Keeping Up with the Demon Kamado Family

a family waiting on a mountain of training (part 1)

The Mentor

Urokodaki Sakonji was alone with his thoughts as he prayed over the bodies of the victims from the nameless demon attack.

If anything, they would be grateful that their lives were avenged.

How they were avenged was the thing that caught his attention.

Urokodaki had some suspicions when Giyuu sent a letter to him about a new student heading his way. And his suspicions grew even further when Giyuu detailed his situation with a demon family member.

A demon family member.

A demon.

A demon means only one demon. That is what he was prepared for when he encountered the boy.

Giyuu...

Giyuu said nothing about the five other demons that the boy had with him!

Urokodaki was somewhat prepared for two new people in his small abode. Now he had a whole family he needed to accommodate.

Thankfully, the whole demonic family seems to follow the temperament that Giyuu describes the demon sister having. None of them moved for the human bodies but attacked the nameless demon when he tried to hurt the boy. It was interesting to see.

It was incredible how Urokodaki watched them move as a unit. Demons were supposed to be more of a loner type of killer. Monsters who stalk their prey and don't share their trophy with others.

Yet here the demons were working as a team to take down another who targeted the boy. One of the demon boys with an ax in hand was the one landing the hits while two smaller ones tripped around the demon. The smallest latched onto his head while another girl and woman restrained him.

It ended with the nameless demon in mutilated body parts tied to several trees as the boy in green and black stood in front of the group of demons with the bloodied ax in his hands.

That was when Urokodaki stepped in as the group of demons retreated back to a cart of baskets. He stepped in once he still saw hesitancy in the boy's movement towards the demon.

That was when he stepped away to give the boy some space as he placed the victims to rest.

The sound of footsteps walking up to him were loud in the silent space around them, the boy will need to fix that soon.

Urokodaki breathed in, lowering his clasped hands. "You. I assume you are the one Giyuu sent my way."

"Ah, Yes. I'm Kamado Tanjiro," the boy introduced himself with a grin like he didn't just witness how many dangerous demons he had hiding in the cart behind him.

He breathed in, trying to calm down the possibilities of taking on this responsibility. "I assume one of those demons was your sister that Giyuu described."

"Yes, sir."

"However, I didn't get any word about the other demons," Urokodaki responded. "Where did they come from?"

"They are my family." Kamado answered without any hesitation. "I thought only my sister turned into a demon until I went back to my house to find them all there."

"Interesting story," Urokodaki replied. The backstory didn't need much if the boy was still hesitant in killing a demon that was a complete stranger. If things go wrong, how could he count on the kid doing what's needed. "Now tell me, what will you do when one of them devours a human?"

Kamado tilted his head like a cat. "Huh?"

Urokodaki flicked the kid's nose, watching him flinch back at the sudden movement then slapped him across the head. He ignored the sounds from the baskets that sounded more confused than threatening.

"You were too slow at making a decision! That demon could have healed and killed you in your moment of hesitancy." Urokodaki critiqued as the boy rubbed his head. "You failed to finish it before the sunrise. Do you have any idea why you can't answer my questions right away?"

"Uh..."

"Do you even know the risk you are taking just by having one demon under your watch? And now I learn you have six of them!" Kamado didn't interrupt him once as he talked. The boy listened quietly even though he heard some rustling from the baskets. "Either way, there are only two things to do when one of them eats a human. Kill them and kill yourself." Urokodaki said, which made Kamado's eyebrows rise up in surprise. "That is what you are taking on by traveling with them."

Urokodaki straightens his back to stare down at the young Kamado body. "Do you understand?"

"Yes, but I'm willing to take that risk!" Kamado replied with a determined tone in his voice. His eyes flared up as he continued. "I want to find a cure for them to turn them back into a human. That's the reason why I want to become a demon slayer!"

"Hmm. If you understand, then you know that must never happen no matter what." Urokodaki explained. He watched Kamado glanced back at the cart behind them before his gaze returned to him, just as strong in his determination. He lowered his voice, "You must never forget what I told you. Any of your family members taking the life of an innocent person... it must never happen. Ever."

Kamado nodded furiously, "Yes! I understand completely!"

"Right." Urokodaki sniffed. The first part of his test would begin with endurance. The boy would need to keep up with the speed of a retried hashira. He steeled his gaze towards the boy. "Now I will test you to see if you're fit to become a member of the Demon Slayer Corps. Follow me."

He waited for the boy to get a good grip on his cart before taking off through the woods, down the path less traveled by people simply passing by.

Urokodaki cursed as he could hear the boy's surprised scream fade into whispers from the distance between them. The boy seemed determined enough to chase him down. At one point, he turned around to see Tanjiro gaining some speed back by jumping on part of the cart as it rolled downhill.

Smart move.

Once he reached his home, he brought him up to the mountain to begin his test. Which meant he was left alone to figure out how to place the Kamado family inside his humble abode. Thankfully, they all seem so close they didn't need that much room apart from each other.

It wasn't long before the entire group of demons ignored him and went to sleep in a giant cuddle pile with the mother at the center.

And the determination was proved when young Tanjiro appeared at his doorstep with his long hair in messy curls down his shoulders with a training arrow stuck in a tangled part of his hair.

"You have proved yourself. Now I will do my part in being your mentor for the training you will need to accomplish."

He watched as the Kamado boy stepped into the house and immediately went to cuddle up to his family. Urokodaki surveyed from afar to see one of his sisters dragging him into the center of their sleeping area.

One part of him doubts that the kid will make it through the training. Another hopes that he will.

But the whole of him dreads what will happen if the boy makes it to the exam.