Disclaimer: I do not own Kimetsu no Yaiba. All characters (except my OCs) belong to the mangaka, Koyoharu Gotouge. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Summary:

After the Battle against Muzan, Tomioka Giyuu has come of age to enter an arranged marriage. Urokodaki-sensei gives him his blessing, and Tanjirou and his friends are happy for him. But where is Giyuu's hesitation coming from? And will he be able to win over whoever becomes his wife? Join him as he sets foot in his new journey!

Rating: K+ to T

THE TALES OF TOMIOKA GIYUU

CHAPTER 1:

This was the last thing Tomioka Giyuu ever wanted. It was the everyday bickering and pestering of the people around him (not to mention, his own friends, if he could call them that) that finally made him consider it. Peer pressure. Societal pressure. He solely dedicated himself to his line of work as a Demon Slayer but now that it had come to an end, he wondered how well he would do in a relationship.

"You're of age, my boy," said Urokodaki-sensei to him, his protege, "It's about time you settle down with a wife."

Giyuu nearly spit his tea out when his own teacher had told him this over a week ago. Him? Married? To whom? He could not wrap his head around it.

Even Tanjirou Kamado had been questioning him about wanting a wife that last time he saw him. "Neh, Giyuu-san, isn't 23 a good age to get married?" The younger boy looked up to see the expression on his face. Tanjirou always wished him happiness, maybe a bit more often than the rest, but Giyuu was not sure if this was the kind of happiness he really wanted.

The Water Hashira knew this was inevitable. And yet, he did not really protest when Urokodaki-sensei sent word to a local matchmaker to consider Giyuu as a good match for a girl in the nearby villages. Sensei was pretty much his legal guardian, and thus could give his blessing should Giyuu ever consider to be wed. His parents had died a long time ago, and he ran away from his relatives when he was sent to live with them after his older sister passed away. The assumption of his mentor was that Giyuu had long moved on from the trauma of his past. It was time for him to finally settle down.

"Noda-san-" Urokodaki read what he had written so far. "I ask for your wisdom in finding a match for Tomioka Giyuu. Please help him choose a girl suited to be his future wife."

Giyuu merely turned red when he heard the word "wife" while Urokodaki finished the rest of what he was writing; his mentor just shrugged it off as a sign of nervousness and continued to mail out the letter. It was not as if Giyuu already had eyes for someone. Even the late Kagaya Ubayashiki, bless his soul, had his wife chosen for him. They had a happy marriage, didn't they? And their union had been fruitful too. Not to mention Kagaya-sama's son, Kiriya, had succeeded his father as the next leader of the Demon Slayer Corps, thus ending the Muzan Kibutsuji's rule over demons. But Giyuu had his own doubts: who would really want him?

"Ehhhh, an omiai?! For real?!" the yellow-haired friend of Tanjirou, Zenitsu, and the boar-headed boy, Inosuke, or whatever his name was, shouted in unison. They had invited Giyuu over to the home of the Kamado family for the afternoon, with Tanjirou and Nezuko having inherited the house once they got back from the war. In addition to that, Giyuu was due for his haircut; the Kamado residence was way closer than Sensei's hut. "But that's the end of your freedom, Tomioka-san!"

"Uhh, what's an… omiai?" Inosuke scratched his head, or rather the mask he wore on his head. Having been raised in the woods by a boar, the young lad had no clue of societal traditions and customs, let alone understand the rules of an omiai.

Tanjirou replied cautiously as he draped a white cloth around the older boy and took out a pair of shears, "An omiai… is an arranged marriage… by a matchmaker… between a man and a woman… who barely know each other..." As soon as he said the last part of his sentence, eyes widened at the very concept of an omiai.

"That's preposterous, Tomioka-san!" Zenitsu interjected. "You can still back out while you have time!"

"Don't say such things like that!" Tanjirou blurted out, snipping a huge chunk of hair from Tomioka's ponytail. He wanted to protect Giyuu-san's dignity at all cost, whatever remained of it. "Besides, it's a good thing indeed. Marriage is only the start of something new, neh, Giyuu-san?" Nezuko sat down beside him, nodding in agreement. Snip-snip. The red-haired boy continued trimming the ends of the Water Hashira's hair.

"Souda ne." Giyuu was tired of all the arguments. He sort of wished he was still a Demon Slayer getting sent to missions to annihilate onii who wandered in search of human prey. He wished he could still fight and save people. He felt brave and valiant unsheathing his sword and making use of all his Breath of Water techniques, particularly the 11th form which he himself had perfected. But that was all in the past.

He had already hung up his katana, unable to linger on the battlefields wherever he was assigned, not only because there were no more demons to fight, but also because he could no longer be useful, having lost a limb during the battle with Muzan. It was an honorable reason to retire as Hashira, the same way Tengen Uzui had done. Maybe he should have asked Tengen for advice on this entire marriage idea. But then again, the older ex-Hashira was already on his third wife. He's probably used to being wanted and adored. What does he remember about being nervous in the search for a wife? Maybe it's all about luck?

"Giyuu-san? Neh, Giyuu-san?"

He didn't realize he had been spacing out when Tanjirou was poking him tenderly on his left arm. The haircut session was already done. "Ah, sumimasen, Tanjirou."

"We were talking about what kind of wife you think you'll end up with," Tanjirou replied with a cheerful tone, handing Giyuu a mirror for him to check out the boy's work. The red-haired boy didn't hear the sigh of surrender from behind him; he was already too busy chomping down on some mitarashi dango which his sister had made for them.

Nezuko suggested a few, shrinking herself into her usual chibi form and building up a cloud above their heads so they could all imagine her descriptions. "Etou… maybe a wife with a slender figure who likes a lot of sweets, loves to cook, sings beautiful songs, and does not argue with Tomioka-niichan? Or maybe a girl who likes to wear cute kimonos, likes to style her hair up everyday, and giggles at the sight of him while blushing deeply?"

"Ahhhh, Nezuko-chan, sore wa kawaii desu ne," mused Zenitsu, whose eyes turned into hearts at the figment of imagination.

"No good, that's a boring wife," said Inosuke, fanning away the image that they have conjured in their minds. He did not see Tomioka nod in silence behind him. "How about a wild woman with huge muscles who loves to hunt in the forest and makes clothes out of animal hide? She could throw boulders and swing on vines! WAHAHAHA now that would be amazi-OUCH!" He did not even finish his sentence when Zenitsu slapped him hard. Tomioka could imagine himself being thrown around by this woman, whomever she may be. He shook the sight out of his mind.

"A wife, boar-head!" Zenitsu yelled at Inosuke. "What makes you think Tomioka-san is interested in a man-hunter?!"

"Urusai! It was just a suggestion, bakayarou!"

"What did you call me? Omae wa-"

"Stop that, both of you!" Tanjirou mediated between his two friends. "We're here to help Giyuu-san have an idea of what he wants, not scare him!" He looked at Tomioka who was just sipping his tea quietly. "Anou, Giyuu-san, maybe someone who's headstrong and smart and can be your partner in your everyday life? Maybe someone who can defend you when you need it, as much as you can protect her in the most important times?"

Giyuu pondered about what Tanjirou said. He did not exactly give a visual description, but he could already picture someone very clearly. "Dame da." He shook his head. "That's Shinobu-"

He caught himself too late when his friends all stared at him in silence. It seemed like an eternity of dead air before someone attempted to break the eeriness.

"Giyuu-niichan… we didn't know…" Nezuko could not even finish her sentence. She was at a loss for words.

Tanjirou was about to say something when the Water Hashira held up his hand to stop him. Giyuu stood up and was already on his way to the door. "Sumimasen, I should probably head out now. Thank you for the time today." He carefully slipped into his zori sandals and bid them goodbye before shutting the door close behind him.

"Something we said?" whispered Inosuke.

"More like something he said." replied Zenitsu.

Giyuu trudged down the mountain deep in his thoughts. He didn't want to dwell too much about it but the truth was looming above him: he was still grieving over the loss of Shinobu Koucho. She had been paired up with him in many missions, and despite her constant teasing that he had no friends, that he was always alone in everything he did, Giyuu could not feel any lonelier than ever when the kasugai crow announced that Shinobu had perished in her fight against the Upper Moon Douma. He always berated himself for failing to protect other people, let alone the people he cared for. His older sister Tsutako. His best friend Sabito. Shinobu. Tanjirou, too, had Nezuko fail to return to her human form and convince her brother to fight back against Muzan.

He arrived home safely and saw a rolled piece of parchment upon his doorstep. It was a letter from Urokodaki Sakonji, his mentor and the previous Water Hashira before him. His old kasugai crow probably dropped it outside when it realized he wasn't home. He opened it and read its contents as he prepared for bed. It read:

"Tomioka Giyuu-

I hope this letter finds you well. You were always one to write to me whenever you needed advice on a very important decision and I have always rejoiced over the fact that I could still provide some sort of guidance for you. I know you have many hesitations on your next journey in life and for this I cannot blame you. You have faced many battles on your own and have suffered many losses. You have pretended not to grieve over those, but I can tell that there are still deep scars in your heart. Know that I only have your best interests at heart, and so I must tell you, Giyuu: you will need someone to rely on, maybe forever. But this is not a criticism of your humanity, my child, rather a celebration that you are free to enjoy the rest of your life without worry of slaying demons or distrusting people or hiding in the dark. I hope and pray that you find a person well-suited for you.

Noda-san, the matchmaker, will be sending you instructions on what to do regarding the omiai by tomorrow. I hope you enjoy this mission, as life will always give you something to live and fight for. You can always reach out to me, should you feel like it, and I will always reach back out to you as a guiding light.

With all due respect,

Urokodaki Sakonji."

Giyuu had the slightest hint of a smile on his face as he finished the letter. It was probably because he knew someone understood him and still motivated him to take on the next step, albeit heavy and uncertain. He was no longer a Hashira in his mind, but he still had the fighting flame to pursue whatever challenge lay ahead. He decided he would thank Urokodaki-sensei and reply maybe a few days later, when he has a story to tell, not just his grievances and hesitations as his kind mentor had already known, but a laugh or two when he meets a candidate for his wife. Maybe there is a girl out there that he can get along with, maybe not. Or perhaps it might take some time before they can learn more about each other. He tucked the letter in the hidden pocket of his half-and-half haori, and went to sleep, unaware of what lay ahead, but fearless to face it, regardless of whatever it may be.

Somewhere, a girl is training herself how to hold a sword. It was her father's old sword; he had many others which he proudly displayed on the wall, but this one was special, in a way that its existence had been forgotten by its original owner. The blade had chipped from years of wear and tear, and had the girl not overheard his father asking one of their house maids to dispose of it, she would never have owned a sword. She had to beg for the maid to give it to her and promise to keep silent about it. 'Otousan would never let me hold one. He thinks I'm too weak.' Her frail-looking arms do not do any good in trying to cut up a tree in half. But if she musters up enough strength, perhaps.

She remembered the matchmaker's conversation with her father after she sent away the nth candidate. "If she doesn't choose anyone… she'll grow up to be an old, unmarried woman." If only her family didn't pressure her to get married, if only they let her take her time, maybe she would travel around, see the world to visit new places, learn new things, and perhaps meet someone she would really care for.

At this point, somebody might realize she's up late at night wandering outside the estate, but no matter: she's almost done. She's sweating profusely, taking in deep, heavy breaths, but she refuses to give up. She falls after trying to break a small branch from a tree and immediately stands up, gripping her sword tighter for the next swing that will give her the strength to finally say, I finally did it.

END OF CHAPTER

Author's Notes: Thank you for reading the 1st part of my story! Reviews are greatly appreciated. I realized I added maybe a little bit too much Japanese phrases in the story. The following are some of the translations (and some remarks, too!):

* mitarashi dango - a Japanese dessert made of sweet and sticky glutinous flour

* souda ne? - isn't that so?

* honto ni? - really?

* dame da - (that's) no good

* sore wa kawaii desu ne - that is cute, isn't it

* nani wa omiai desu ka? - what is an omiai?

* on omiai - marriage introductions are usually done in the age range of 22 to 30 for men (18-25 for women), which makes Giyuu fully-qualified as he was probably within that age bracket when KnY was finished. I read a ton of papers about the Japanese culture saying that it was normal for men and women to enter an arranged marriage during this period

* Nezuko calling him Giyuu-niichan is my headcanon! It would be so cute if she regarded him as an older brother too, tee-hee

* I adore the Giyuu x Shinobu pairing but I also want Giyuu to move on and be happy /imitates Tanjirou's twinkling eyes/

* Teaser: I wonder who's that girl in the last part? Stay tuned for the next chapters!