1
Two Months After Rengoku's Death
Morning at the Butterfly Estate is not peaceful—
It feels hollow.
Mist hangs low like smoke from a battlefield.
Wind chimes shake in the cold wind, sounding less like bells…
and more like bones rattling.
Tanjiro kneels in the courtyard—
his breathing sharp, forced, almost violent.
"Total Concentration… Constant."
His breath is stronger.
But his eyes…
hold a grief that hasn't healed.
A wound that never stops bleeding.
Nezuko sits nearby, watching him with quiet worry.
Her bamboo piece is still, untouched.
She tilts her head whenever Tanjiro's breath falters—
a small gesture that says more than words.
Zenitsu sits on the porch, knees pulled to his chest.
Dark circles stain his eyes like bruises.
"I can still hear his voice…
Even when I'm awake…"
His voice cracks.
He doesn't even bother hiding it now.
Inosuke punches trees until bark breaks—
and then his own knuckles split and bleed.
"WHY DID HE HAVE TO DIE!?
HE WAS A MONSTER OF STRENGTH!
STRONGER THAN ALL OF US!"
But even his screams sound broken,
like the forest is swallowing them whole.
Shinobu arrives silently behind him, bandages ready.
"If you shatter your bones again,
I won't fix them this time."
Inosuke snarls—
but he still lets her treat him.
There's fear in his eyes he doesn't understand.
---
Sans and Papyrus
Sans sits beneath a tree, staring at a tiny flicker of flame he balances on his finger.
Rengoku's flame—
rebuilt from magic and memory.
It sputters in the breeze…
and dies.
Papyrus runs laps around the courtyard, but his steps are heavy.
Forced.
"BROTHER!
I AM TRAINING TO HONOR THE FALLEN WARRIOR!"
His voice shakes halfway through.
Just for a moment.
Sans watches the flame in his hand fade.
Then whispers:
"Yeah.
It hurts…
for all of us."
And for once, he has no joke left.
---
Tanjiro Approaches Sans
Tanjiro bows deeply.
"Sans…
If you hadn't stepped in…
Akaza would have—"
Sans cuts him off with a wave.
"Kid… Rengoku saved you.
I just delayed the inevitable."
Tanjiro's fists tremble.
"We have to keep his fire alive."
Sans looks at the sky—
cold, empty.
"That's the part that scares me."
Nezuko walks over, offering Sans a small flower.
He stares at it—
fragile, easily crushed.
But still alive.
"…thanks, kid."
Papyrus shouts from a distance:
"WE SHALL GROW STRONGER!
WE SHALL NOT LOSE ANYONE EVER AGAIN!"
Inosuke growls back:
"YEAH! NEXT TIME I'M KILLING THE UPPER RANK MYSELF!"
Zenitsu mutters,
"I don't want a next time…"
Their voices echo—
a mix of hope and dread.
Shinobu appears.
"A Hashira is coming.
Prepare yourselves.
The Entertainment District awaits."
The wind turns cold.
Like something watching them is already waiting.
---
📍 DARK VERSION — SCREEN 2
Tengen Arrives
Late morning.
The ground trembles with rhythmic BOOMS.
Not energetic—
predatory.
Zenitsu screams,
"IT'S A DEMON! WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!"
Inosuke snarls, drawing blades dripping with sap and blood from earlier training.
"GOOD! LET IT COME!"
Papyrus summons a bone spear glowing cold white.
"I SHALL DEFEND THIS HOUSE FROM EVIL!"
Sans squints.
"…nah.
That's the sound of a man who thinks death can't touch him."
The gate slams open.
Tengen Uzui enters—
towering, glittering, but with a dangerous aura beneath the glamour.
A man who has killed too much to smile honestly.
"HELLO, YOU PITIFUL WANNABES.
THE FLASHIEST HASHIRA HAS ARRIVED."
He sparkles.
But the light reflects off scars that hint at darker nights.
Papyrus gasps,
"HE'S SO SHINY… YET TERRIFYING!"
Sans mutters,
"Yeah… walking disco-ball of death."
Tengen points at the group.
"You six. And the skeletons.
You're coming with me."
Zenitsu collapses.
Inosuke flexes.
Papyrus salutes.
Sans shrugs like he's accepting a prison sentence.
---
Shinobu Intercepts
Shinobu steps in—
smiling, but eyes sharp.
"Don't shatter my estate again, Tengen."
Tengen grins.
"No promises."
"The mission," Shinobu continues,
"is in a place full of danger.
Crowds hide demons.
Innocents vanish.
You will need caution."
Tengen scoffs.
"I only do flashy."
Sans whispers to Tanjiro,
"We're dead."
---
The Mission
Tengen crosses his arms.
"My three wives infiltrated the district.
They went silent.
That means one thing—
a demon found them."
Zenitsu screams in jealousy.
Inosuke volunteers instantly.
Papyrus asks if he gets a wife too.
Sans laughs once—
a cold, dead laugh.
"No one's getting wives, Paps.
Just enemies."
Tengen points dramatically.
"You six.
You're coming.
Even the demon girl."
Nezuko stares back, eyes glowing faintly red.
Almost hungry.
Tanjiro bows.
"We will help."
Tengen smiles.
"Good.
We leave tonight."
The estate suddenly feels smaller.
Like something dark is closing in.
---
📍 DARK VERSION — SCREEN 3
Disguises
Night falls.
But it's the kind of night that feels watched.
Tengen stares at Sans and Papyrus.
"You two need disguises."
Papyrus salutes.
"MAKE ME GLORIOUS!"
---
Papyrus' Transformation
Papyrus receives a sparkling dress.
But the sequins glint like shards of broken glass.
He puts it on proudly—
twirling.
"BEHOLD! LADY PAPYRUS!"
But when he spins, the glitter looks like blood flecks catching moonlight.
Tengen nods.
"Flashy.
Good.
Try not to get stabbed."
---
Sans' Makeover
Sans receives a plain kimono and cheap wig.
He stares at it.
"…this looks depressing."
"Exactly," Tengen says.
"Blend in."
Sans wears it crooked—
like he doesn't care if anyone sees through the disguise.
His eye-light flickers once—
blue, then gone.
Zenitsu whispers,
"He looks… haunted."
Papyrus beams.
"BROTHER YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!"
Sans sighs.
"Kid, I look like someone who's seen too many bodies in back alleys."
Silence.
No one argues.
---
Everyone Else Appears
Tanjiro enters in disguise—
forcing a smile that doesn't reach his eyes.
Zenitsu reeks of perfume.
Inosuke looks disturbingly beautiful,
but the fury behind his eyes ruins the illusion.
Papyrus gasps at Tanjiro.
"WE MATCH!"
Tanjiro laughs weakly.
Even his laugh sounds tired.
Sans mutters,
"He's trying too hard.
None of us are okay."
No one denies it.
---
Final Words Before Departure
Tengen stands tall.
"Everyone is disguised.
Everyone is ready.
Stay close.
The district feeds on the weak."
A cold wind sweeps through the courtyard—
sharp like claws.
Papyrus salutes.
"I SHALL BE BRAVE!"
Sans whispers under his breath,
"…hope that's enough."
The group steps toward the glowing city—
a place of lights that hide shadows,
streets that swallow the lost,
and demons that smile with human eyes.
The night welcomes them like a predator.
Be continued