5. to reach for the spider's thread.

He knew there was bad news when his mission location was Mount Natagumo, of all places. It's way before schedule, so it's not time to fight Lower Moon Five just yet.

Which means that right now, Kanata is part of something he's only seen in a flashback, and there are a variety of reasons why that is horrible, horrible news.

The target is a female demon who's been wildly active in the village nearest to the mountain. She's killed dozens of people by dissolving them in her demon art— an acidic substance that corrodes as harshly as stomach acid.

"Mizunoto, stay here."

His companions freeze in their spots.

"What are you talking about, Kanata-san? We came all this way and you're going to go alone?"

Kanata's expressions are unreadable behind the cloth mask obscuring his eyes. The kanji for fire in the center of his gaze, he looks at the ground and he feels it.

The blood in this mountain, the blood soon to be in this mountain—

—Rui is here, but it is not yet Rui's time to meet Death.

Which means everyone here is going to die.

"You'll be in my way," Kanata says, shrugging on his bag.

He takes his clay Hyottoko mask from his bag and shoves it at the one beside him—

—Sabito.

"This is in the way, so hold onto it for me."

It's his way of promising to return. Personally he never needs insurance like that— but it helps to assure the younger generation and encourages them to leave him alone to do his thing, so it's a habit at this.

Sabito was always fated to die in the Final Selection. Kanata may have subverted that fate somehow, but destiny will run its course, one way or another. And destiny has the most leeway to play when they're stuck in the clash of irregularities.

Rui is not fated to die yet.

But neither is Kanata, so, if only Kanata goes, they both have a higher chance of surviving.

The only way this situation can end is if someone's fate is changed, yet again— and if Kanata can help it, he'll prefer if it's this squad he's been entrusted with. Including Sabito. Sabito can't come up the mountain— the narrative doesn't need him for anything anymore, so he's almost guaranteed to die if he goes, and Kanata really doesn't want to face Makomo after that.

Kanata sighs.

Death is going to be mad at him.

-

Sure, maybe he shouldn't have pursued that demon when it was running so desperately into the woods, but come on. She's killed dozens of people. It always feels like bullying after they start to lose, but it's just part of being a demon slayer.

(Kanata doesn't get personally requested by Oyakata-sama for hunts often. He usually only takes out demons in his area when his crow finds one. Oyakata-sama expects a lot from him in this expedition, and he's not about to disappoint the one angel on this earth.)

But when she finally stumbles, cornered against an abandoned hut— she spins around and desperately jerks back, trying to get away—

—Kanata does not take a step closer. Lifting his head to the moon, he sees Rui, balanced upon a single spider's thread, watching them both.

"Hey, you," Rui calls to the female demon, "do you want me to save you?"

She lifts her head immediately. "Y- Yes, please! I'll do anything! Anything you ask of me, so please save me!"

"Then, become my family."

"I'll do it!"

Kanata feels the strings before he sees them, but by then, it'd already gone too far through his bones, and in the next instant, he found himself in Death's office.

-

He'd never been bisected so quickly before.

He drinks his hot chocolate as the little ent crawls around him, wondering why he's not in a hurry to leave today. Death hasn't said a thing either, busy with his work on the other end—

—but all Kanata could think of was that he'd never died so painlessly before.

It was almost amazing.He couldn't even feel his death— it only lasted a second. He'd long gone numb from the pain of it all— but never has it felt so liberating. Like release.

(Ah, he can't.)

(He can't think like that.)

(He'll go insane.)

Keep your heart numb, he reminds himself. It's no big deal. It's just death like any other day, but even you're not some kind of masochist.

But if he's honest... he knew he wasn't stronger than Rui, but he didn't think the ceiling was so high.

Oh, crap, figuring this one out is gonna suck.

-

Rui's strings cut through anything, flesh, bone, nichirin, ore. Kanata learns this after losing multiple limbs instinctively trying to use them to buy time. He could wrench out any number of his blades, he'll still lose them all as if they were butter.

Rui's assault begins with a million strings descending upon Kanata from all directions. No escape— he can only block, but blocking is impossible.

So, he has to cut them,

All millions of these strings, all at once.

Sand Breathing, Third Form: Sandstorm

砂の呼吸・參ノ型・砂嵐 (Sunaarashi)

His fan flutters down in tandem with a blade on his other hand, each shudder and roll of his wrist lashing out a new tumble in the sand. Each flicker of his blade makes the strings pluck, one after the other, until the dance lowers his knees to the ground.

The remainder of the strings encroach— but he rises right away, arms swirling outward as he spreads his blades apart, a turbulence rush searing a rising tornado around him that rips apart the rest of the web.

Sand Breathing, Fourth Form: Antlion Trap

砂の呼吸・肆ノ型・蟻地獄 (Arijigoku)

He rises with the force of the wind, until he's in the air, spinning with the momentum. He tosses aside his sword, forces his body's momentum in mid-air to avoid the next wave of strings—

—ah, too slow. Forgot about the right leg delay.

Once again, then.

-

He figures out the trick to not getting cut. Like all sharp objects, handle them the right way and they won't pierce flesh. In this case, parry it just perfectly, and he'll be able to slide right onto the string, and hit it back. Not to retaliate, but simply to control its movements, step by step.

He spins sharp, backs up, twirls his fan. Extend to the right, flutter down, and rise up with a jump. Let his heel swirl from one side to the next, slide his foot two paces to the left. Bend, and two steps forward, fan spreading open with the momentum.

Just like that, like a gradual elegant dance— he finds himself right before Rui, fan spread open beside his face in the ending pose of the dance.

With a ragged breath out, Kanata collapses to his knees before the demon, utterly exhausted. The other demon, hiding in the house at this point, stared out mortified— but Rui only watches as Kanata struggles to catch his breath, laid out in a heap before him.

"You're interesting," Rui says, with a scoffing smile.

Kanata will take that. His hands are shivering so terribly, numb and painful, he can't even grip his fan anymore. His legs are shaking, and with each breath his vision grows hazier. His head swirls and his ears rings and everything seems to go in and out of focus like a psychedelic haze.

He's so exhausted. He made it so far, one slash away from beheading him— but this is it

Even if he dies right now, he doesn't care— it's the first time he's gotten so far. He doesn't have any strength to kill Rui anymore, so that's as far as this turn goes.

"What a shame," Rui crouches down to pat Kanata on the head. "If you were a demon, you could join my family."

Huh?

-

He doesn't make it any further. Never again. Maybe that one time was dumb luck, but every time he comes one strike before killing Rui— he can't get through the demon's neck.

He's never cursed this before, but he hates that beheading isn't his forte. His wrist is flexible and quick, but not strong like Makomo or Sanemi's.

He only gets one chance, and he fumbles it every time.

He sits in Death's office again as he tries to accept the reality that he can't cut through Ruis neck, no matter how many times he tries again. Resetting gives him experience, reaction time, and a re-roll of pure dumb luck. It won't cultivate his muscles, it won't make his body older or more toned.

This is the limit of his powers.

"New plan..."

-

"Wanna play cat's cradle with me?"

He makes a star with the strings in his hands, even though they carve into his fingers. It took him much too long to figure out how to make a simple star without lopping off all his fingers, honestly.

Rui pauses, stupefied.

"I don't know how to make anything else," Kanata tries, before Rui's shock gives way to murder, "can you show me?"

That's a lie. He's played enough cat's cradle with Kotetsu to know how to make a damn Tokyo Tower.

Rui blinks.

Then, "aren't you here to kill that weak demon?"

Kanata hums. "I think this is more fun," he loosens the strings, around his fingers, and changes it to the shape of a butterfly. "Would you play with me, little demon?"

The ones in the building stare in horror as Rui's sets his arms down. Kanata doesn't need to look back to know a string was an inch to his neck.

Rui smiles, "sure. But you have to survive transforming into one of my family, first."

Kanata feels the pain before Rui's hand flings upward, his claws shredding through the cloth mask and breaking the skin of his face and throwing him back with the force. Kanata gasps, the pain burning forth as his eyes squeezed shut—

—but he doesn't scream.

Because he knows that he can't die from the transformation.

-

When his eyes bloom red and his hair turns white, Kanata honestly finds himself observing the spider marks around his face that lined up the same way as Rui had torn the skin apart that day.

"So a swordsmith, a slayer, and now, a demon. You are a very peculiar one."

Kibutsuji Muzan drops by, because Rui is of interest to him. Kanata feels the blood inside him tremble and throb and scream, and he falls to his knees and he can't get up.

"But you're far too weak."

He knows that.

And without further acknowledgement, Muzan dismisses him, as he does the rest of Rui's pretend family.

That's the end of that.

Rui smiles and pulls him back to their fake family, and Kanata can't help but think of how dear Rui is. To be so innocently happy about the little things. He plays house, he has fake dinner, he wants to be tucked into bed, he wants to play tag. He wants to be lifted into the air, even though he can do it with his strings, he wants to be swung around the sky and to be pampered.

He is dear, and he is adorable, just forget that you'll die if you refuse.

Rui's wants are simple. Kanata acknowledges that. And Rui is very happy to accept Kanata's lack of expressions as long as he holds his hand and takes him on walks, tells him stories of the outside world.

Unlike Muzan, Rui doesn't want Kanata's strength. Doesn't care for his skills as a swordsmith, as a demon slayer that's also a demon. Rui doesn't care.

Rui just wants an older brother.

-

Rui smiles at him and holds his hand, and Kanata is now the older brother of the family. They play cat's cradle together. He is not allowed to dance with the fan, for the spiders do not dance. Instead, he weaves and permeates, and a single wound he leaves is fatal to a human being.

"The bleeding doesn't stop!"

"What is this?!"

"Hey—!"

When the backup arrives, Sabito at the lead, Kanata cuts him down. He stares Sabito in the eyes as he looks upon him with fury, with dishonour—

— "how could you? How could you betray us?"

Ah, was it the Chief of the swordsmith village that disemboweled himself to make up for Kanata's sins? What a shame that was.

"I will behead you, you demon," Sabito declares, and there are tears streaming down his cheeks. He wears the fox mask at the side of his head, Kanata's old mask at his hip. "Please repent for your sins in hell."

Sorry, Sabito.

Kanata's blades haven't been sharpened in a long, long time. They're dull, but they do the work just fine. He doesn't pick up the swords that break, doesn't replace them.

He simply uses them, until he's run out. To cut down anything in his way if it's for Rui's sake. It didn't matter at the moment.

I can't die from beheadings, and Hell has no place for me yet.

"Just give me a bit more time," Kanata says, before Sabito dies, as he cradles Sabito in his arms and comforts him in his last moments cursing him. "I'll fix this."

I'm just taking a break.

I'll be back on track soon.

-

After Sabito, comes Makomo and Giyuu.

"Makomo," he calls.

"Don't call my name, you fiend," Makamo snarls, swords raised. Her eyes are sharpened with rage. "Move aside. My target is the Lower Moon behind you."

Kanata knows. But he's Rui's older brother, it's his job to protect his younger brother to the end of his life.

The haori that the Butterfly sisters had given him is stained red. Still he wears it, ragged, and in pieces, as he fights. He takes off skin as they peel back his fingers, taking off his hair and his arm—

—but Makomo cannot win.

Kanata has watched her lose thousands of times. He knows how to defeat her. She may be quick, but she is small, and she cannot endure as long. That is why a single pierce of Kanata's poison makes her bleed out.

All that's left is Tomioka Giyuu, who stares at her with eyes cold as the ones he's known for in the source material.

Ah, I'm so sorry.

With Sabito's death, you're back to square one, aren't you?

"I'll kill you," Giyuu declares. And his voice is wrought with rage, his heart a frigid wasteland as he breathes in, tears dried—

—and Kanata watches, bored. Sabito and Makomo had aimed to behead. Even though he's a traitor, they deemed him a friend, and thus, wanted to give him an honourable death. And Kanata cannot die that way, so he will never lose.

Kanata's stuck in a precipice. He cannot reset unless he does it himself— but resetting now will bring him back to a dead end. There's no reason to yet.

"Goodbye, Kanata-san."

Kanata nods.

"Goodbye, Giyuu-kun."

To be polite.

Water Breathing, Eleventh Form: Lull

水の呼吸・拾壱ノ型・凪

Kanata doesn't expect to wake up in Death's office.

-

It's after his tenth hot chocolate upside down across the bookshelves, buried in manga volumes while some ents play othello on any horizontal surface of his body— that Death finally shows up to liberate him from his premature paper funeral.

"What are you doing, kid?"

"Tomioka Giyuu dismembered me out of nowhere. I hate him."

"...are you really surprised? You brought that upon yourself."

"He's an asshole."

"You have no room to talk."

The scar Rui gave him is gone. He'll have to start over from that day again... but he still can't win against Rui. He doesn't have the strength to defeat Rui.

Rui's fate is to be decapitated by a nichirin blade.

Kanata can't beat him any other way.

But negotiating a way to peace only leads Kanata to the worst possible future, where everything he's worked for so far comes crumbling down by his own hands

He hates that future.

He doesn't hate Rui, but he doesn't want that future.

-

"I'll be your family, Rui," he says, when Rui accepts the offer of cat's cradle. "But don't turn me into a demon."

"Why not?"

That loop was a failure, too.

-

"Where are you going? You're my family, so why are you trying to run away?"

Kanata sighs, as Rui catches him at the edge of the forest. He's more accustomed to white hair than brown at this point, and he isn't sure how to feel about it.

"I have to go back," he says. "If I leave my men out there, they'll wait forever. They'll kill the people I like."

Rui scoffs. "There's no need. Once you're a part of my family, there should be nothing else you treasure in your life."

Once again, he resets.

-

"You betrayed the family," Rui says, when he catches Kanata's sword at his neck when his back is turned.

The strings wrap around Kanata in an instant.

"What a shame."

Kanata closes his eyes.

-

"Run away with me."

"Huh?"

He doesn't know how long he's been here. He doesn't even stop for Death to see him— he just falls to his knees, and, in all the weakness and the exhaustion carved into his very soul— he takes Rui's surprised hands and holds it up, dearly.

"Please," he doesn't recognize his own voice. "Run away with me. If you want family, I'll be family for you. I'll live for you, and only you. So please, I want you to live for yourself. Not for anyone else. Not for Muzan."

Rui doesn't know how to react to this.

"You don't want a fake bond," Kanata says. "You don't want a family that only stays together because they're afraid of you. You don't want that. So, make a bond with me. A promise," Kanata swears.

Rui tenses.

"I want out of this eternal cycle of lies and deceit," Kanata lays his heart bare. "Stop living like this. Travel the world with me, and you'll see what you missed out when you were alive. I promise I'll protect you, so..."

He's never talked this much in his life.

He's never talked this much before, but he can't stop.

He's so tired.

He's so tired.

So please...

Maybe it's pure dumb luck that this is the loop Rui chooses to spare him. But broke by defeat, out of options, and losing the patience to try the same dumb trick over and over— all Kanata could do at this point was shove his head to the ground and beg for mercy.

"I'll show you the true meaning of a bond. So— run away with me, and let's become a real family, Rui."

-

"I don't understand," Rui says, when Kanata runs away with him, settles by the crest of the forest, in the branches— just resting. "Muzan-sama hasn't killed me yet for turning away from him."

Kanata nods. Rui's fate is to die by beheading. Whatever happens now, Muzan cannot kill him with his blood.

They left behind the rest of the spider family in their lone hut, fearful and confused, but they don't care enough to give chase. Kanata can't even muster up a single word. He lays his head against the trunk, unable to move his limbs. He has no injuries, but his soul is weary.

"You don't fear I'll kill you, when you rest?"

Kanata chuckles, weakly.

"I still need to show you the world. So we'll be together until you're satisfied, Rui. If I die, or if I don't— it's all up to you."

Feeling the gentle cold of Rui's temperature in his lap— Kanata closes his eyes, and slumps toward him, breaths evening out.

He'll go meet the group under the mountain when the sun sets again. And whatever happens after that, the fallout of his decision— he'll deal with it all later.

It doesn't matter what the corps will say.

This is the path he's chosen.

-

Perhaps it's because Rui's a Demon Moon, but he doesn't need to feed. The hunger doesn't ravage him— he's comfortable as he is, sustained by his strength, and only requires the taste of human blood every once in a while.

"Ground rules..."

After a long night's sleep— a very long night, because apparently he slept two whole days— Kanata dusts off Rui and the tiny spider demon finds Kanata's duffel bag a comfortable seat as they trek down the mountain.

"Don't kill anyone. Humans, demons, animals, nothing."

Rui frowns. "You don't order me around."

It's not an order. Kanata takes his hands, and looks him in the eye at his level, getting on his knees.

"Your hands are for playing cat's cradle. They're for weaving beautiful things," he says. He wipes away some grime from Rui's cheeks, fussing his hair into place. "Fighting and protecting the family, working— that's the job of the big brother. So, you don't have to do any of that anymore. It's my job."

Rui blinks in surprise at that.

"All you have to do is sit there, stay safe, and be happy."

-

"K- Kanata-san?!"

Predictably, the slayers' first reaction is to pull out a sword.

"He doesn't bite."

"Yes he does???" Sabito's freaking out even as Kanata retrieves his hyottoko mask.

(Which is a good idea. With the mask and the wicker hat, he can carry Rui around even in the sun, as long as he stays under the shade of the hat. So when he's on swordsmith journeys, Rui's secured. Problem is where to put Rui when he's on demon slayer duties. He'll figure it out later.)

"W- what about— is that the demon we were sent to kill? It's not the one you chased into the forest," Sabito says. "Are you sure you should be— Why is it being so docile?"

"Rui's a good boy," Kanata says.

"Ru— Kanata-san!" he's exasperated. "That's a demon!"

Rui doesn't pay any of them any mind. He simply sits there on Kanata's arm, observing Kanata's fan, trying to bite through it, wondering if demon teeth or nichirin steel were stronger. Apparently it's the latter. If that wasn't horrifying enough, he didn't even seem to see any of the slayers. Didn't raise an arm or eye to even consider killing them.

When Yashahane descends on Kanata's other shoulder, she hisses at Rui, who scowls back immediately. When Rui lunges for Yashahane, she soars away.

"Let's go," Kanata says. "Back to Oyakata-sama."

Their mission in this accursed mountain is finally over. The demons up on the mountain won't be trouble for a long time yet.

Sabito follows, hesitantly, but with how Kanata stumbles with every step, he can't help but be suspicious. It didn't seem as if Kanata's being controlled.

-

"Hey bitches."

Sanemi greets the recuperating patients of the Butterfly Mansion— Makomo, Sabito, Giyuu, and Aoi— with boundless fury in his shoulders and a deep slash through his face.

Genya's chasing after him with the first aid kit. He's been apprenticing at the Butterfly Mansion for the past few months.

"Nii-chan! You're bleeding too much! Hey!"

Ignoring him. "New rule. Kanata ain't trusted alone ever again especially on missions. Can't trust that sandy fucker anywhere without picking up a kid that'll cause trouble," Sanemi pulls Genya's cheek and drags him into view of the room. "I swear he sees a cute face and just thinks he can adopt anything! And the worst thing is that PEOPLE JUST FUCKING LET HIM!"

Sabito whimpers into his hands, "the Hashira meeting went horribly, didn't it. I'm sorry."

Giyuu is very concerned. "Oyakata-sama let him keep the demon?"

They've heard the brief rundown from Sabito. The way he carried the demon the whole trip home, only Sabito at the end because the rest were deployed elsewhere along the way. And Sabito witnessed how he rubbed the sleepiness from Rui's eyes, showed him buildings and commodities and told him bedtime stories, talked to him patiently about smithing— and when he let Rui try some human desserts, he even wiped the demon's mouth clean. And he let Rui chew on his fan the whole time!

Makomo bursts out laughing, wheezing so hard, "no but— I'm sorry just! Of course he did! Of course he did!" she cackles, punching the table, "I'm gonna die I can't breathe—"

Aoi grimaces. "I'll have to say. Kanata has weird tastes. He keeps going for the feral, will-murder-you-if-you-look-at-him-wrong types. Is it safe to let Kanata out into society?"

"Is it safe to let Nii-chan out in society eithe–OWW!" Genya wails when Sanemi yanks at his ear, "I'M SORRY!"

-

The aforementioned meeting went as such.

Unsurprisingly, Kanata isn't afraid of the Hashira meeting. It's rare to die dismembered when in the presence of Oyakata-sama— it's disrespectful, after all, the Master loves all slayers, even those that betray him— so he runs no risk of death.

He, however, has to fight the current Hashira for their approval. It's a good thing he already has a clear impression as an eccentric in the corps.

"And we are supposed to accept your new... younger brother," Uzui emphasizes with disgust, "when he's a demon that has killed at least hundreds of people, and plans on doing more?"

Kanata hums, adjusting his wicker hat on Rui's head, "Rui's a good boy."

"He's killed hundreds of people!" Sanemi groans.

"You've killed hundreds of demons," Kanata reasons.

"That killed people," Uzui says.

"Like we kill demons," Kanata says.

"Kanata," Himejima speaks up, "you can't insist on your ignorance for the difference. I do not believe we need to argue about murders we've all committed— no one here is a good man, and that includes your demon. But do not consider us the same."

Kanata hums. He's right.

Unlike with Nezuko, who has never eaten a human in her life, Rui is an irredeemable monster, a Lower Moon.

"Unless you're donating him to science," Kanae says, and it's rare for the kindest butterfly sister to suggest something that cruel, "to which, we'd gladly accept the offer of a Lower Moon. It'd be a great help."

"All that aside," Sanemi snarls, "i can't believe you'd bring it without a leash to Oyakata-sama's mansion! Are you insane?"

"Rui's a good boy," Kanata says, squeezing Rui on the cheek as Rui rolls around a temari ball in his lap. "He won't harm anyone."

"And how are you so sure?"

"Because if he does... this situation wouldn't ever happen."

In Oyakata-sama's meeting hall, only the essentials are allowed. Only his single fan, and no other weapons. He can reset, if he needs to.

He decided from the very beginning that he'd reset, any time Rui acts out, so tragedy won't ever happen. So he'd go back and fight once more and kill Rui from the start, if he had to.

He hasn't had to reset a single time thus far.

And that leads him to believe that he never will. Maybe no one else will understand this reason for trusting Rui, but how could he even begin explaining?

"Rui is mine," Kanata says. "So, I won't let any of you kill him. And I won't leave the corps either. I will have him, whether any of you like it or not."

There's a scoff.

"And you think you can win against us, if we execute you this instant?"

Kanata leans into Rui's side, ruffling his hair dearly.

"I can't win," he knows. "But I can fight forever, until you change your mind."

And his expressions, firm and unreadable, spoke very clearly to all who were present— that he could, and he would. They didn't know how— but at that moment, they all knew that nothing they did could change this fool's mind.

"You want us to let you keep a demon by your side... that's just ludicrous!" Kanae sighs, "they're not pets, you know? Are you sure you want to keep one, and then keep killing the others?"

"Who cares?"

None of the slayers are the picture of rationality or morality. So what if it's hypocritical, so what if it'll make everyone uncomfortable? It's all on a whim, too, and only Kanata can be completely sure he won't kill more people.

"He's not a pet, he's my younger brother."

Uzui groans. "Kid, we just can't let you play house like this!"

"Why not?"

That makes everyone pause.

"What do you mean, why not," Uzui's in disbelief. "Obviously not!"

"But Rui is cute."

"Even then—"

"Rui is a good boy, right? He deserves all the good things."

There's mortified silence.

"I..." Himejima's so stunned his words stumbled, "while I do believe children deserve safety, peace, and cheer, this young demon has killed far too many."

Kanae has the look of immense conflict on her face. "Well... you know..." she falters, "I have to agree on the cute part."

"KOCHOU!" Sanemi, Uzui, and Himejima yell, in differing levels of accusation.

Kanae wails, "but isn't he adorable and docile? If he listens to Kanata-kun, why jeopardize that?" she whines. "Plus..." fiddling with her fingers, "I've always wondered if we could coexist with demons. Isn't this a good opportunity to start? From a demon that's already stable and doesn't need to hunt anymore?"

"This is the worst place to start!" Sanemi yells, "not that your weird flowers and butterflies paradise would ever happen, are you insane?"

"I mean... look at him... he's so cute..."

"Dammit Kochou! Isn't that the reaosn you used when you picked up that slave, too?"

"Kanao is the cutest in the world and she can do no wrong."

"You're projecting your sister onto this man-eating monster!"

Meanwhile, Rui has gotten the strings out to play again, and he's working on a fun formation with Kanata's help, legs swinging about casually as they work towards it patiently, ignoring the war happening over their lives.

"Goddammit, if Kanata gets a coolass demon accesory, I should get one too, then, huh?!" Sanemi roars, sarcastic, "how about all of us get one! We'll be the laughingstock of the nation, how about that?!"

"The risk is much too high," HImejima says.

"I'm not serious!"

"But when you put it that way..." Uzui looks aside.

"Uzui, not you too!"

"I mean," Kanae hums, "wouldn't it be peaceful like that? Lessens the casualty count if we can befriend Demon Moons rather than try or fail to kill them."

Himejima falters at that. "...certainly, that would be ideal in the long term. While I falter to forgive those that have killed, I do acknowledge that it would be better for the future generations. It would be difficult for many to accept this, myself included, it seems idealistic..."

"Plus!" Uzui is somehow on board with it, "demons don't die as easily! If we can assemble some of them on our side, wouldn't that be more helpful than sending a bunch of Mizunoto to die on the battlefield?"

Sanemi loses his shit. "ABSOLUTELY NOT!"

"I mean," Uzui continues, "Shinazugawa is kind of as dangerous as a demon anyways. Wouldn't be much different on the field."

"OH SO YOU WANNA FIGHT???"

By the time this entire sequence of events is relayed to Oyakata-sama, unfortunately, everyone's on Kanata's side, and Sanemi wonders when he became the sane one of the group.