Tanjiro raced down the mountain with Nezuko on his back, not daring to pause even for a moment—he feared that any delay might cost her life forever.

  “As long as Nezuko still has warmth, I won’t give up on you.”

  “Nezuko, hang on—I promise I’ll save you!”

  “But what happened on that night when I wasn’t home?”

  Tanjiro was tormented by regret over not being there the previous night. Had he been at home, he might have been able to help fend off that unknown creature and save their family.

  “While I was fast asleep, what depths of despair did you all endure…”

  Ahead lay the narrow mountain path leading down—a treacherous trail with no guardrails and sheer vertical drops of ten meters on one side. Normally, Tanjiro carefully treaded this path, fearing a misstep would send him tumbling off the cliff. Now, the snow was even more slippery, and the howling blizzard blurred his vision, demanding extra caution.

  But Tanjiro couldn’t slow down—Nezuko was counting on him to find a doctor.

  After hours of relentless running, Tanjiro was utterly exhausted. His heart pounded and his breathing came in harsh, ragged gasps as icy air invaded his lungs, sending sharp pains through his chest like countless needles.

  “No matter how much my body hurts or how treacherous the path is, I must run even faster. The town is still a good distance away—I have to make every second count!”

  “Nezuko, I won’t let you die. I promise, I will save you—no matter what!”

  Focused solely on battling his pain, Tanjiro didn’t notice that Nezuko’s limp hand had suddenly twitched. The nails he’d carefully trimmed to smooth, rounded perfection were slowly growing longer, their tips sharpening ominously. Unaware, Tanjiro continued his strenuous run until, within mere seconds, Nezuko’s movements grew more pronounced.

  Suddenly, Tanjiro sensed something amiss behind him. Glancing back, he saw that the once-slumped Nezuko was now unsteadily straightening her body.

  “Nezuko!” he cried out, a flicker of hope crossing his face. But before he could stop, Nezuko let out a guttural, hoarse sound. Then, straining every ounce of her strength, she pried her mouth wide open to reveal two vicious, pointed fangs—and lunged at Tanjiro with a ferocious bite.

  Tanjiro’s heart skipped a beat; the sight of Nezuko like this reminded him of the very demons spoken of in legend. Panicking, he scrambled to evade her attack. In his haste, however, his foot slipped on the icy path. Losing his balance, he tumbled off the mountainside along with Nezuko.

  “Thud.”

  They both hit the snow with a dull, heavy sound. Moments later, Tanjiro, dazed and disoriented, managed to stand. The heavy snowfall had cushioned his fall, sparing him grievous injury, yet his entire body ached, and his head swam as if every bone were broken.

  Barely gathering his senses, Tanjiro looked up—and saw Nezuko standing before him. But before he could react, Nezuko pounced. Unlike before when she’d clung for comfort, she tackled Tanjiro to the ground, her mouth agape to reveal sharp fangs as she tried to bite him.

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  It was as if Nezuko had lost all rationality.

  In desperation, Tanjiro drew the axe he always carried and held it crosswise in front of him. Nezuko, however, clung tightly to the wooden handle, biting down hard.

  “Nezuko, it’s me—Tanjiro! What’s gotten into you?” Tanjiro pleaded.

  Nezuko said nothing, only emitting a low, guttural growl. At the same time, her body seemed to swell in size, and the force emanating from her grew steadily, overwhelming Tanjiro. In that horrifying moment, deep down Tanjiro realized what he dreaded: Nezuko had become a demon.

  “Nezuko, I’m your brother. You must remember me,” he urged.

  “Brother believes in you—don’t become a demon. Please, fight it!”

  And with that desperate plea hanging in the frigid air, Tanjiro’s heart ached at the thought that his beloved sister was slipping away into darkness.

  After a tense stalemate, two droplets of water fell onto Tanjiro’s cheek—it was Nezuko’s tears. Somehow, Nezuko’s eyes were filled with sorrow, and her tears streamed down, landing on Tanjiro’s face.

  At last, Nezuko regained some of her sanity—but just then, Tanjiro caught a glint of cold light. Its target: Nezuko’s neck. Tanjiro loosened his grip on the axe, and with a surge of unknown strength, he pulled Nezuko’s body close, tightly closing his eyes as he bowed his head and clutched her in his arms.

  What was meant to be an attack aimed at Nezuko turned instead toward Tanjiro. In that instant, a flash of cold steel lashed upward, slicing off several strands of Tanjiro’s hair. By now, Nezuko had regained some composure and ceased her assault; she merely struggled weakly in his embrace. As Tanjiro slowly opened his eyes and looked up, he saw someone standing before him.

  A pair of narrow, piercing eyes, cold and merciless, stared down at him from behind a haori—a garment whose colors alternated between half red and half yellow-green-orange. This was Tanjiro’s first impression of Giyu Tomioka. Soon after, Tanjiro noticed the sword in Giyu’s hand. “Holding a blade? This man must be extremely dangerous.”

  “Why do you protect demons? Aren’t you afraid of them?” Tanjiro demanded, still clutching a struggling Nezuko.

  “I’m not afraid. What is it you want to do? You’re not allowed to harm my sister!” he shouted.

  Giyu fell silent for a moment before softly replying, “Is that really your sister?” He could clearly see Tanjiro’s body trembling uncontrollably with fear.

  With a barely perceptible sigh, Giyu slowly raised his Nichirin Blade. In a flash, he charged toward Nezuko. Tanjiro, desperate to shield her, clutched her tighter and tried to move downward—but he suddenly felt an emptiness in his arms. When he looked up again, he saw that Nezuko had already been restrained by Giyu, whose single hand had locked her wrist. Despite Nezuko’s frantic struggles, Giyu’s grip remained unyielding.

  Giyu’s expression was calm and resolute: “My duty is to kill demons. Your sister is a demon, so I must kill her.”

  In a panic, Tanjiro leaped to his feet and pleaded, “No! Even though Nezuko has become a demon, she has never harmed a human!”

  “My home carries another scent—one of violence and chaos…” Giyu continued, “It’s clear that someone killed everyone and turned Nezuko into this. That person is the one who should be slain. Nezuko is innocent.”

  Giyu slowly raised his Nichirin Blade once more. “But she is a demon.”

  Tanjiro’s tears flowed endlessly as he trembled with fear at the thought of this man—of Giyu—killing Nezuko. He couldn’t bear to lose her.

  “No, I will save her! I will find a way to turn Nezuko back into a human!” Tanjiro cried out.

  “Turn her back to human form? I’m sorry, but once a demon, always a demon,” Giyu replied, shaking his head as his blade edged ever closer to Nezuko’s neck.

  “No… I cannot let you kill her!” Tanjiro shouted, his voice filled with desperate determination.

  “Go on—find a way, even if you have to search forever. I promise, I will find a way to restore Nezuko to human form!”

  Giyu remained silent. His eyes were fixed, his resolve to slay demons unwavering, as the edge of his Nichirin Blade neared Nezuko’s fragile neck……