It was as though the entire world around me was shaking. My hands, which were dug into the corpse of a dead man, covered in blood and dirt, shook like they never had before. Thanked a sting to them at the very tips of my fingers. The type of sting that made adrenaline course through my veins, and the type to bring some sort of accomplishment to anybody.

My pupils slit, even more than they had been before I lay my eyes on the corpse Akaza delivered to me not even ten minutes ago. However, what concerned me the most about what I was feeling was the way my heart raced and my whole body felt as though it were being reformed, as if it were adapting to some sort of change needed for it to properly survive.

It hurt, but not in a bad way. I was used to pain right about now, especially after being in this fortress for what felt like hundreds of constant years, and now I was even able to differentiate the different types of pain. The horrid pain. The helpless pain. The mental pain. The adrenaline pain. The kind pain.

This was the type of pain that was a mix of them all, one I had never been able to experience before ever in my lifetime. It hurt, but it was kind enough to allow me to bear through it. It was mentally challenging, even as my mind raced and my thoughts were on turmoil speed, yet it felt pleasing and the type to help you win a fight and bring you a sense of determination.

If this were to have a name, I would call it the 'changing pain'. It shifted from your mind to your physical body. It was harsh, yet it was kind. It was fast but it was horribly slow. It was the only pain I couldn't regenerate from.

My breathing became radged, my now sharp nails digging into the corpse as my head fell forward and my razor teeth clenched in agony, my entire body writhing in pain as I hissed to myself, veins bulging out of my face.

But just as quickly as it came, it left. Almost immediately after I hunched over the body below me in pure agony, it was gone, as if it were never there to begin with.

It confused me at first. What was this pain? What was happening to my body, even as I stood to my feet and glanced down at my shaking palms in pure bewilderment.

There was only one thing separating it from all of the other helpless bodies I had consumed by Akaza's demands. For one, it was sliced in half, the lower part of their body deliberately missing, likely from Akaza taking a slice from it, which was unlikely already. Akaza was never the type to share food, he always got me a body of my own, a weaker one to which he would usually consume. Just the thought of him sharing this with me was surprising at the time. But the second thing was the certain uniform covered over them.

It was one I had never seen before, even as the haori sat on top of it gently, its fabric torn to shreds as the crimson seeped into the cloth and stained it with an infinite touch. They were obviously someone who was a part of something, more than likely, The Demon Slayer Corps.

I had never seen anyone from it before, only ever hearing stories about them from Akaza or even Takashi, when I allowed him to be in my presence. But each time the men spoke about the slayers, they always told me to avoid them for however long I live. 'Only feed on the innocent. Destroy homes of people unwilling to put up a fight.' That was the constant rule they reminded me of until the rule itself embedded itself into my brain and rotted my mind with its putrid stench.

It was strange to me. I was being trained to protect the demon lord himself, a man who has more enemies than anyone could ever count. It was obvious plenty of them would want to kill him with their bare hands after years of training if that's what it took. And yet, I was told to lay off as soon as I see a demon slayer?

I didn't understand. Were they doubting my strength? Were they trying to keep me safe? Were they trying to get me to avoid something at all cost? I wouldn't know.

I released a shaky breath, my hands clenching at my sides and my nails digging into the flesh of my palms due to their sharp nature. All I could feel was power surging through my veins. The purest desire to fight and win against anything that stands in my way, no matter what the cost.

This was where I discovered my blood demon art. One Takashi liked to call 'ability transfusion'. This was the first time I ate a slayer, someone with the ability of protecting others. A hashira. One whose skills purely relied on the agility of their movements.

My blood demon art allowed me to have those as my own. An ability only, I, as a halfling, could ever possess.

Once intaking a slayers (or demons) blood, my blood demon art allowed my body to take their most powerful skills and turn them into my own. For example; if I were to drink the blood of a hashira who had swordsmanship above everything else, even without being able to hold a blade properly in my life, once I drink the blood, I would inherit the ability of swordsmanship from the hashira, to the extent that they would have trained to. I would have no training needed, no brutal circumstance. Just blood.

It would work the same for speed. If I were to drink the blood of a hashira known for their speed, my own speed would match up to theirs after just a drop of their blood. It was that simple.

It was that easy to become powerful.

And there I stood, a crude smile creeping up my lips as I finally realised what Akaza was talking about when he mentioned a blood demon art.

All I could do was chuckle, my voice echoing through the empty caverns of the infinity Fortress as the carcass beneath my feet lay motionless.

༶•┈┈⛧┈♛ ♛┈⛧┈┈•༶

"What am I doing here again?"

I questioned, my arm in the grasp of none other than the love hashira, Mitsuri Kanroji, who only held a blush over her cheeks as a plate of onigiri was placed on the table just in front of me, it's bottom thudding against the hardwood before being fully lowered to a pause, just in arms reach of me, and precisely in the middle of the table.

As soon as Tengen managed to get us all to his estate (mostly by force), his wives welcomed each of us, however, when it was my turn, due to my past run ins with this family, Suma crushed me in her chest, all while Makio attempted to pry me away and Hinatsuru only stood to the side, acting as normally as possible to the other hashira, leaving Tengen to watch as I suffered the pain of physical touch.

It wasn't long after that when we were seated at a table and presented with piles upon piles of food, made by the wives, of course. However, things quickly got heated around the table as Sanemi was placed next to Giyuu, I was placed next to Rengoku, and Tengen sat himself next to Muichiro, trying to let a swig of alcohol down his throat. And Shinobu...she left as soon as she saw Tengen bring out the booze.

And now, here I am, two hours later, with Mitsuri hugging my arm so tight it almost feels like it will tear off any minute, Kyojuros head on my lap, his cheeks flushed with booze, Gyomei, Muichiro, and Iguro Nowhere in sight, Sanemi fending off a drunk Tengen, all the while I sit in the middle of it, longing for nothing but silence.

"You know, (Y/N)..." Kanroji slugged out, her words practically dripping with unconsciousness as her eyes became lidded over, moving one finger to poke at my cheek. I glanced down, nowhere near curious as to what the drunken woman had to say, but knowing if I didn't, she could only scream in my ear until I did so. ".. you're so pretty from this angle...." The woman thudded her head against my shoulder, leaning all of her weight on me, to which I could only blink in response.

I tilted my head to the side, avoiding the glass that has been sent towards my head. It shattered against the wall behind me, fragmenting into smaller bits, all before the squabbling between the two men continued, Tengen laughing to himself as he watched Sanemi throw a fist in his direction, a crazed smile over the snow haired males features.

It was pure chaos.

"Am I now..." I huffed out, Kanroji humming against me as she nodded against my shoulder, a small, tired chuckle leaving the flame hashiras lips as he shuffled around on my lap, turning on his side, all while wrapping his broad arms around my waist, nuzzling against me quietly, quieter than I had ever seen him sobre.

The woman hummed happily, almost as if she was purring like a cat. Her blush only spread. She made a move to cup my cheek, turning me to face her as she lifted her head off my shoulder. "Yeah.." she sighed, almost dreamily, I could practically hear her heart racing.

I closed my eyes, bringing my own hand to hold hers before lowering it to my side, our hands still conjoined. "Kanroji. You're drunk, you need to get home and rest."

The woman only gasped, leaning away from me, tearing her hand away from my own, and crossing her arms over her exposed chest. She huffed, snapping her head away from me as she sat up. I raised a brow. "How could you! How dare you think I'm dru..."

It was only a moment later that she fell to her side, falling into a deep slumber only she could awaken from, her lips releasing a soft snore. I sighed as the flame hashira hummed to himself, still lost in his own dreams, yet a cherry red blush constantly over his cheeks.

"Damn it.." I sighed out, practically feeling the headache that would come on in mere moments, even as Giyuu stumbled his way through the door, probably hoping to get away from this place if it wasn't for the blush that fell over his features.

With a final cry, Sanemi launched himself behind the taller man and struck the back of his neck, rendering Uzui useless as he fell to the ground only seconds later, Sanemi huffing out a scoff as he wiped himself down.

All I could do was look down at the man in my lap, pursing my lips and furrowing my brows. I had to contemplate my actions before I made them, even as his features morphed into something distressed, almost as though he were in pain. He scrunched his nose, digging his face deeper into my stomach, his grip around my hips tighter now. My eyes narrowed, swallowing down a gulp, all before making my mind and slowly, almost hesitantly, lowering my palm onto his head.

His small scurrying halted, but it was only for a moment. That was all before he leaned into my touch, almost as if it were the last source of heat on a freezing winter evening. Like it was the only thing worth protecting in this world.

I sighed once again, my eyes closing, all before a sudden smack made its way on the back of my head, throwing my head forward, only a little, but it still had the same effect.

I grunted, moving to rub the back of my head and turn around to meet a purple gaze, to which I tilted my head at. "What's the matter?" My face, as stoic as ever, replied to his action, brows furrowing in utmost confusion as I watched the man scoff.

He shook his head, almost dismissively at me, all before he spoke. "I'm going." Without any more words of warning, the man disappeared in front of my face, as though he were just a phantom in the wind, leaving me alone- well, not alone.

Shaking my head, I shrugged off my haori, removing my hand from the flame hashiras head only for a moment before returning it in its rightful place, and slowly laying the haori over the man's body, which had been curled into a small ball.

He was so quiet I didn't even recognize it was him for a moment, even as I stared down at the sleeping face of the usually bright flame hashira, now below me and gripping onto my waist for dear life in a drunken state.

All I could do was sigh like a tired parent.

It was all too sudden that the memories came rushing back. The memories of the first time I met the man. He was till just the same as he was now, wide, bright, loud, kind, sometimes annoying with his booming voice in a garden, but still the same.

But I didn't know that at the time.

I remember the first time he tried to start a conversation with me, however, his efforts failed when I simply turned away from him, spitting insults like there was no tomorrow, still in my rageful period of life when the meaning of peace and serenity was never developed in my dictionary. You could say I was like Sanemi, possibly worse than Sanemi, but like Sanemi nonetheless.

But he kept on trying. No matter how many times I turned away from him, Kyojuro kept coming back to to try make a friend out of me, even when he knew I was part demon, even though he understood the dangers of being around me, even though he understood what danger he was putting himself in, he always there, even when I didn't want him.

It was only until one of the past hashira died, did I realise how much of a kind person he was. Taking care of those around him, helping the grieving through their loss, keeping me company when he knew that was the only hashira I ever got along with at the time. Simple and small deeds that crafted our friendship into what it is today.

I vowed to myself that I would protect him from harm, that I would always keep him in arms reach, so that he would be safe, so that he wouldn't end up like the others, and looking down on him now, I reminded myself of that small promise I refuse to let go of.

But there was one fault to my ideology. I would protect him from all demons, Muzan if need be, but there is one demon I can never touch, one demon I would never be able to fight no matter how hard I try. Because if I did, he could snap his fingers and I would be no less than a puppet.

Every demon but that one I would protect him from, every demon but that one I would kill.

And it's the same with all the people I hold close, Mitsuri (no matter how much I'd hate to admit it), Gyomei, Shinobu, Kagaya, Amane, all of them I could ever think of. I hold that promise to each and every one of them, no matter the sacrifice.

"Hey..." a small voice spoke out from the doorway. I turned my head to the sound to match the eyes of none other than Hinatsuru, her calm smile spread over her beautiful features. "You can leave now, if you'd like." She made her whole body visible from behind the door, slowly walking over to me.

I shook my head, my features never once morphing far from calmness. "I'm afraid I can't do that. Looking back down at the man, I couldn't find myself to move, at least not with a little help first, even as his grip around my waist tightened.

The woman tilted her head, brows furrowing as she moved to look down on me once more, a face of realizating spreading across her features as soon as she realised the situation. She soon released a small chuckle, holding her hand over her lips as she grinned at the two of us, as well as Mitsuri, who lay not too far away. "I see now. I assume you would like some help?" Her head tilted to the side, crouching next to me and laying her smooth hand on my shoulder.

"If you wouldn't mind." I simply responded, and the woman got to work, slowly reaching around my form to pry his arm s away from my with a gentle touch, one the demon slayer eased into and followed. Soon his hands lay by his side and I was helped to my feet by the woman, who held a small grip on my hand in order to help me stand up.

I nodded to her in thanks, releasing her hand before slowly making my way towards the door- "Wait." She spoke out, her hand reaching out to me before she pointed to my haori, which was still laid over the sleeping man. "Where are you going, don't you need your haori?."

Lips parting, I took a moment, looking down for a moment before responding. "...it looks like he needs it more than me right now.". I nodded my head to the sleeping man, who clung to my haori like a koala, likely loathing its warmth. "I'll be alright. Thank you for your kindness tonight, however, I must get going. I fear I have outwelcomed my stay and my hands at the Ubuyashiki house are needed." I bowed, closing my eyes, all before disappearing in a blink of an eye.

I reappeared in front of the Ubuyashiki household, a sigh leaving my lips as the stars above twinkled and shone like the moon, who could only look down on me with a gentle sigh.

༶•┈┈⛧┈♛ ♛┈⛧┈┈•༶

Taisho Secrets!

. Out of all the hashira, the one that intimidates (Y/N) the most is Obanai.

. One time, (Y/N) attempted to use Tengen's weapons to settle a bet and wielded them so well, Tengen almost had a breakdown. What he didn't know however, was Shinobu snuck her a vial of Tengen's blood before he arrived. (Y/N) used her blood demon art, and to this day, Tengen still doesn't know!

. (Y/N) actually loves sweet foods more than normal foods!