Two siblings, separated by fate. (Original art by Abyranss)
Fate is a funny thing. Switch up only a couple pieces and the results can be worldchanging. The Kamado siblings' separation was just such an event, one that led Nezuko into a darker path and turned Tanjiro into a legend reborn. The ripples of their actions, for better or worse, will change the course of history itself.
—Official Summary
Branching Paths (archiveofourown.org)/Branching Paths (Fanfiction.net) is a Alternate Universe retelling of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.
The point of divergence is Tomioka Giyu seemingly killing Nezuko, only for her to be taken under the wing of Kibutsuji Muzan. His only family gone, Kamado Tanjirou has nothing left to live for, until he is approached by the spirit of Tsugikuni Yoriichi, who teaches him the art of Demon Slaying.
This work contains examples of:
- Adaptational Badass: Having learned the Breath of the Sun from Tsugikuni Yoriichi, the strongest Demon Slayer who ever lived, Tanjirou is alot more powerful than he was in canon.
- This applies to Chihime who was formerly Nezuko. In this version of the story, she was taught how to use the breathing techniques of the Demon Slayers by Kokushikubo, who used to be one of them
- Rui's Lower Moon rank is higher than it was in canon. Until he is defeated by Nezuko in a Blood Battle and reverts to being Lower Moon Five anyway.
- Adaptational Early Appearance: Played with. Shinazugawa Genya first appeared in the Final Selection in the manga, but didn't have a prominent role until the Swordsmith Village arc. Here, he is given spotlight earlier on, even accompanying Tanjirou and co. to Natagumo Mountain.
- Adaptation Expansion: The Lower Moons who get decimated by Muzan in the original story get to live to fight another day in this one. So far though, only Kamanue, Lower Moon Six, has been given his time at the spotlight.
- Adaptational Jerkass: Notably Tanjirou is a lot meaner in this story than he is in canon, though he is still a good person.
- Adaptational Late Appearance: Tamayo and Yushiro originally appeared immediately after Tanjiro’s first mission in Canon, but here he doesn’t meet them until after the events on Natagumo Mountain.
- Adaptational Villainy: While in the manga Nezuko will fight against demons, this version of her is a member of the Lower Moons.
- Against the Setting Sun: Invoked at the start of Chapter 17 as the Five Senses make their way towards Natagumo Mountain with the sun setting behind them.
- Bad with the Bone: Lower Moon One Rokuro’s ability is to manipulate his skeletal system and create weapons out of it.
- Cain and Abel: Tanjirou the Demon Slayer against Lower Moon Demon Chihime, formerly his younger sister.
- Canon Foreigner: Satoshi, a character original to the story that appears during the Final Selection Arc.
- Curbstomp Battle: Applicable to Tanjiro’s fight against the Hand Demon in this story. Whereas it was more of a close call in canon, here Tanjiro dominates the demon and cuts it down without a single breath technique, coming out of the fight completely uninjured.
- Near the end of the Natagumo Mountain Arc, Chihime challenges Rui to advance in the Lower Moons. She wins handily, in part due to her Blood Demon Art having a natural advantage over his.
- Death by Adaptation: Murata is killed by Rui in Natagumo Mountain as opposed to canon.
- Five-Man Band- The Five Demon Slayers who survived the Final Selection in Canon are made into an official team during their mission to Natagumo Mountain, acknowledged first by the author and later in the story as the Five Senses, referencing how each of them represents one of the five basic senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch through their unique characteristics.
- Tanjiro, The Hero of the story as well as the group’s officially appointed leader, representing the sense of smell due to his incredibly keen nose.
- Inosuke, who plays a strong contrast to the story’s quieter and more composed Tanjiro by being his usual loud and brash self, representing the sense of touch due to having inhumanely sensitive skin.
- Zenitsu, who is not particularly smart compared to the others but is still often the voice of common sense. He has amazingly good ears, making him the sense of hearing.
- Genya, physically the strongest of the team as well as easily towering in height over the others, represents the sense of taste due to his demon eating habit.
- Kanao, the only female in the group, and her arc about rediscovering her emotions also makes her The Heart of the group. Due to her heightened eyesight, she represents the sense of sight.
- Heroic BSoD: Tanjirou is emotionally overwhelmed when he not only learns Nezuko is alive, but also the new Lower Moon Five known as Chihime.
- Zenitsu and Inosuke also undergo this around the same time, the former after losing his fingers against Rui and the latter for a number of reasons, like unknowingly killing the humans mutated by the Elder Spider Demon and indirectly causing the death of Murata.
- Keep the Reward: More like promotion, but when Ubayashiki offers to promote Tanjirou to a Pillar after killing the Lower Moon Six, he rejects it on the grounds there are things about the Demon Slayer Corps that he can't agree with. Ubayashiki respects his wishes, but raises his rank regardless.
- Kick the Dog: Nezuko/Chihime’s first action upon making her presence known to the Five Senses in the Natagumo Mountain arc is to kill the downed Demon Slayers who had previously tried to raid the mountain before them right after Tanjiro had saved them from the Spider-Mother’s control.
- Not Quite Dead: Even though Giyu cut off Nezuko's head, she somehow maintained consciousness. Muzan is impressed by this and takes her in, eventually turning her into one of the Lower Moons.
- Rubber Man: Nobiru, one of Kamanue’s underlings who fights Zenitsu, has the ability to stretch his limbs like rubber.
- Secret-Keeper: Kanao is the only one of Tanjirou's fellow Demon Slayers who is aware that Nezuko is a Lower Moon.
- Ubayashiki is in on it as well.
- Ship Tease: Tanjirou and Kanao interact alot. Zenitsu thinks they might have a thing together.
- Notably, Kanao is able to snap Tanjirou out of his Heroic BSoD leading to him hugging her for comfort during a moment of vulnerability. Kanao starts experiencing feelings that she never even knew of afterwards.
- Spared by the Adaptation: Muzan does not kill off the Lower Moons.
- Spirit Advisor: Tanjirou is taught the Breath of the Sun by the spirit of Tsugikuni Yoriichi.
- You Killed My Sister: Giyu killed Nezuko in the beginning of the story. When Tanjirou meets him again, there is tension between the two.
- Super-Toughness: Kamanue and his ability to turn his skin into metal and reshape it.
