After a night of wind and rain, the house looked even more worn and battered.
Inside, the atmosphere was filled with fear and helplessness.
"Sister… Brother… he'll be okay, right?"
Hanako clutched at Nezuko's clothes, her voice trembling, on the verge of tears.
"That demon... he wouldn't actually..." Takeo's face was deathly pale, his voice trembling uncontrollably.
Nezuko, too, was terrified, but she clenched her fists, trying to project courage for her younger siblings. "That demon… it won't harm big brother. I know it won't."
"Takeo, Hanako, Shigeru, you all have to believe that big brother will be safe," she urged.
Kie Kamado, holding little Shigeru, nodded at the same time.
"It'll be fine… it will…"
Yet, thinking about the terror of that demon appearing in the dead of night made it impossible to feel truly reassured.
All eyes turned instinctively toward the elder, Saburo, the one who seemed to understand demons best.
"Grandpa Saburo… you think big brother will really be safe?"
Nezuko looked at him with pleading eyes.
As a Kakushi, a man who knew demons intimately—and one whose own family had been destroyed by them—Saburo understood all too well the brutal reality. He knew exactly what awaited those taken by demons, and how unlikely it was that anyone could return.
Yet, looking into Nezuko's desperate gaze, how could he bear to reveal that cruel truth?
He turned his head away and spoke in a low voice:
"I've already reported the situation here. More Demon Slayers will arrive soon. You don't need to worry. Once they get here, they'll rescue Tanjiro from the demon."
"Can they really… bring him back?"
Nezuko's voice trembled as she looked at Saburo.
Saburo remained silent. The fate of someone taken by a demon was almost always certain: becoming its prey, never to return.
Seeing his silence, Nezuko staggered slightly. The thought of her beloved brother being eaten by a demon made tears spill from her eyes.
"Sis…"
Hanako gripped Nezuko's sleeve. "Sister… why are you crying? Is… is big brother…"
Her voice was thick with tears.
Nezuko wiped at the corners of her eyes. She didn't dare crouch down to comfort Hanako—she feared that if she did, her own tears would flood uncontrollably. Instead, she patted her sister's head and gently said, tilting her face up: "No, I'm not crying. The wind just blew some sand into my eyes."
Tap… tap…
Footsteps sounded from outside.
Soon, a man stepped into the house.
He wore the dark uniform of the Demon Slayer Corps. His eyes were a deep sea-blue, his lashes long and thick. His black hair was tied back in a low ponytail, and his expression was completely unreadable.
The moment he saw the family's grief and despair, he understood.
Saburo's eyes lit up when he saw the uniform. He hurried forward.
"Sir, you've finally come! Last night, a demon attacked this place—you have no idea how vicious it was! It barged straight into the house and took Tanjiro away…"
The man listened in silence.
But his hand tightened unconsciously around the hilt of his Nichirin Sword.
He had only recently passed the Final Selection on Mount Fujikasane. He was supposed to regroup with his team—but midway, he received word of a demon attack and rushed here immediately.
Still…
He was too late.
By the time he arrived, it was already daytime.
And the victim had already been taken.
He knew all too well what that meant.
He knew exactly how cruel and bloodthirsty those monsters were.
After explaining everything, Saburo turned back to the others, his face brightening slightly. "This is one of the legendary demon slayers—the ones who protect people. The ones who came yesterday were the same."
"May I ask your name, sir?" Saburo looked at the man.
"…Giyu Tomioka." The man answered simply.
"With Lord Giyu Tomioka here, everyone will be safe. There's no need to fear that demon anymore."
Saburo spoke with visible relief. Demons were terrifying—but demon slayers were just as powerful.
"Please… you have to save my brother. I'm begging you, sir."
Nezuko bowed deeply, her voice trembling with desperation.
Giyu Tomioka intended to say something to comfort them, but when the words reached his lips, they came out as: "If he was taken by a demon overnight… then he's already been eaten. There's no saving him."
The last sliver of hope in Nezuko's heart shattered instantly.
Her body gave out, and she collapsed to the ground.
The others were thrown into despair, their cries filling the house.
"No… Brother wouldn't… That demon… maybe it didn't… maybe it didn't eat him…"
"There's no such thing as a demon that doesn't eat humans. Don't cling to false hope."
Giyu's expression remained unchanged. He had meant to comfort them—but his words were, once again, merciless.
As the family sank into grief, he could only stand there in silence, his hand tightening around the hilt of his blade.
"You're lying… you have to be lying… Brother will be fine! That demon… maybe it's different… maybe it is!"
Nezuko's voice rose, desperate, almost pleading.
"I've never seen a demon that spares humans." Giyu's reply was as cold as ever.
Unable to bear the thought of losing both her husband and her son, Kie Kamado fainted on the spot.
The children broke down in tears.
Nezuko herself was barely able to stand, her limbs weak from grief—but she forced herself up, rushing to support her unconscious mother.
Just as she steadied herself, her vision blurred.
Through the haze, she thought she saw a familiar figure approaching from afar.
She wiped her eyes and looked again.
The figure became clearer.
Disheveled. Soaked to the bone. Pale.
And yet—
There was no mistaking him.
Her beloved big brother..
"Big Brother!"
She ran forward as fast as she could—only to forget that her legs had no strength left.
She stumbled and fell.
Tanjiro, who had just returned, hurried forward and caught her, helping her up.
"Big Brother... you're okay… thank goodness… Everyone… everyone was so worried about you…"
As she spoke, Nezuko's voice choked up. Tears streamed down uncontrollably. She even pinched herself hard, just to make sure this wasn't a dream—before finally breaking down into loud sobs.
"Big Brother! Big Brother is back!"
Hanako, Takeo, and Shigeru ran over as well, surrounding Tanjiro with cries of joy.
After walking all night—after falling who knew how many times—Tanjiro looked at his siblings and smiled gently.
"I'm back. I'm back, and I'm okay."
Saburo hurried over as well, staring at Tanjiro in utter disbelief.
"The demon… didn't eat you?" Giyu Tomioka stepped forward and spoke, his face still a mask of indifference.
""I told you, that demon was different!" Nezuko shot back immediately, clearly upset.
"My brother is perfectly fine! He wasn't eaten! Don't say such awful things!"
Giyu glanced at her but said nothing.
Instead, he carefully observed Tanjiro from head to toe.
If not for the fact that the boy was standing under the sunlight, he might have suspected that Tanjiro had turned into a demon himself—and was spared because of it.
After all…
How could a cruel, bloodthirsty demon possibly let its prey go?
And yet, the truth stood right in front of him.
Undeniable.