#17000 | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

demonslayedher · 2 years

Note

How would the aftermath of a "fateswap" of the final battle play out? As in every hero who died in the Infinity Fortress raid/Muzan fight in canon lives while those who lived in the canon dies instead. So Shinobu, Genya, Mitsuri, Iguro, Himejima, and Muichiro survive while Tanjiro, Zenitsu, Inosuke, Kanae, Giyuu, and Sanemi die. I guess Nezuko would still be alive because she didn't participate.

Anon... how dare.

There were so many moments when I was first contemplating this when I realized new bereavements and verbalized a sharp "NO!!" at each one; and for the sake of seeing how it plays out, I had to write it. I tried to keep it short by only writing the key developments but now it's a very, very, very choppy series of odd interactions, and I must bring it to you in multiple parts. That's your first warning. As your second warning, we have angst ahead, so much angst. And while I though this would turn into an Angst & Fluff piece, no, we have bypassed fluff and gone straight to sap. This is the Ask response equivalent of violently hacking a tree to pieces so that I can offer you maple syrup. Here, I hope you like it. Careful, there are probably splinters in it.

--- Part 1: The Fates are Swapped Part 2: The Aftermath Part 3: The Underworld Part 2 is over 12K words. It is possible to skip it and only read Parts 1 and 3 for high drama and a shorter story. It's also possible to scroll down to the bottom for Part 2 for confusing and crappy doodles of an AU that followed with no idea where it was going. ---

Part 1: The Fates are Swapped

Shinobu's lung was punctured, but she could still fight, and she did, impressing Douma with how she put enough strength in her legs to force him all the way to the ceiling. The strongest dose of poison her sword could pack punctured the vital spot in his neck, and despite how his features were melting, the ends of his mouth twisted with a smile. "How amazing. You worked so hard,” he cooed. Gravity wanted to take both her and her sword back, but he stopped her close with clammy hands and clawed fingers. "You're worthy for me to eat."

When at last she thought she saw her end and the beginning of her victory, the ceiling cracked wider and a fur-covered foot pounded through. "No way in hell I'm going to let you touch Shinobu!"

The next thing she knew, her face was slashed by the tips of two rough swords, tearing from her brows, over her nose, and down to her cheeks with crossing injuries. It stung like hell, and she was in free fall. At the same moment as a splashing sound, she was submerged in icy waters; it was filling the hole in her lung, quick...

"Sure does suck to die alone."

After having taunted Muzan's underling, Yushiro scooped up the whiny demon slayer and brought him to a flat surface. Try as he might to stop them with anti-Blood Technique medicine, those burns kept cracking and spreading even after that demon was dead; he really must have hated this guy to have that much ill will focused against him.

Zenitsu's eyes flitted open, then locked on Yushiro. "The demon woman you love... she's in trouble."

Yushiro’s whole body flinched tight, from his pupils down his spine. "I know."

"You have to... go to her."

"And leave you after what I just said to that guy? I'd be a liar."

"I'm not… alone," he struggled out. Like another strike of lightning in a storm, the burn in his cheek crackled up to his eye, filling it with blood. "Jiichan... said he's proud of me. ...Go."

Yushiro had not meant to defy Tamayo's wishes, but if there was one time in his life he was going to, this was it. Tamayo had not expected such a betrayal either when she was ripped apart from Muzan. At last separated from that man swallowing her up, her cells instantly set to work repairing themselves, and she already had most of her limbs back before she looked around and had a sense of what happened. Her returning hand was empty; the medicine must have still been inside of Muzan. Then, up there by Muzan's face, there was Yushiro with his hands digging into the screaming flesh.

"Yushiro! What are you doing there! You said you would treat the injured slayers!"

"That was a joke. I'm not leaving you alone to him, Tamayo-sama. He doesn't deserve any of your cells."

"Who are you!” Muzan yammered blindly. “I don’t recognize you! You're made from Tamayo's cells!"

"Leave him to me, Yushiro, I came here expecting to fight him myself."

Yushiro ignored Muzan's screams and dropped a vial of medicine out of his pocket to the floor in front of Tamayo. "I know. Treat yourself with this first."

She took it off the floor and stabbed her own thigh with it, expecting it to give her the strength to stand again and fight, but instead she felt prickly and weak all over. "Yushiro!" she took an angry tone.

"That was a better joke, wasn't it?"

"Where--did you--where did you get this?"

"I ran into Shinobu's Tsuguko on the way here, and I knew she had an extra. It was a fair exchange, I gave her papers to go find her master. You should take cover while the medicine takes effect, Tamayo-sama. Leave Muzan to me," he said, ignoring how his hands were already missing down to the elbows, "I'll make him feel and regret everything he’s put you through."

"Shihan!"

That was Kanao’s voice. Shinobu gasped as she was pulled from the water, and then the back of her skull thumped with against a wooden platform, breaking the butterfly hairpiece with a snap. She tried to cough but was soon to lose consciousness again. Kanao’s silhouette was blurry above her.

"I have to go help Inosuke, he's not going to last much longer alone. Please pull through!"

“AAH!!”

"Stay here. We'll see later... what demon you turn to..."

With his own Nichirin blade seared through the socket of his shoulder; now Muichiro’s one full arm was going to be stuck at partial mobility. He struggled and struggled to reach the handle, but he couldn't. That left him pulling the blade, leaving that one remaining hand cut wide open and bloody all through the palm. He screamed as he pulled himself free, then hit the floor with a smack.

He got over to Genya, who needed assistance pushing himself back together, whereas Sanemi was already long gone in ongoing battle. Muichiro had witnessed everything, though, and amidst their discussion of what to do to get themselves back into the fight, Muichiro couldn't help but smile. "You two reached an understanding, didn't you?"

"I guess, yeah. More or less."

"I get it. Brothers don’t always say what they mean until the last moment. Can you stand? We need to hurry and go help him."

In the changing courses of the Infinity Fortress, and already disoriented with how her head spun, Tamayo would have been crushed by a wall zooming by had a girl with pink hair not grabbed her wrist and pulled her out of the way. "That was close! Are you alright? WAH!!" her rescuer said and then fell backwards out of a window.

Tamayo tried to stand, but whether it was the rumbling or the medicine, she could not. She’d have tipped over sideways into an abyss, but she was caught in the enormous arms of the Rock Pillar.

"Himejima-san...” she said as she held her head and settled to her knees, “You should be fighting... leave me, you should be fighting!"

"And you shouldn't be here like this, it's dangerous. You've done enough."

"No, I have to--" she started to say, but he ran through the next open door.

"A mark... but being over the age of 25... I predict you'll die tonight..."

"You think I didn't come prepared for that?" Himejima replied to the demon as he gave his spiked ball a spin. With the mark, it spun with more ease than he had ever felt capable of before. It would be an honor to die on the same night as Oyakata-sama, if only he could bring Muzan's head as an offering.

Amidst the flashing and shattering and huge icy splashes all around her, Shinobu could barely stay conscious, but the sound that startled her eyes back awake was a THUD next to her. She turned her head, and there was Inosuke, covered in ice patches and the lashes of his eyelids all closed against each other like a delicate princess in slumber.

Inosuke was never one to look so peaceful.

"CAAAAW!! AGATSUMA ZENITSU!! HASHIBIRA INOSUKE!!! DEAD!!!!!"

Tanjiro’s eyes filled with tears before he was conscious that he even heard a crow caw. When the realization caught up to his mind not even a second later, he felt all the Breath knocked clear out of his stomach.

"aa.. aaaa--!!"

"Keep going!" Giyuu caught him by the arm and pulled him to keep running. "It's up to you to keep their sacrifices from being in vain."

The hot tears and snot flowed down the back of Tanjiro’s throat; even after all the grueling losses he had suffered, Tanjiro couldn't believe he would never see those two again. It didn't feel real. He wanted so bad to believe that they would come running to join him in this final battle.

"A-aaa-Anikiii!! Ahhh!!!"

Genya could hardly manage words, only screams came to his lips; there was so much he wanted to say. He couldn’t even cradle Sanemi's head without Himejima's help, for he was so shook that his trembling hands were going to make Sanemi fall apart. Sanemi was nearly in pieces from that blow he took from Kokushibo.

The demon was at last dead thanks to Muichiro's white blade having burned bright Red to take the head off once and for all, but now Muichiro was shaky and white from blood loss, but someone he was still standing. It was hard to see any of Sanemi's face, for all the gushing gore he was covered in. His eyes were unfocused on the ceiling, but his hands found Genya's, and he gave him the clear vials of oil in his pockets. "Take these to Muzan," he said, clasping his hands around his brother's with the last of his strength, "Fuck him up."

"Nii... Niichaaaan!!"

---

Genya was ready to let the world burn, had Himejima not ordered him to get a grip. His master was right, Genya wasn't going to be able to do anything to honor Sanemi if he didn't calm down. Maybe he could never be calm enough to use Breath, but he could use Repetitive Action to collect his focus.

It was right after that when Himejima warned him not to try eating Muzan, for Tamayo had used a medicine on him which might affect Genya too. Neither Genya nor Muichiro had ever heard of the Corp working with a demon besides Nezuko, but after all they had already been through, they were quick to accept the shock. When they found their way to the battle, Mitsuri was already down.

Iguro had told her she'd done enough, but what she knew he meant was, 'stay alive.' How could she live with herself if this was all she had done to help? Especially after all those swordsmen laid down their lives placing their hope in her!

'Saving the weak is the responsibility of those born strong…,' the voice of her former master rang with a deep timbre through her mind. 'Kanroji, you may even have the strength to one day surpass me as a swordsman!'

"Rengoku…san..."

‘…above all, you have a heart filled with great love!’

"Kanroji-sama, please let me treat your--"

"I have to go... I have to go protect every precious person left!"

She meant that, and it shot power back through her limbs. Her collar bone burned bright with a mark, and her speed and healing increased. It might take away from her life span, but for now, all that mattered was this last hour before daylight!

She joined the fight with Iguro and Tanjiro, whipping her blade and following Tanjiro's lead in flailing the swords of their fallen comrades. Being hit with a zapping attack that made her body all clench up with electricity until Muichiro swooped in to make it stop. She had dropped her sword somewhere, but she still had her blessedly strong muscles. She caught Muzan's arm and screamed at him as she ripped it off, but that left her defenseless as a claw ripped across her belly.

'Not my womb!' she cried out in her mind, but on her second thought as she went down, she chided herself for still clinging to old dreams.

"Iguro-san... Ah! It hurts! It hurts!!"

"I'm here. I'll hold you until the pain is gone."

"But you're... you're hurt too... I don't want you to die!"

What did his pain matter? The ache in his chest as he heard her suffer was worse than any of his open wounds. "I don’t think either of us has long. If you’ll allow me to run my mouth, do you remember the day we first met?”

She swallowed hard before answering. “I was lost in Oyakata-sama’s mansion, and you helped me…”

“No. It was the other way around. I was the one saved by the sight of you, a normal girl whose laugh rang pure like a bell at the lightest thing, who didn’t let anyone feel how hard she must had trained to become a Pillar."

"Iguro... san...!"

He let his exposed lips blather on, unrestrained. "Talking with you made me feel like a normal man, it made me happy. I’m sure your brightness and kindness has saved the hearts of many, but Kanroji, I promise you, if you'll have me... in our next lives, I will make you the happiest bride."

As she sobbed and accepted, he wondered if he deserved to say such a thing while still pouring with unclean blood all over her. But he'd be cleansed of that blood soon enough, and he felt cleaner for having told her how he felt.

"Please, treat the children. It's too late for me."

"Himejima-sama," cried the Kakushi and swordsmen next to him, but the Insect Pillar, with open wounds across her face and her hair a loose mess, coughed and gurgled.

"No!" she spat specks of blood, "I've--guh--I've stopped the bleeding, you're--guh--you're going to pull through!"

"I had the mark. It'll kill me shortly."

"Not if-g'huh--ghh-guh—not if I can help it!"

"Shinobu-san, stand aside. You're in no condition to focus on anyone but yourself."

She looked over, stunned at the sight of Tamayo in the sunlight. As she could not, Himejima was the one to speak. "Where's Yushiro?"

Tamayo's face twisted to a complicated grimace. "He made a bad joke. The foolish child..."

"Tomioka-san, please let us treat your wounds--"

"Where's Tanjiro?"

"Tomioka-san--"

They couldn't keep him from noticing the boy kneeling still, head drooped and uniform bloody all over. Giyuu’s tears welled up faster than the blood guzzling to his mouth. "Tanjiro..."

With the help of the Kakushi, Giyuu teetered and swayed over, then collapsed to his knees in front of him. There were two Kakushi at Tanjiro's sides, and behind him, Genya held up Muichiro. Giyuu’s vision was narrowing, he had to feel his way around for Tanjiro’s hand, still clenching the sword which had at last defeated Muzan. “I couldn’t protect you either… I’m sorry… at least… this time we’ll go together…”

Giyuu’s forehead fell against Tanjiro’s.

Morning came to a quiet lull. Everyone was sniffling, but not Genya. He was silent and dumbfounded, tears streamed down his face as he kept watching as though waiting for Tanjiro to get up and turn around and smile. He wasn’t sure how long he stared, with Muichiro getting heavier and heavier to hold upright, but all of a sudden, Muichiro flinched.

“Tanjiro!?”

Shinobu’s hands hit the ground so hard that it made her wrists hurt, and she coughed so forcefully that she thought she might had already taken her last Breath several minutes ago. What good was she doing still alive, if she was stuck against the ground with all her poison blood going everywhere without doing a lick of good? That should had been her shoulder stuffed into Tanjiro’s mouth, not Nezuko’s! After all that effort to save her, Nezuko was going to die over there like that. Muichiro and Himejima were at their limits, and for all Shinobu could tell, Mitsuri and Iguro and Giyuu were all dead.

She noticed Kanao’s boots scraping across the ground out of the corner of her eye. She looked up to find her Tsuguko, her sister, letting go of her stomach injury and reaching for her sword.

“He’s barely turned… there’s still time…”

“K—uhh!—Ngh!!”

“…if the strike hits perfectly!!”

-- -- __

[Continued in Part 2. Warning, it's long and not my best writing. I am stunned by its directions too.] Or... [Concluded in Part 3]

#what even #my fics #though I wish I would had committed to a long-form fic for more subtle development instead of the 17000 'I'll just do the key developments'#monstrousity this turned into #I try to blame Anon but I was a willing accomplice and had fun even if my efforts to finish it made the quality suffer #I really should not tag this as a fix-it Au

209 notes · View notes