden katana no longer felt like a toy but a destiny he wanted to fulfill.

After a long training day was over, Daisuke decided that it was time for him to evolve.
–Grandpa, when will we be able to learn our breathing styles?–
Daisuke was outside, sitting on a bench with Tanjiro, they barely went out of the slayers HQ, mostly because Tanjiro was afraid that something could happen to them, and when they did, the zodiac Hashira had to come along
–You will, soon, first we need to make sure what breathing style suits you and to do that you...–
–I know– Daisuke interrupted –The ritual, you've told me before–
Tanjiro gets up from the bench
–Or you could learn one, like water breathing, I could help you both–Tanjiro's hesitation was caught by Daisuke.
Daisuke sighs –I know but, I don't want water breathing, I want something unique like the zodiac breathing or dream breathing or...–
–you have read lots of books Daisuke, but not everyone can learn any of those complex breathings, that's what the ritual is for, so you know what's the perfect fit for you–
Daisuke gets up from the bench, facing Tanjiro –But how much longer, we have been training for years!–
Tanjiro places his hand gently on his head, touching Daisuke's white hair, reminding himself when he was younger.
–it's just hard for me not to see you as kids anymore, I'm scared something could happen to you–
–That's why we need to learn, so we can protect each other!– Daisuke has been waiting for this moment, as soon as he learns a breathing style, he can go out and fulfill his dream to become a skilled slayer.
Tanjiro looks at him and removes his hand from Daisuke's head
–Alright, we'll do the ritual, then your real training begins–
–Yes!– A voice came out from one of the bushes nearby
Daisuke looks at the bush upset
–Jun! I told you to wait inside...–
Jun comes out from the bushes with a grin on his face, some leaves stuck on his black hair, excited about the news.
Tanjiro looks at them and smiles, even if he wants to protect them, they won't be kids forever, they need to learn.