Chaos and Order - A Multiverse Fanfic

Tanjiro shot through the forest, his figure blurring between the trees.

There was such an urgency on his mind that he was overdoing the Breathing, despite his serious injuries.

A week ago, he and other Demon Slayers had faced the Lower Rank 4 and 5 Demons.

He, Zenitsu, and Inosuke had almost died in that fight, Tanjiro remembered. They had killed the Lower Rank 5, but the Lower Rank 4 had turned out to be a nigh impossible demon to win against.

If it wasn't for the timely arrival of Insect Hashira, Shinobu Kocho, they would have all but died.

Since that day, Tanjiro had been recuperating with others at the Butterfly Mansion.

However, something happened a few hours ago that made him come out.

Something truly terrible.

Tanjiro's breath shook as he pushed his legs beyond the limit.

He couldn't afford a single breath to go to waste. Not now, when someone's life was at stake.

As Tanjiro made his way out of the forest, he finally spied the buildings marking the HQ of the Demon Slayer Corps.

He had arrived here once when the question of his sister's nature was in question.

Tanjiro rushed past the Demon Slayers standing guard outside, saying nothing.

"Wait! You can't…"

Tanjiro didn't have the time to go with reasoning now.

Suddenly, a man in a white lab coat rushed past him, mumbling to himself.

Tanjiro ignored everything. With his final breath held deep in his lungs like a volcano about to erupt, he rushed toward the Hall where the Leader held meetings.

He knew there was something big happening at the HQ, but its nature was unknown to him.

It was then his eyes landed on the two men standing outside the hall.

They simultaneously looked over their shoulders.

One had snake-like eyes.

The other had his face painted.

And they both looked like demons.

Tanjiro's soul shuddered. Then the bronze-armored man appeared in his vision.

Even though the young demon slayer couldn't stop, he felt it. He felt it greater than ever.

The Fear.

Tanjiro could feel the fear seeping into his bones.

Strangely, neither of the three men made any move to stop him.

Then, with a final push, Tanjiro threw himself between the two men and the armored sentry and lunged into the Hall.

Just as his feet touched the floor with a bang, the breath he carried in his lungs exploded.

"It's Rengoku-San!!" Tanjiro shouted, rocking the hall. "He's been ambushed by two Upper Moons!!!"

Silence.

…

Tanjiro huffed and puffed, catching his breath. Once the blackness disappeared from his eyes, he finally realized just what he had done.

He was standing in the middle of the hall. There were three little girls next to him, their eyes stony, yellow, and black without pupils.

On one side were the Hashiras, all in a horrible state.

On the other side were people he had never met, but his heart was screaming that these weren't any less powerful than Hashiras, either.

Slowly, in the silence, Tanjiro looked at the front of the hall.

He recognized them. He recognized both of them. But… But…

Why the man who had kidnapped his sister and then killed the Upper Moon Six later was sitting next to the Leader of the Demon Slayer Corps?

Suddenly, the adrenaline rush lost its hold on Tanjiro's senses.

Selene's lingering Perception found a worm to play with and it lunged on the boy.

Tanjiro's knees buckled, the world expanded beyond sight in his eyes, and then his eyes rolled back, losing consciousness.

Silence.

…

Kai, Kagaya, the Hashiras, and the White Serpent Pirates' faces had gained a grave expression.

"Shinobu," Kai said, eying the boy.

The Insect Hashira rushed and took out the letter held in Tanjiro's hand.

The more she read, the thinner her lips became.

"It's the Upper Moon Five and Upper Moon Four," Shinobu Kocho told them, reading the letter. "Rengoku-San had traced one of them to the Swordsmith Village, but then the other one ambushed him, it says.

"The Upper Moon Four almost killed Rengoku-San, but because of morning, they couldn't. They are bound to return to finish the job… tonight."

They all looked outside.

The Sun would set in but half an hour.

No wonder Tanjiro had pushed himself to blackness to come here.

"I know Rengoku," Kai said, nodding at Shinobu. "He would never pen a letter like this. He must have faked the injury, portraying it graver than it was, to catch the incoming demons off-guard."

"Indeed," Kagaya Ubuyashiki agreed. "But the swordsmiths must have not known Rengoku's intentions. One of them sent this letter without consulting with him."

Unknown to everyone, it was Kai who had suggested Rengoku should purposely show his injuries graver than they were and then wait for the demons the next day. He had already read about it all using the Daily Prophet.

But that wasn't the prime reason he had visited Rengoku.

Of course, not knowing about Kai's hands in it, the Hashiras found his and Kagaya's reasonings on point.

Still, correct reasoning didn't alter the graveness of this situation.

Fake or not, Rengoku was definitely injured. And you never knew when an Upper Rank Demon would go beyond the perceived limits.

Dealing with two Upper Ranks alone was nothing short of beckoning a disaster.

If they needed to help Rengoku, they needed to go right now.

Not only go, but they must run just like Tanjiro had done because the Swordsmith Village was way farther than the HQ compared to the Butterfly Mansion.

But there was just one hiccup.

Insect Hashira was still alright, Kai's Perception covering her from the onslaught of his followers' threatening might all the time.

However, the rest of the Hashiras were barely standing.

It wasn't about their physical capabilities, but mental ones.

Facing, resisting, and then surviving the sheer nature of Black, Meg, Spawn, Moraine, Red Sun, Cersei, Petyr, Orochimaru, and Mayuri's Wills had left them spent.

In this state, the Hashiras could barely keep maintaining Total Concentration - Constant.

Much less needed to be said about running to the Swordsmith Village at their full, undrained capacities.

That, too, within half an hour.

Of course, it was all as Kai planned it.

The Wind Hashira slammed his palms on his knees.

The other Hashiras were too getting up, their figures shaking. Yet, there was literally no word of not-able-to-do-it in their mouths. Nor were their eyes lost of hope.

The Stone Hashira alone was standing tall, unwavering.

"Amitabha!" He put his palms together and bowed at Kagaya. "I will make sure those two demons meet their ends tonight."

There was no promise of saving Rengoku.

There was no promise of saving oneself, either.

Regardless of the situation, the Stone Hashira would kill the demons, he meant.

Kagaya wouldn't have been one of the most decisive and powerful minds across the Multiverse if he held anyone back at this moment.

The Leader of the Demon Slayer Corps nodded. "Do your duty…"

However, Kagaya never got to complete his words.

In the grave silence lingering within the hall, laughter echoed.

Black was chuckling. Red Sun was yawning. Meg and Moraine were giggling. Spawn kept silent, but the mockery was apparent on her face.

Cersei's sneer was like a sword, cutting the emotions.

Outside the hall, Petyr's armored shoulders were shaking.

Orochimaru and Mayuri shared a glance and thoughts, grinning ear to ear.

When Kagaya looked to his right, hoping for an explanation, he found Kai had already stood up.

Under the angered and shocked gazes of all, Kai walked to Shinobu and held her hand.

He looked at everyone, the White Serpent Pirates standing up behind him.

"Let me handle this today," Kai said, smiling, "Let me show you what we are. Then —"

He pulled Shinobu closer in his embrace, looking into her watery, purple eyes.

"— and then, let's get married."

**************

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