Conclusion and Beginning

"Hiroto!" Kanao shouted out as she dodged the wave of water from the giant's slam.

*splash*

Hiroto appeared a distant distance as he jumped out of the water, shouting out, "I'm fine! Don't lose focus now, we got him on his last legs!"

"Grahhh!!" Inosuke shouted, lunging forward towards the Douma, who was positioned on the giant's shoulder.

'Breath of the Beast, Tenth Fang: Whirling Fangs'

As the giant blew out a freezing cloud towards Inosuke, he quickly reacted and spun his swords in a circular motion, blowing the clouds away to the side.

"Nice one!" Hiroto shouted, rushing forward once more after Inosuke cleared the way for him. Concentrating his eyes, Hiroto's eyes glowed as he saw the movements of the giant striking down once more towards him.

Inosuke landed on an ice shard that was embedded into the water and was about to commence his next attack when more vines came from above and below him.

"Agh! I'll cut you all apart!!" Inosuke yelled out, jumping into the air and slicing apart the vines in a wild frenzy. One of the vines passed his defenses and was about to slice towards Inosuke's neck.

'Breath of Flower, Second Form: Honorable Shadow Plum'

Kanao arrived beside Inosuke and deflected the remaining attacks while rotating her sword around as she slashed the vines apart.

"Don't lose focus! Calm down Inosuke!" Kanao yelled out, jumping away to follow behind Hiroto.

Predicting the path that the hands traveled, Hiroto dodged and weaved past the strikes with Kanao and Inosuke behind him to block off the icicles and vines.

Getting closer to Douma, Hiroto started to faintly see his muscles, blood flow, and joint movements. 'This is the thing that I saw before, but only for a bit.'

'Dance of the Fire God, Burning Bones, Summer Sun'

Hiroto swung his sword around in a circular slash as Douma retaliated back and tried to push Hiroto away. He created more icicles and vines to whip towards Hiroto and stall his attack as he tried to getaway.

'Dance of the Fire God, Beneficent Radiance'

Hiroto spiraled into the air and delivered multiple slashes around him, kicking off the Giant's arm, running up along of it, cutting and slicing apart all vines and icicles that descended upon him.

Following behind him, Kanao and Inosuke started to cut apart the Giant's limbs to stall its attack to create time for Hiroto's advance.

'Dance of the Fire God, Dragon Sun Halo Dance'

Resembling a dragon, Hiroto started to move around in circles to avoid the freezing cloud that Douma conjured out, slashes apart another set of humanoid ice figures that Douma once again created.

Jumping high up into the air, Hiroto bypassed the Giant and arrived in front of Douma who stared back at him with latent fear, as Hiroto could see his muscles and blood circulation increased sporadically.

'Dance of the Fire God, Dance'

Hiroto gripped his sword with two hands and delivered a single high-powered slash downward.

*shikk*

"I-I…" Douma stood still, not being able to comprehend what had happened. Slowly, on his face was a red line that stretched down the rest of his body.

The Giant shattered into countless multiple pieces, creating waves in the pool of water below. Hiroto, Kanao, and Inosuke landed on the single remaining wooden platform, as Douma's body fell; split into two halves.

*huff puff* Hiroto bent over, using his sword to support his body as the fatigue set upon him.

"You did it!" Inosuke shouted, jumping in joy. "That jerk was all talk! Waaaah hah hah hah! We finished him off!! Victory is ours! Wa ha haha! Oomph!" Inosuke fell on the ground, a bit shaken up from the fight.

"Not yet, you need to finish him off," Hiroto said, pointing towards Douma's two separate halves as it started to sink into the water.

'Breath of Flower, Fourth Form: Crimson Hanagoromo'

Kanao jumped towards the body of Douma and delivered a single sword slash across both halves of the body, finally severing his head. Jumping back to solid ground, Kanao gripped her sword tightly, as she watched Douma stare back at her.

"How does it feel? To finally die?" Kanao said, watching the floating heads of Douma.

Being unable to speak, Douma slowly closed his eyes, accepting his fate. 'Ah, I'm going to die. I don't feel anything. I'm not afraid of dying… and not frustrated that I lost. Those human emotions… are nothing to me.'

The last of Douma's head dissipated into the water and air as it faded away. Hiroto quickly recovered himself and walked over to Kanao, patting her back.

"Come on, it's done. Let's go find Shinobu." Hiroto said as Kanao nodded. "Inosuke, where did you hide her?"

Inosuke recovered and stood back up. "I got one of the people with the cloth on their face to take her away. The crow said to trust them. They looked like the people who carried us when we finished fighting." Inosuke said, sheathing his swords.

"Is that so?" Hiroto said as a crow flew into the room.

"CAW CAW!! The Flame Hashira, Kamado Hiroto, along with Tsuyuri Kanao and Hashibira Inosuke have successfully vanquished the Upper Moon Two Demon, Douma! Caww!" The crow shouted out, apparently relaying the information to the other Demon Slayers as well.

"What the hell are you yelling out for, we already know he's dead. We're the ones that did it." Hiroto said, not allowing the mark on his face to fade away yet. Looking closer, Hiroto recognized the paper around its neck from the time he was at Tamayo's home in Tokyo.

"Caw! The Demon Slayer and the Kakushi have established an intelligence center, mapping Muzan's location!" The crow shouted.

"Quickly, tell me what's happened so far," Hiroto said to the crow.

"Caw! Agatsuma Zenitsu encountered an Upper Moon Demon and slain him. He has sustained numerous wounds. There are multiple Hashira's currently Engaging a very dangerous Upper Moon Demon." The crow reported.

"Wait, you said multiple Hashira's? Not one, or two, but multiple?" Hiroto asked as the crow cawed in affirmation. "What the hell is he, to be so strong. It should be the first Upper Moon Demon."

Hiroto turned to Kanao and Inosuke and said, "You two, I need you to try and regroup with the others. Help the other Slayers as they navigate through this place. I'm going to try and find where the other Hashira's are."

"Wait, what? You can't go alone! If we come with you, we can help you in the fight!" Kanao said.

"Don't you dare go alone!" Inosuke shouted, "I remember what Monjiro told me before! Strength in numbers!"

Hiroto shook his head and sternly said, "Not this time. If even the Hashira's are struggling, what do you think you guys can do? I don't want any unnecessary deaths."

Hiroto walked up to Kanao who looked gloomy and lifted her chin up. "It'll be alright. I'm tough to kill, remember? The next time we meet, I'll be in your care to help me heal up.

Kanao stayed silent and hugged Hiroto abruptly. "Stay safe..." She whispered.

Hiroto was surprised but then patted her head and said, "I will."

Hiroto then turned to run away, with another crow leading him towards where the Hashira's were fighting another Upper Moon.

"Hiroto!" Inosuke shouted, "Don't you dare die! The next time we meet I'll grow stronger, and fight better!"

Hiroto smiled and turned his head, "I'm counting on it!"

Leaving the two standing there, Inosuke grumbled, "I need to get stronger. Much stronger."

Kanao remained silent, as she touched the chin silently.

-----

Running along the hallways, Hiroto followed the crow as it led him left, right, up, and in even more confusing patterns throughout the fortress. Listening to more of the crow's report, Hiroto was told that more Slayers were joining in the fight to find and hunt down Muzan.

Some acted as scouts, medics, and some… as the body carriers, to transport the dead Demon Slayers.

As he continued, Hiroto arrived at a set of large doors that towered over him.

"Caw! It is here! Proceed with caution! Caw!" The crow shouted, before flying away to another job.

Hiroto turned to the door and prepared himself. Looking down at his hand with the red mark running up his arm, he drew his katana and pushed the door open.

Inside was a large and spacious hall. The floor was tiled with marble, with pillars supporting the roof and various wooden partitions off to the side of the spacious hall.

In the middle of the room, Hiroto saw Gyomei, standing in front of a Demon with 6 eyes, 3 on each side of his face. His hair was black with red tips, and he wore a purple-and-black-patterned kimono. He carried a sword in his hand with eyes growing along the length of the blade.

With his enhanced vision, Hiroto could see that the Demon also had a mark similar to his and Tanjiro's on his face and neck.

"Oh?" The Demon muttered, looking towards Hiroto who walked forward. "I suppose that you were the one who killed Douma, that fool. He was never serious in his role of Upper Moon Two, and look at him now."

"Hiroto, I am glad that you are doing well," Gyomei said, turning to Hiroto.

Hiroto looked around the room and saw Muichiro sitting next to Genya, who had his limbs severed.

Hiroto spoke up, "I'm guessing you're Upper Moon One then?"

"You are correct. I must say, looking at you… you are a truly remarkable swordsman, for one your age." The Demon said. "Let me introduce myself, I am Kokushibo, Upper Moon One."

"Kamado Hiroto," Hiroto replied back. "Flame Hashira."

"Hiroto," Gyomei said, as Hiroto stood next to him. "This one is dangerous. He can use breathing techniques the same as we can."

Hiroto nodded solemnly, looking at Gyomei's arm that was lined with Demon Slayer Mark, taking the appearance of cracked earth fissure on both his arms.

"You are both marked ones. It is unfortunate." Kokushibo said.

*klink*

"Unfortunate?" Gyomei said, lifting his weapon which was a long chain. One one end of the chain was a spiked flail, and the other was an axe.

"From what I can see, I'd say your age… is about 27?" Kokushibo said, looking at Gyomei.

"What of it?" Gyomei replied.

"I regret the loss," Kokushibo answered. "Without exception, the marked ones… die before they reach the age of 25."

Gyomei stayed silent, swinging the flail end of his chain next to him in a circle.

"Even if they manifest the mark, and are able to improve their power, it merely reduces their life span." Kokushibo continued, then looking over to Hiroto. "You are still young, close to 18 from what I see. That means you only have 7 years left to live."

Hiroto spoke up, "I already know of the risks."

Gyomei followed up and said, "The marked ones already understand that. I may die tonight, but we were prepared from the moment we manifested our marks."

"So you all knew? For example, even if the mark had not appeared, as long as you are in the Demon Slayer Corps… There is no guarantee you will live tomorrow." Kokushibo said.

"Why would I cling to life at this point," Gyomei said. "No one becomes a Hashira with such half-hearted determination. That horrible insult… Makes me boil with anger." Gyomei gritted his teeth, as the slash across his face trickled with blood.

Kokushibo looked to both Gyomei and Hiroto, saying, "We should not be talking about trivial things like life and whatnot. If you become a Demon, you can preserve your body and maintain your technique."

Turning to Hiroto in particular, Kokushibo continued, "Wouldn't you like to continue, become a more powerful swordsman? Refining your techniques to their maximum potential?"

"What gives you the right to say that?" Hiroto said, gripping his sword tightly, "You think I wanted to be a Demon Slayer in the first place? My family was murdered, my sister turned into a Demon. I was forced into this, just so I can avenge my family and kill the bastard that led me down this path."

"And look at how powerful you have become," Kokushibo said. "If it weren't for him, you would have never been able to grow stronger."

Gyomei interrupted him and said, "We are proud to live and die as human beings. Don't act like your worthless ideas are supreme and force them on others."

"Oh…" Kokushibo muttered.

Hiroto raised his sword above his head, causing the haori covering his wrist to slide down and exposing the onyx bracelet on his hand.

Kokushibo's eyes narrowed, as he said with a sharp voice. "You. Where did you get that bracelet from?"

"My bracelet?" Hiroto said, looking towards his wrist. "It was passed down to me, by my father."

"Tell me." Kokushibo started to get agitated as the grip on his sword tightened. "What is your breathing technique."

"Why should I tell you?" Hiroto's eyes narrowed.

*whoosh* Kokushibo disappeared from his position and rushed towards Hiroto.

*clang*

Their swords were locked into place, as Hiroto blocked the strike, and Kokushibo tried to overpower him.

"If you won't tell me, I'll just have to find out for myself," Kokushibo growled.

*BOOM*

Kyomei swung his flail and brought it down onto Kokushibo, who dodged the strike as it crushed the marble floor.

*clang clang* Kokushibo and Gyomei started fighting, as Gyomei swung his chain around and blocked Kokushibo's sword while launching attacks in between.

Kokushibo attacked back, with each swipe of his sword sending an arc with after images similar to that of a crescent moon.

'Dance of the Fire God, Dance'

Hiroto appeared behind Kokushibo and delivered a single concentrated slash towards his head.

"I knew it," Kokushibo muttered, deflected the sword to the side. "You use the Breath of the Sun. How are you able to use that breath?"

Hiroto blocked Kokushibo's counter, saying, "I learned it from my father. It's been passed down for generations."

"Impossible, that man doesn't have any descendants, I made sure of it," Kokushibo said, jumping above Hiroto's low slash and slicing downwards.

*clang* Gyomei sent his flail towards Kokushibo's sword, knocking him off course as he defended himself from the strike.

'It's not just the breath style, it's also his sword. Crimson Red, able to stop a Demon's regeneration abilities. He's dangerous.' Kokushibo thought, landing on the ground.

'Breath of the Moon, Third Form: Loathsome Moon - Chains'

Kokushibo swung his sword rapidly in two crescent slashes, from which a storm of smaller crescents spread towards Gyomei and Hiroto.

The two quickly ran away from their position, as the ground where they stood was cut into pieces, sending chunks of the floor flying.

Hiroto and Gyomei recovered and continued their attacks on Kokushibo, who in turn flawlessly defended against their attacks.

"You should reconsider, and become a Demon," Kokushibo said once more, thrusting his sword towards Hiroto's head, who dodged to the side as it grazed his cheek. "If you become one, you can study under me and improve your skills."

"Thanks, but no thanks," Hiroto replied, slashing towards Kokushibo's legs. "One Demon in the family is enough for us."

Gyomei threw the iron flail from behind towards Kokushibo's head, who dodged it without even seeing it.

Before Kokushibo touched the ground, Sanemi charged in from the side and swung his sword in an upward arc from below.

*kachang*

Kokushibo parried against the strike as the force knocked him backward. Hiroto then stepped forward and swung downwards at him.

*clang*

Kokushibo parried Hiroto's attack off to the side, as Hiroto followed up his attack with a kick that forced Kokushibo to back away.

Standing next to each other, Hiroto, Gyomei, and Sanemi prepared for their next attack.

"Good thing we trained together as Hashira, Himejima! And you too, Kamado." Sanemi said as he smiled towards Kokushibo. On his cheek was a Demon Slayer mark, with the appearance of a single paper origami windmill with two dots on both sides on his right cheek.

"Uh-huh," Gyomei replied, grabbing the axe by its handle with his left hand and spinning the flail around in his right.

"You and me both," Hiroto commented, lowering his posture.