The Demon's Apprentice || Rewrite

Darkness

Kokushibo stared silently from the side as he watched Tanjirou devour the prey infront of him. Tanjirou's demon form was quite... fascinating.

Flame-like markings crawled over the boy's skin, on his face, arms, every limb. His hair had grown longer, reaching past his waist. His eyes were brighter and gained the slitted pupils. The sclera had turned into a blood-red color. The right side of his forehead and his left cheek gained a new eye. Tanjirou's nails and teeth were replaced by sharp claws and fangs. Two dark red, slightly curved horns sprouted from the sides of his head.

Kokushibo was already aware that the hunger of a newborn demon would not be satisfied with the deaths of the family members they had just encountered. Kokushibo decided to use this opportunity as Tanjirou was preoccupied with his current meal. Kokushibo went out and gather more food for the boy to consume, ensuring that the situation wouldn't devolve into chaos. The last thing he wanted to deal with right now was a feral newborn.

Kokushibo returned just in time to see Tanjirou finishing his previous meal and immediately lunging at the next one as soon as the corpse was dropped. The boy's demonic instincts were clearly in full effect, fueled by his rapidly deteriorating stamina. There wasn't a single thought behind Tanjirou's red eyes. Only the demonic need to eat.

Kokushibo continued this pattern. He'd wait for Tanjirou to finish eating before switfly getting the boy a new corpse to eat. Maybe around five or six corpses later Tanjirou visibly started to calm down. His movements became more sleepy and less desperate. Now Tanjirou is eating the last human. The boy is holding a bloodied lung in his hands and biting off small chuncks. Under the watchful eye(s) of Kokushibo, Tanjirou finishes his meal, absentmindedly licking the blood off of his fingers.

After Tanjirou had finished eating the last human, his red eyes, still filled with the sleepy haze of satiation, noticed Kokushibo. For a moment, he stared at the demon before speaking, his voice soft and childlike. "... Who are you, sir?"

It was rather surprising to see how calm Tanjirou was. Most lower demons, especially newborn ones, tend to become defensive and aggressive when another demon approaches, even after the prey has already been eaten. However, Tanjirou was different. He wasn't baring his fangs or growling at Kokushibo. Instead, the boy was sitting there, patiently awaiting an answer to his question.

Tanjirou's head tilted slightly, and the aggressive and feral demon side of him seemed to want to react, to demand an answer from Kokushibo. However, there was also something in the boy that forced the demon side down. Tanjirou sat there quietly, waiting for Kokushibo to speak.

Kokushibo couldn't help but take note of this. It was not usual for a newborn demon to suppress their demon instincts.

After a momentary pause, Kokushibo finally decided to speak. "My name... is Kokushibo."

Tanjirou nodded softly, acknowledgin Kokushibo's answer. "Do you know my name, Kokushibo-san?"

Kokushibo observed Tanjirou's nod and acknowledged the boy's question. "Yes." He replied, his voice cool and measured. "I do... know your... name. Your name... is Tanjirou."

Tanjirou repeated his name softly, the sound familiar yet foreign on his own tongue. It was clear that he had lost his human memories, a common effect of demon transformation.

After a brief pause, Tanjirou posed another question. "...And who am I to you, Kokushibo-san?"

Kokushibo's eyes narrowed slightly at the boy's question. It seemed that Tanjirou had somehow recognized his status as a more superior demon and was curious as to why Kokushibo was wasting time here.

Kokushibo pondered the question for a moment, contemplating the truth. In reality, Tanjirou was simply a Demon Slayer that he had turned into a demon.

However, there was an undeniable sense of trust emanating from the boy, as if Tanjirou believed in Kokushibo. The demon had a hunch that if he were to fabricate a partial truth about Tanjirou's relationship to him, the boy would wholeheartedly accept it.

The level of trust that Tanjirou placed in Kokushibo was beyond what most demons would consider. In the brutal and ruthless world of demons, trust was a rare and scarce trait, often seen as a vulnerability waiting to be exploited.

Yet here was Tanjirou, a newly transformed demon, displaying an extraordinary level of trust in Kokushibo's presence.

Kokushibo was well aware that simply stating the truth, that Tanjirou was merely a human that he had turned into a demon, would be quite underwhelming. It seemed that Tanjirou believed that there had to be a significant reason for a demon of Kokushibo's stature to take such an interest in him. Which was true. 

Kokushibo contemplated how to approach this situation, considering how to phrase his words carefully and strategically.

"...You are... my apprentice." Kokushibo stated nonchalantly. The statement was technically true, as Kokushibo did choose to train Tanjirou, although the minor detail of Tanjirou's unwilling transformation and the lack of a proper agreement to apprenticeship was conveniently omitted.

Tanjirou blinked, comprehending the words, and then nodded in acknowledgment. While the statement wasn't entirely truthful, it held a certain plausibility to it. After all, it was only natural for a mentor to be near their apprentice.

Tanjirou stood up, his eyes flickering down towards his own blood-soaked uniform. "Uhm... Kokushibo-sensei, is there a way for me to get new clothes?"

Kokushibo noted the boy's request, taking a moment to observe his attire. "Yes. Wait here... I'll retrieve... something for you."

Tanjirou stood in silence as Kokushibo went through the house's closet, searching for something suitable for him to wear. After a moment, Kokushibo found what he was looking for and handed the clothes to Tanjirou. Tanjirou murmured a soft "thank you" before disappearing into another room to change

Kokushibo waited patiently patiently for the boy to change, his eyes scanning the sky outside. A bit over midnight, perhaps. Still plently of time before the sun rose.

Soon enough, Tanjirou returned, now wearing the new clothes Kokushibo had provided. The boy walked over to him, his eyes silently inquiring if there was somewhere they needed to go.

"Follow me." He instructed, not providing any more details or explanation. And Tanjirou followed without any questions.