Nerves had become a natural unpleasant sensation to Doma. He didn't like them, he wasn't fond of them, but they were emotions so he supposed he should be thankful for them. 

Months of staying in the same place had given him a foreign peace of mind. He liked being at the Butterfly Estate, he liked not having to run or fret about where their next roof would be or if there was something on their heels. Now he wasn't fond of seeing slayers ferried in with missing limbs or hearing their screams as gentle Kanae tried to tend to them - but there had to be something to complain about.

Now... now he was leaving, moving for the first time away from what he'd basically made into a new home. Anything could happen while he was away. Akaza said he was being idiotic and if anything did happen they would he would be perfectly suited to handle it. Daki and Gyutaro shared equal sentiment, almost too eager at the thought of tearing Kokushibo apart (which Doma really didn't want to test, bloodlust or no those two had no chance of taking Upper One in a proper battle).

Kanae though... she seemed a bit more understanding of his trepidation and hesitance to step outside the manor.

"It's perfectly normal to be afraid," she assured him. Her sword was at her side and she was looking into the night sky with a familiar wonder in her eyes.

"I would hope that by now you would've figured out I'm anything but normal," Doma sighed heavily. His fans were heavy at his sides and his chest even more so.

The crickets sang and the stars shines but all Doma could feel was fear. So many terrible, terrible things could happen - he'd been telling himself that for years but now all those fears were rearing their heads and pulling on their reigns.

"When Shinobu and I first came here, I didn't step outside for weeks," Kanae laughed a little at herself. "Shinobu's always been too angry to be scared of much - me? not so much."

"She reminded me of Inosuke, Shinobu I mean," Doma chuckled dryly. "If Inosuke was a bit more civil and a lot less wild."

"You know - there is something to be said about the two of them and their anger issues," Kanae giggled. She looked up at the demon and probably saw right through him. "You've said your goodbyes?"

"Yes... three times in some cases," Doma admitted bashfully, his thoughts fully on Kotoha's soft little laugh that she'd made when he had hugged her for the said third time. His expression made Kanae smile.

"I know you love them all, and I promise I will protect them to my fullest abilities while you are away." Gone was the bright and bubbly elder sister who watched over the estate and in her place was a powerful, determined hashira whose eyes left no room for doubt.

Doma was grateful for her. Grateful for her kindness to let them have this haven, grateful for her heart that so readily took them all in, grateful for the strength in her pose that reminded him of the powers the humans around the possessed.

Maybe Gyutaro and Daki would struggle to take on Kokushibo... but maybe if they had Kanae with them... maybe...

"Thank you," he murmured, but it did little to convey how truly, truly thankful he was for it all.

"Thank you," she smiled and back was the wonder-filled joyous young woman who had nothing but kindness in her eyes. "For trusting me."

Doma smiled a final time and gathered enough courage to take that step off the porch and walk for the gate. The first two were hard but the ones after felt surprisingly easier. It was strange to be alone, to walk without Miku taking his hand or Kotoha at his side. It was strange... but what had Kotoha said? "You have to remember to live with yourself too."

"Byeee Papa!" He turned around and managed a rasped laugh at the sight. Miku was on the roof, Daki at her side, the little girl waving eagerly as she watched her father.

Doma waved back before giving a pointed warning: "Be careful getting down from there!"

"We're not idiots," he heard Daki tsk, but there was a smile on her face.

"Kick those demon's butts!" Miku urged excitedly. "Show em' who's boss Papa!"

"I'll try," Doma laughed and that gave him the final motivation to take those last steps and head for the Ubuyashiki estate.

It would be alright.

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

It was surprising how Doma's absence left the mansion feeling so empty. Shinobu hated to admit it, but the tall demon had nested himself into their lives and it was odd for him to be gone.

She'd hated him - she'd hated all of them frankly, but she'd stomached it for Kanae. Kanae was so certain and so hopeful that she refused to be the one to stomp on her sister's dreams. That didn't mean she wasn't prepared for the time when one of them snapped.

But none of them did. 

No, in fact, each and every demon seemed annoyingly desperate to make themselves useful or respected. Daki had her little 'helping-humans' escapade and surprisingly the poor fellow who had a ribbon stitched to his side was recovering very well without any unlucky "turning into a man-eating demon" side effects. Gyutaro was annoyingly good at ticking off Tengen every time the man came over and honestly, how couldn't Shinobu respect that? It earned the brother demon a healthy dose of acceptance in her book.

Akaza was... Akaza. Kyojuro seemed more involved with the demon than anything but, even Shinobu could admit that watching the pale demon carry three young slayer boys, one half-demon, one demon, and the three butterfly girls all at once on an absolutely chaotic piggy-back ride (quite literally seeing Inosuke hadn't taken his mask off) was endearing. He was endearing and that was that.

Doma was the freakishly nice fellow who tried to take every opportunity to help Shinobu out. Folding the laundry, organizing the medicines, doing the dishes, sweeping the floors - she almost punched him because who the hell did he think he was? 

Trying to be all nice and earn her respect; not going to happen. She would not let her guard down. She would not leave them open to attack.

Kotoha though - she was the best of the lot and Shinobu would die on that hill. Kotoha was ambitious, brave, determined, and everything that reminded Shinobu of her own mother.

How Doma got that lucky was so far beyond her she knew she'd never understand it, but Kotoha seemed happy and she wouldn't question it.

Still - not having a freakishly tall demon around to scare the hell out of you when you turned a corner was strangely sad. She almost missed it - almost, and she'd never admit it, especially out loud.

"I don't know why it's not working..." Oh - that's right, she was training someone. The insect-breather whirled around to a frustrated Mikrakuru who was glaring at her training sword as if it had betrayed her.

"What's wrong?" she asked gently, coming to the girl's side.

"It feels wrong and I don't know why," Miku frowned, a cloud over her eyes.

"Describe what feels wrong," Shinobu instructed, raising her own sword and going through the motions. As usual, Miku copied her. She had a bit of messy footwork and her swings were too eager - but her movements were also... unnatural - almost robotic. She hated the hesitancy in the natural flow of insect breathing, she hated the organic pauses and strikes.

"I - I just can't get it!" Miku sighed as she stumbled over her own feet. "It's like - it's like - ugh I can't  - I don't -"

"Calm down, take a breath," Shinobu urged simply. "You won't do yourself any good to get so upset."

"But I want to do it right," Miku's shoulders sagged and she bit her lip. "Why can't I do it right?"

"It took me years to master breathing, and years more it will take for me to perfect it. That's just how the world works. You're never good at something right away, my concern is that you're fighting the movements."

"Well... well I just don't get - I don't get the timing," Miku sighed.

Oh, then it clicked. It clicked and Shinobu really wished it didn't.

"The timing?" Shinobu echoed knowing.

"Yeah!" Miku nodded earnestly. "Flower and Insect - they just - I don't get the patterns. You have to remember all the forms and then just go with what feels right, but there's no - there's no..."

"Rythm?" Shinobu offered. Oh no. Oh no -

"Yeah! I thought I got it when I first learned the forms but putting them together feels so... messy!"

There were many forms of breathing and they relied heavily on different natural urges, thought-process, and how the user interpreted a fight.

Water and flame were styles that depended on natural flow. Instinctive responses and an ability to react. They rode the tide of the battle, the breathing style fully dependent on the breather and their place in it all. Serpent, Insect, flower, love - they all stemmed from those styles but had one thing in common: an organic flow, a calm state of mind in battle as their sword took the movements of the elements of whatever they personified. Where Love and Flame focused on physical strength, Water and its off chutes (Snake, Insect, and Flower) focused on the redirection of strength.

Miku didn't have that calm mind. She constantly thought, reacted, and planned again. Her mind couldn't simply fall into that lull of the battle, following the flow and reacting accordingly. She needed to be reactive, constantly moving.

Wind and Thunder held that reactive strength. Wind especially was nothing but raw power and emotion. Sanemi once described it as harnessing the tide instead of riding it, becoming the force of nature instead of letting that force empower you. It made sense why Inosuke had accidentally formed an offshoot of it: Miku's brother was rash and eager, his attacks wild and unplanned but his intentions clear. He did not become one with the battle, he was the battle. Mist may serve Miku well, but Shinobu highly doubted Miku had the patience that Mist require or that Muichiro would remember to show up to her lessons.

Which left Stone and Thunder.

Stone was not for the faint of heart and required discipline and inner fortitude like no other. Shinobu herself would never be cut out for it due to her physique... Miku may, she had incredible strength but she lacked the rigid personality that relied on Stone's breathing. The forms were brutal and the body couldn't waver - nor could the spirit.

Miku wasn't rigid, in any way, shape, or form. She was eccentric, eager, bright... flamboyant even.

Shinobu groaned as she accepted what she was coming to realize.

"What? What is it?" Miku asked eagerly as Shinobu walked over to the porch and accepted her fate.

"I... have an idea," Shinobu began slowly. "I think I know what style may serve you well."

"What?" Miku asked, running up and begging Shinobu with her eyes. "What is it??"

Thunder breathing was purely reactive. Take a move, strike true, strike fast, step back. It was sudden, it was frantic, it was wild... but almost too wild for Miku.

No, she needed its off-chute. One that took in the world for the patterns hidden there and mastered the steps rhythmically until an entire battle became a song. One that could adjust itself for the battle while still feeling familiar and putting the entire battle strategy in the wielder's mind.

Oh lord...

"What??" Miku looked about ready to go on her knees and beg.

"I am going to call for Uzui Tengen," Shinobu groaned as she looked down at the girl. "He... he will teach you Sound Breathing."

Why of all things did it have to be Sound Breathing?? Why Tengen? Literally, anyone else would've been fine. She would've taken that jerk of a wind-breather and suffered through him and Kanae making oogly eyes at each other over Tengen fucking Uzui.

Oh, she was going to have a headache for days. Weeks. Months -

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

"Can you believe Shinobu wants me there willingly?" Tengen asked incredulously. "I think she may be going crazy."

"I would bet it's to assist young Hashibira! The girl's been experimenting with new breathing styles and I can't imagine you would be a poor fit for the girl," Kyojuro beamed back.

"WAIT - THIS guy is gonna train my sister!?" Inosuke demanded, pointing at the sound hashira.

Tengen grinned at the thought. "I suppose if I was to take a tsuguko, the half-demon would be the most flamboyant choice!"

"Her name's Miku, Festival God, and NO WAY ARE YOU TRAINING HER!" Inosuke objected.

The woods were quiet now, the birds had fallen asleep but even the insects had grown silent. They were likely getting close and Kyojuro knew it - that didn't stop Tengen from arguing with a teenager.

"And why not? I'd make a fabulous instructor! I'm fantastic with kids!"

"Oh sure, because why wouldn't you be bad at anything?" Zenitsu objected shrilly. "Come on, you have to have something wrong with you. Three wives, good looks, charismatic as hell, what aren't you good at - there has to be something. I know - you snore, don't you!"

"I will let you know that according to my wives, I am the perfect man," Tengen smirked - knowing it would rile the thunder breather up. Kyojuro laughed at his friend's usual antics.

"YOU ARE INFURIATING!" Zenitsu cried, grabbing his hair in frustration to a point Kyojuro was almost afraid the boy would pull his own blonde locks out. "Whatever you pay to make those wonderful women put up with you isn't enough -"

"I should decapitate you for even daring to question my devotion to them -"

"Zenitsu, everyone has something great about them," Tanjiro tried to play mediator before a hashira committed manslaughter.

"Yeah!?" Zenitsu challenged. "Well, how's it fair that I get punched by every woman I see and he gets three wives!?"

"You're really hung up on the wife part, aren't you?" Inosuke recognized.

"It's ludicrous! LOOK AT HIM!" Zenitsu gestured at the hashira who took that very personally.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN? I look fabulous!" Tengen argued aghast that someone would ever try to go after his looks.

"You are all very spirited and I'm quite thankful!" Kyojuro announced truthfully with a broad smile. "However, I believe we are nearing our quarry, so stay alert!"

Immediately they all grew tenser, the teens at least. Kyojuro hadn't meant for them to grow quiet but the youth's intensity was appreciated. Tengen only quickened his pace so he could come to Kyojuro's side, a frown on his face.

"Kyo - do I look bad today!?" Tengen demanded of him, whispering so the boy wouldn't hear.

"Of course not!" Kyojuro saw no reason for him to whisper. If the demons were listening they had definitely heard Zenitsu's shriek. "You're flashy as always!"

"Nice," Tengen walked a bit taller at that and grinned. 

They went back quite a bit, Tengen and Kyojuro. As far as Kyojuro recalled, Tengen was the first hashira who ever really pursued a friendship. One of the first people in Kyojuro's life to ever initiate a true, lasting friendship. He'd known Iguro as a child when the boy was first rescued from his cult, but that was short-lived and the boy was... distant at best.

Kyojuro understood it, he'd entered Iguro's life at a rough time and he couldn't expect their relationship to be too great. Still, it was always nice when he received a rare letter in the mail from Iguro, explaining something he'd thought Kyojuro would be interested in. He actually heard from Iguro a lot more now that he was so often with Mitsuri. It was probably the fact that Mitsuri tried to write to him as often recommending a new dish for him to try.

Tengen though, Tengen had been the first to reach out to Kyojuro, take him by the arm, and declare that he had deemed himself the flame hashira's flashy new friend. Kyojuro never corrected him. 

"We're getting closer," Tengen recognized, pulling out his blades. 

"How many?" Kyojuro asked, drawing his own sword. He heard the familiar hiss of blades emerging from sheaths as his tsugukos followed his lead.

Demons were forming alliances now, working together. No one knew what that meant other than missions were known to get much more dangerous much faster. Kyojuro couldn't help but wonder what Muzan was planning - and Akaza's insight on the matter didn't lend any hope. The ex-Upper Three had a tendency to see the worst possible outcome in any situation and Kyojuro had told him so quite blatantly.

But alas, Akaza wasn't here and they had demons to slay.

Tengen tilted his head as he listened, making a familiar expression as he pondered over it.

"Five." He declared finally. "Only five."

"Perfect!" Kyojuro laughed boldly, glancing back at his boys. "One for each of us!"

Tanjiro gave a firm nod, Inosuke grinned, and Zenitsu was trying his very best not to quiver (Kyojuro was quite proud of him).

"Northeast," Tengen explained, pointing through the trees. "I actually think they're running from us."

"Then we will have to catch up!" Kyojuro ordered brightly.

Months of training and taught the boys at his heels what that meant and they needed no signal. They all took off running, Zenitsu taking the lead - he'd always been the fastest of them. Tanjiro was right on his heels though, ready to give assistance if they ran into something dire. Inosuke broke off to the left and Kyojuro went right. He'd learned by now that once the demons saw Zenitsu and Tanjiro, they'd either lunge at the boys or try to scatter. Tengen voted to run with Inosuke in case a majority of demons decided to charge the boy, Kyojuro stayed his course.

They were naturals now, extensions of Kyojuro that he trusted fully and completely. If one of them was in danger, their formation would allow them to retreat and find safety easily enough. Zenitsu had grown braver, taking the central attack more and more recently as he recognized he was more suited for it. Tanjiro had grown less hesitant, striking sure and striking fast, only pausing to mourn any lives lost until after the battle. Inosuke (and honestly Kyojuro was really proud of this one) had learned self-preservation and knew when he was being overwhelmed. He'd learned to manipulate his enemies into following him into an ambush and he learned to run when he needed to (thank god).

They'd grown so much - it took them all but two minutes to cut down the five demons. Kyo was very, very proud.

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

Kanae sighed as she settled down into bed. Yes, despite what everyone believed, hashiras did need to sleep. She lay there on her mat and stared at the ceiling, her sword always in arms reach for, despite all her clever words to others, she too knew paranoia like an old friend.

Shinobu slept in the bed across the hall, Kanao in the one next to that. She could almost hear Shinobu's gentle snores whispering through the halls.

Kanae lay there in bed and tried to find that familiar headspace where she was allowed rest. A headspace away from frustrations, fear, pain... memories. So, so many memories. Shinobu counted butterflies in her head, getting up to the thousands on bad nights. What Kanao did was anyone's guess, but if Kanae ordered it, the girl would lay in bed and not move until the next morning. What sleep she got, now that was the question.

And Kanae? Kanae painted. Well, not literally, but she filled her mind with colors and shapes until she lulled her body out of its prepared ever-ready form. She envisioned fields of flowers, filled to the brim with sunbeams and petals, the wind dancing through gold, pink, purple, green, blue, yellow, silver, orange...

Red. Blood - steel and screams and bodies that were such because of her shortcomings. Children in hospital beds with gore and blood slipping from their wounds, bites that ripped away their shoulders, limbs that were torn brutally away from their torso, faces marred with who knew what nature of demon art. Shinobu and Kanao with the wounds she'd treated so readily -

She sat up and scowled. Her breathing had not been interrupted but that did not bring any victory to her failed attempt at sleeping. 

Nightmares were familiar foes and not so readily beaten as most demons were.

Slipping out of bed she strapped her sword to her side and made her way towards the hospital ward. She stopped for a moment to peer into her sister's rooms to quell her more minor concerns. 

Shinobu was sprawled comically, still snoring softly. Kanao was in the same position Kanae left her. The patients were all sleeping soundly and the three butterfly girls were in a similar position.

All was well. Kanae sighed and went into the garden, it would have to suffice for her mind-palace garden, and immediately as she stepped into it, she felt herself relax.

She put a hand on her sword and took a long breath. Her hair was down, her pin left by her bedside and it blew softly in the breeze. She stared up at the crescent moon and found herself toying with familiar thoughts.

What demons were staring up at that moon tonight, ready to make more corpses out of lives, more orphans out of children, more widows and widowers, mourners and the like? What slayers were out there on a mission, staring up at the moon and hoping they live through the night?

How did Kyo and Tengen fare tonight? Were they successful? How was Mitsuri, she'd gone so far on this last mission... Kanae hoped the young girl made new friends and found good food. Iguro... Kanae hoped that he'd found something to make him smile today. She hoped Muichiro slept soundly. She hoped Doma and Gyomei were enjoying each other's company. She hoped the master found a good night's sleep... with little pain or interruption.

She hoped Sanemi was safe.

She stared up at the moon and closed her eyes, forcing herself to let down her guard for a moment, just a moment. Her body rebelled as her other senses took over, her nose picking up the sweet nectar of the garden, her ears making out the crickets all around her, and the rustling of the mouse in the bush to her left, her skin prickling as it felt the night air for any strange abnormalities.

She used to do this with Sanemi when he had his nightmares. She smiled to recall it. She'd sit him in the garden and tell him to close his eyes. Close his eyes, calm his heart, quiet his senses, and be vulnerable. She'd stood over him, her hand on her hilt until he felt safe enough - sane enough - to do so.

Usually, she had to carry him back to bed after that. He'd fall asleep sitting up the moment he let his guard down. She chuckled to herself slightly at the thought.

It had been so long since she'd seen him since they'd talked since they'd... well, <i>looked</i> at each other. She...

She missed him.

She'd practically demanded he come back with her last letter, the threat of sending Shinobu after him clear as day. She'd drag him back if Kanae didn't get to him first...

But there was something to be said about needing to make him return. Was it sad that she needed to resort to petty empty threats just so that they could talk it out like adults? Was it pathetic that she was certain he was too headstrong to make any leeway?

Was it disgraceful that she didn't care?

Likely. She was probably exactly what Shinobu called her; an idiot, for caring about someone so dead-set on hating themselves. Then again, she'd always been called to try and help those who were hurting. She was probably a fool for caring about someone who couldn't care less about themselves.

And yet, she did it anyway.

She opened her eyes and shook her head. This wasn't helping much, only making her antsier. Now she wanted to write an even longer letter to the Wind Hashira apologizing for her threats and resorting to formal respect... that would probably make him panic and return. She could almost imagine it now: "The last letter you sent me sounded like you had to right it at knife-point! What the hell happened!? You even signed it formally -"

She laughed at the imaginary situation and considered making it a reality for a moment. No, no. Best to just live and let lie. She had her life and Sanemi had his. That was what they agreed and that was how they functioned. Best to just let bygones be bygones.

The familiar caw of a crow interrupted her thoughts and made her look up at the corvid circling above her. She struggled to make out its figure in the starry sky but something about its flight pattern scratched the back of her mind. She stared up at the bird before she saw the slightest bit of movement through the fence.

She stared, gripping the handle of her sword as she watched the gate to her garden.

Closer and closer - she could make out footsteps now and her eyes narrowed for a moment as the perpetrator rounded the corner.

Perhaps gods did listen after all.

There, looking at her with familiar surprise was Sanemi Shinazugawa. His hair was messy, tossed by the wind and abandoned by a comb, he had a new scar on his left arm and she noted that it was not wrapped even though the flesh still looked angry and puffed. He hadn't expected to see her standing there and his eyes spoke for that.

"Kanae -" Maybe it was supposed to be a greeting, maybe a whisper of relief. Maybe it was a curse in disguise, who knew. Kanae stared at him and slowly released her sword.

Little made sense with Sanemi. The way the world turned on its head or how certainties let themselves feel a little less truthful. The way she knew he had ignored her for the past few weeks, and yet was so undeniably happy that he had returned. The way she knew he hated the demonic family she'd grown to love but she was so eager to hold him.

Messy things, emotions were... and conflicting ones made her uncertain whether to smile or scowl.

She simply stared in the end, her mouth parted in shock - because she still wasn't certain this was no dream. She stared and dared the visage of the wind hashira to come any closer.

"Sanemi," she greeted after a moment.

"You're... you're still awake," the man observed awkwardly as he stood in the threshold of the garden... waiting for permission to enter most likely.

Kanae crossed her arms and managed a trying smile. "You're here."

"I'm... here," he sounded less than pleased by the fact.

"Are you hurt?" she couldn't help the concern that leaked into her voice.

"No."

"Are you... well?"

"I'm... trying," there was the familiar anger... but also a tone that was foreignly familiar - if that made sense. Kanae tilted her head and smiled at Sanemi's words. That was the other tricky part, they knew each other too well.

"You're... trying?" she echoed, and she knew exactly what that meant. It was an apology, a meager one for his actions, his temperament, his denial. It was a peace offering, an olive branch that hoped to rekindle what they once had... what they'd never truly lost. It was a reluctant step into the lion's den, an unconvinced warrior ready to fight to the death, but not about to strike first.

It brought a smile to Kanae's face.

"Yes. I'm... trying," Sanemi managed, a familiar tint coming to his ears as he looked away from her grin. 

If he wouldn't come closer, she would. Striding across the garden she stopped right before him and took him in. They were about the same height, maybe she was half-an-inch taller but who was certain. His hair was in even worse shape up close and he had dirt caked behind one of his ears.

"Thank you," she murmured, reaching down and offering her hand. He took it and she never doubted he would. "I knew you'd come back."

He scoffed at that, and still wouldn't meet her gaze, but she squeezed his hand anyway and gently led him inside the garden gates. He took a few steps before he stopped.

"Kanae, I'm..." he was searching for the word 'sorry', Kanae could tell. He always struggled with pride her opinion and she waited for him to come to grips with that ego.

"I'm sorry," he managed finally.

"Oh?" she feined ignorance, and he knew it was faux innocence. He looked up at her and she raised her eyebrows. "What for?"

"For... avoiding you," he managed and she beamed.

"It was the threat of Shinobu that did it, am I right?" she grinned as she led him along.

"No - I was already heading here when you sent me that letter."

"Of course you were." She only half-believed him and besides it was endearing to see the tips of his ears flare a violent red.

"I was!"

"Sure, whatever you say," she chuckled as she took his arm and relocated to his side. "I am glad you came back though, whatever convinced you to."

His eyes darkened again and she found herself wondering what was going on under that dandelion hair. You know for such a hot-headed moron, as Shinobu loved to put it, he thought far too hard about the simplest things.

"I just..." she couldn't predict his next words so she listened intently for the silence to be broken. "It's good to see you."

It was rather embarrassing how bright her smile grew at those words, but she would willingly wear her heart on her sleeve in a quiet moment like this.

"It's good to see you too."

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

Something was off. 

Kotoha couldn't put her finger on it but something was just... wrong. It had to be that Doma was gone. It was the only explanation; years of sharing a bed with the demon made sleeping alone difficult. She'd reach out to him in the evenings when she first awoke and be surprised when all she grabbed was air. She'd go to search for him before realizing oh he's gone. 

And she had the nerve to consider Doma clingy. 

Still though... still something felt wrong - more so than the past two days had. Her love leaving on a mission had left her a bit lonelier but not this uncomfortable.

Crueler years had taught her to listen to her body. When her younger nerves felt shot, the brute of a man she'd once been tied to would come home drunk. When she couldn't sleep, it was because her baby was sick, he just hadn't started to cough yet. When she couldn't think about Doma and his master without feeling sick to her stomach, she had packed her bags, grabbed Inosuke, told Tsu to evacuate everyone if she vanished, and was ready when the love of her life showed up with his eyes carved with X's.

She sensed things and she trusted herself.

First, she checked on Miku. Inosuke was out with Rengoku and the sound pillar, Uzui, was it? According to the last letter she'd received he was, and she quoted 'killing everything amazingly and being flashy to appease this Festival God' which probably meant he was fine. He was due to be home any day now but she wouldn't start worrying just yet.

Miku had made a possible breakthrough in her breathing techniques and was going to learn Sound Breathing whenever said hashira returned. She was ecstatic and it showed with how diligently she threw herself into training. Kotoha found her in the garden, swinging her training sword as she counted out loud to herself. She didn't need to build up much muscle, given her superior strength, but Kotoha felt that was probably a form of an outlet for her; a good way to release her own fears and worries.

She had never known a time without her Father being at arm's reach, but she was handling it well. Daki had made sure to dote on her even more than usual, Gyutaro too.

Speak of the devil (poor choice of words but anyway -) the demon stepped into view with a shorter training sword.

"I honestly had no idea how to use these but it can't be that hard -" the demon began. Miku perked up and eagerly took the offered training sword from him, now brandishing two weapons.

"Show me!" she demanded eagerly.

Kotoha smiled and leaned on one of the pillars supporting the mansion. Gyutaro summoned his blood sickles and began breaking down some of his swings which Miku copied best she could. Granted, Gyutaro was a poor teacher but the boy recognized that and fumbled through it best he could.

"I - I don't think I put my feet like that, hold on." Gyutaro shuffled for a moment before nodding. "Yeah - yeah don't distribute your weight so evenly. Maybe you do that for swords, I don't know, but I'm always rocking."

He demonstrated this by swaying in place.

"I like to sway a bit, get them to let their guard down, and then strike as fast as I can. Don't let them know how balanced you are, or where you're going to strike -"

The poor demon didn't even get through his explanation before Miku began experimenting. She slashed and stabbed the air, albeit a bit messily, but with a familiar intensity in her gaze.

Doma claimed both children got that look from her.

"He sucks, I know."

She wasn't startled by Daki, quite the opposite - the sound of her voice soothed some of the growing anxieties in her gut. She looked to her side as the demon slid down from the roof.

"Oh, I don't think so. Miku appreciates it," Kotoha smiled. The demon's ribbons formed a make-shift chair for her to lounge on as she watched the two in the garden. Her hair was an elaborate artwork of braids all brought up in a bun and held together with a familiar jeweled pin; Miku's pin.

It seems the girl had been busy today as Kotoha slept.

"I like the hair," she smiled.

"Thanks; the brat's getting pretty good at braids," Daki nodded with a click on her tongue. "She's already much better than Gyutaro."

Kotoha laughed softly at that. She took a moment to look out over her family, well the bit she had in the garden. Akaza had gone out on another mission, this one with the Mist Pillar who was a very, very young child. Kotoha had almost been appalled when the boy showed up at the butterfly escape claiming he'd forgotten how he got there in the first place.

Then again, she was surrounded by children waiting to be martyrs. 

"You okay?" Daki's voice held an earnest streak of concern to it. "You look stressed - that's bad for your complexion you know."

"I feel... off," Kotoha answered honestly. "I just feel like something's off."

"Are you getting sick!?" Daki asked in near-panic.

"No, no," Kotoha soothed her. "I just... have a feeling."

"A feeling?" Daki demanded, immediately she tensed. It seems she too had learned to trust Kotoha's instincts. "Do you want me to patrol?"

She wouldn't lie, that would make her feel more secure. "Only if you want - I may just be worried about Doma."

"That tall freak of nature is fine, but I'll go look about, just check and see if there's anything strange." Daki was standing and Kotoha felt bad for worrying her.

"I'm sure it's nothing," she tried to assure the girl.

"Eh, I'm dying to do something anyway. And besides, that annoying hashira is around here - the angry one. I can smell his marechi from a mile away," Daki rolled her eyes. "He may try to decapitate me on the spot so it won't hurt to make myself scarce."

"If he tries, rest assured he won't make it far," Kotoha promised. Maybe she wouldn't be overly efficient against a hashira but she would absolutely try and no doubt Kanae would assist her. Shinobu too.

"Thanks but Doma would actually kill me if you died protecting me from a slayer," Daki deadpanned.

Kotoha laughed, even if it was a morbid joke. Daki smiled too and then climbed back onto the roof, running off with a click-clacking of heels on tile. Kotoha listened to her go and then went off to the lab. Maybe work would distract from whatever it was she was feeling... and leave her in close proximity to the only weapon she was versed with.

They were going to be fine. 

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

The waiting was the worst part. Waiting and hoping Muzan didn't get impatient - but that was foolish because Muzan was the most patient. He was infallible - he'd spared Mukago, hadn't he? Proven patience beyond what she deserved?

Right, she could be patient then. She could sit in anxious wait with her legion of creations, biting her nails as fear drummed through every cell. Muzan wasn't pleased, so many demons had died at her order. So many demons were sent and scattered to serve as distractions, pulling the corps all over Japan, weakening their headquarters, and draining their resources.

She'd inquired and pulled information from the slayers she'd captured like pulling teeth (which had been required in a few circumstances). Then she'd turned them, blessed them, presented them fearfully to Master, and watched as he hummed thoughtfully at her 'decent' attempt at a plan.

He had other ranks to worry about. He and the other Upper Moons were planning something and if she wanted to prove herself, this had to work. It had to.

She'd pulled crows down from the sky to snap their necks. She'd hunted down, tormented, and searched for the location of the slayer teachers, the retired ones, the old ones, the feeble ones. She'd killed a few of them, but mostly she'd watch for the movements, study the patterns.

Slayers were humans and humans were predictable.

Like a leech she had drained and drained until her host was as feeble as she could make it without the slayers noticing. She had slaughtered young children before they'd made it to the teacher's nest. She had intercepted cries for help and reinforcements, snapping the bird's necks and relishing in the fact that nobody arrived. She'd picked off the lower ranks of the corps, even daring to catch a few that survived final selection (honestly they sent such beaten and broken souls back without any protection it was a miracle the corps had survived this long). Even some swordsmiths never made it to deliver their blades (though they had proven to be much more skilled than first anticipated).

But when would she prove herself? When would she prove that it wasn't all for naught?

The answer came to her as one of her turned slithered to her feet. They had once been a young slayer, wiggling beneath her foot like a worm and screeching for mercy - now they embodied that - a small weak demon.

But it had its purpose. It was weak enough to evade detection and small enough to stay unseen.

"What?" she gazed coldly down at the worm-like demon who quivered as it pulled itself from the dirt. This must be how Muzan felt, she mused, except he was infinitely more perfect. He never doubted his plans would fail, he wasn't a writhing mess within like she was. She was but an imposter in a king's clothing. Muzan was a god given flesh.

"Upper Two has left. It's only Upper Six -" the demon squealed as Mukago clenched her fist and ripped the worm in two.

"Ex-Upper Six. I've surpassed them." She'd earned this title, bested, and outlived all who would've beaten her. She would be better, she was better. She would deserve Muzan's praise.

The worm squealed out apologies that Mukago permitted, for they soothed her raging mental state. Finally, the turned slayer got to what really mattered.

"You - you can strike now. It's only the ex-upper sixes and a handful of hashira. I felt it myself -"

They rambled on as Mukago furiously thought. The crow patterns she'd spied confirmed it, the corps was definitely spread thin and the hashira had been sent across. The only ones she had unaccounted for were the Snake and Love pillars and it was likely they were still across the continent dealing with the issues Mukago had set up for them four days ago.

The wind hashira was near headquarters though and the carnage he left in his wake had been impressive. The flower hashira was a wild card for she rarely left the targeted mansion. But... if there were only two definite hashira's there... that was doable, wasn't it?

She could beat the disgraced Six herself. She had to prove that much; earn the kanji's in her eyes so that no one may question her.

"You're certain it was only the disgraced sixes and the child?" Mukago demanded harshly.

"Yes!" the demon cried desperately. "Yes, I'm sure, I'm extra certain -"

It had to happen now then. The disgraced Upper Two hadn't left his chimera of a daughter unprotected for as long as Mukago had watched him. Him being gone spelled trouble for someone, but not her.

They could do it, they could slip in, rip apart what they could and do it, earn Muzan's praise. She could do it.

She raised a hand and felt that familiar bubble of space twist around her knuckles. She'd grown so much since earning this position, gorged on so many... she'd earned it. She'd prove that she'd earned it.

"Then we strike," she breathed. She turned to the hundreds of demons sitting, staring, purposeless until she made them otherwise. Swords gleamed in the infinity fortress' warm light, gleaming the colors of the rainbow, some still caked with blood, some rusty, some merged with the demon themselves.

"We strike now." Mugako ordered and hundreds of hungry eyes met hers. Hundreds of slit pupils turned razor sharp at the command. Hundreds of drooling mouths opened to gnash their teeth eagerly at the thought of blood.

Like hounds on a hunt, as Mukago opened those doors to the outside world, they fled to the night, baying and growling as they went. She, on their heels, not daring to smile. She could not mess this up. She could not falter.

She could not surrender. She could not flee.

She was Upper Moon Six and she would earn that title by bathing in the blood of her predecessors.

(I picked the pic for this chapter because that's how I imagined the two said goodbye and while the kid in the background is supposed to be Inosuke - I can be Miku in this circumstance because they have the same hair.

Alright, alright alright alright alright. 

Confession time:

I was 100% going to kill off Kotoha in this chapter. It was going to happen, it was going to be angsty as hell, she was going to tell Miku to run and distract the demon king by being her precious awesome ass-kicking self. Muzan was going to do it and then escape. Doma was going to find her body and be absolutely distraught. He was going to go on a murder spree and lose his humanity for a bit. Akaza was going to have to step up to the plate and help Inosuke and Miku through their grief with help from Kyojuro. He was then going to find Doma to try and help because now there's an 'I lost the love of my life' club. There was going to be this really heart-wrenching scene where Doma screams something along the lines of: "I need to make them pay" and Akaza goes: "And your kids need their father!"

And then they go beat the shit out of Muzan together where Doma dies and meets Kotoha in the afterlife after reassuring Inosuke and Miku that they'll be okay and not to be in a rush to reunite with him, that he'll see them soon enough.

Yeah, it was going to be soooooo sad and bittersweet. But anyway -

I'm not doing it anymore. Why? Because I got sad these last few weeks and decided I don't want to be sad anymore. I fell in love with my demon family. I fell in love and now I can't kill them. I can't... I love them... Kotoha deserves to be happy okay!? They all deserve the worl

But that's why this chapter took so long. I spent two weeks contemplating the pros and cons of killing off my favorite character and finally I decided: screw it. They deserve happiness.

So what's the plan from here on out? You'll find out but I'm not killing Kotoha off anymore so do with that as you will. 

P.S: Maybe, kind of, sort of, perhaps was going to kill of Gyutaro and Daki too... but I also love them. So they're safe for now.

LISTEN I MIGHT WRITE IT SOMEDAY, but today is not that day. Nor is tomorrow. These folks are going to be happy. I will it.

Also have a great day/night byeeeee)