Heavy winter rain poured down relentlessly.
It hammered against the roof with a constant pitter-patter, while the cold mist carried by the wind made the already harsh winter feel even more biting.
The small house trembled beneath the storm, swaying as if it might collapse at any moment.
For the Kamado family, living inside such a fragile home, this winter felt especially unbearable.
With their father gone, the family had lost the pillar that once held everything together.
And with so many young children, the household felt as though it might fall apart at any second.
Life would be difficult from now on.
Tanjiro knew that.
He himself was still young.
But he believed that as long as everyone worked hard together, their lives would slowly improve.
His mother.
His sisters.
His little brothers.
They would all move forward in the same direction.
He would shoulder the responsibilities his father once carried.
As the eldest son, he would hold this family up.
Make it strong.
Make it stable.
He would never allow it to collapse.
"I won't disappoint you."
Tanjiro raised his head and looked at his father, who lay inside the coffin.
He spoke softly, almost like a promise.
"Ah… Tanjiro," Saburo sighed, burning a small bundle of funeral paper for Kamado Tanjuro. Then he walked over and gently patted the boy on the shoulder.
"From now on, this family will depend on you."
"Mm."
Tanjiro nodded firmly.
He glanced at his mother beside him.
Then at his younger sister Nezuko, whose eyes were red from crying.
Further inside the house, the younger children had already fallen asleep near the doorway of their room, exhausted from the long day.
"Grandpa Saburo… I'll work hard to support this family."
Tanjiro clenched his fists tightly.
"What a good child."
Saburo rubbed the boy's head with a faint smile.
"We also have to thank you for helping us today," Tanjiro said gratefully. "If you hadn't been here, there were so many things we wouldn't have known how to handle."
"That's nothing," Saburo waved his hand. "Our families are relatives after all."
"Still, I really appreciate it."
"Ahh… Tanjiro," Saburo sighed again. "You're too polite. Too mature for your age. You don't need to keep thanking me."
"Okay."
Tanjiro nodded again.
Then he looked back toward his father lying quietly in the coffin.
For a long moment, he stared in silence before asking softly,
"Grandpa Saburo… where do you think people go after they die?"
"Who knows?" Saburo shrugged. "I've heard that in Western countries, when people die, they go to a place called Heaven and become angels. And in the mysterious eastern lands across the sea, people believe the dead can become immortals or gods. As for us here…"
Tanjiro hesitated before asking another question. "Grandpa Saburo… do you think someone might become a demon after they die?"
"Ha. No," Saburo shook his head.
"People don't become demons after they die."
Tanjiro looked up again, curiosity filling his eyes.
"Then… do demons really exist?"
"Demons…"
Saburo's expression suddenly stiffened, as though a terrible memory had surfaced.
A hint of fear crept into his voice.
"Demons… yes. They do exist."
Tanjiro's heart tightened slightly.
"What… are they like?"
"They're horrifying monsters," Saburo said quietly.
"Creatures that feed on humans. They come out at night… hunting people."
As he spoke, his fists unconsciously clenched.
Tanjiro glanced at him before lowering his head again.
"Then… if we stay inside our house at night… we'll be safe, right?"
"No."
Saburo slowly shook his head.
"A demon will break down the door… burst into the house…"
"And devour everyone inside."
A gust of wind suddenly blew through the room.
The flame of the oil lamp flickered violently.
Tanjiro instinctively glanced toward the door, his nerves tightening.
"But you don't need to worry," Saburo continued, patting Tanjiro on the shoulder with a reassuring smile. "Whenever demons come out at night to prey on people, demon hunters descend to protect humanity."
"They're incredibly strong," he added. "No matter how terrifying the demons are, the hunters will cut off their heads…"
Bang!
Before Saburo could finish his sentence—
The door was violently smashed open.
A figure burst into the room.
It was a demon.
Its entire body was drenched in blood, and beneath the swaying firelight, a pair of crimson eyes glowed with chilling coldness.
"A DEMON!"
Saburo looked as though he had just seen the most horrifying thing in the world. He scrambled backward and dove beneath a nearby table, his entire body trembling uncontrollably.
Kamado Kie may have been terrified, but she still forced herself to step forward.
With shaking arms, she spread them wide and shielded Nezuko behind her.
Tanjiro instinctively backed toward the corner where the family axe was kept.
His trembling hand grabbed the handle.
He recognized the man.
This was the same person his father had spoken with the previous night.
But back then… he hadn't looked like this.
He hadn't been so terrifying.
There hadn't been such a violent, murderous aura about him—as if he had just slaughtered countless people moments ago.
Now he looked like a blood-soaked demon from hell.
Is he… really a demon?
Even though fear gripped his heart, Tanjiro still forced himself to stand.
His legs shook, but he stepped forward, gripping the axe tightly and positioning himself in front of his mother.
The demon—Soma—rushed into the house without hesitation.
He ran straight toward Tanjiro.
Tanjiro assumed the demon had come for his family.
His fear was overwhelming, but he clenched his teeth and tightened his grip on the axe.
"I won't let you hurt my family!"
"Never!"
He shouted the words as if to encourage himself—like saying them out loud might chase away his fear.
Behind him, Kie trembled violently.
But as a mother, she gathered every ounce of courage she had.
Suddenly, she lunged forward and wrapped her arms around the demon's leg.
"Tanjiro! Nezuko! Take your brothers and sisters and run!"
Tanjiro's heart was pounding with fear.
Every instinct in his body screamed for him to run.
But how could he abandon his beloved mother?
Seeing her risking her life to hold back the demon, Tanjiro roared and charged forward.
He leapt into the air.
The axe came crashing down toward the demon's skull.
The demon didn't dodge.
The blade struck.
It buried itself deep into the demon's head, splitting flesh across his face as blood poured down like rain.
"Did… did it work?"
Tanjiro stood in front of the demon, panting heavily.
"Tanjiro! The demon isn't dead! They don't die like that!" Saburo's terrified voice came from beneath the table. At some point, he had crawled out again, his face pale with despair.
"Axes can't kill demons!"
"Run… run now!"
"We're all going to die… we're all going to die!"
"Take your brothers and sisters and run! Run as many of you as you can!"
"But… but I already—"
Tanjiro couldn't believe it.
He had clearly struck the demon's skull.
The axe had nearly split it open.
"Ah!" A terrified cry came from Nezuko.
Tanjiro whipped his head toward her.
She was pointing behind him, her face filled with terror.
Slowly, Tanjiro lifted his head.
Behind him, the blood-covered demon had raised a hand.
Calmly.
Slowly.
He gripped the axe embedded in his skull and began pulling it out.
The blade slid free from flesh and bone.
Thick crimson blood ran down the handle, several drops splattering onto Tanjiro's face.
Tanjiro's face turned pale.
His entire body began trembling uncontrollably.
The axe had been buried in the demon's skull—
How could it possibly still be alive?