The boy struggled to move his lips, forcing out broken words.
"Finally… got… out…"
"Ah… I clearly… got out… clearly… made it… outside… but… I'm… still… going to die…"
With that final word, his eyes remained open—
And he was gone.
Tanjiro's face filled with grief.
Aoyama slowly reached up and gently closed the boy's eyes.
Then he lifted his head to look at Tanjiro.
"Are you ready? Let's go meet these demons."
The casual laziness in his gaze was gone. What remained was cold steel.
Tanjiro nodded heavily.
Zenitsu stood frozen.
"Senior Aoyama… Tanjiro… is that boy… their brother?"
The drumbeats suddenly rang out again.
The air grew suffocating.
The two children huddled together on the ground. Zenitsu's entire body went rigid; his teeth clattered uncontrollably.
"Hey… kids… is he your brother?"
His voice grew smaller and smaller. If it really was…
The blow would be too cruel.
"N-No! He's not!"
"Brother was wearing yellow clothes!"
The children didn't even dare lift their heads.
Aoyama gently laid the dead boy down.
"Tanjiro. Zenitsu. It's our turn."
His hand rested on the hilt of his blade.
Zenitsu could only shake his head violently, unable to form words.
Tanjiro said nothing. He placed Nezuko's box in front of the children and asked them to watch over it.
Then he rushed inside.
Halfway there—
Aoyama turned back.
Grabbing Zenitsu by the collar—
He flung him straight through the open doorway Tanjiro had entered.
Thud—
Zenitsu skidded along the corridor floor, stopping right in front of Tanjiro.
Seeing him inside, Tanjiro's lips tightened slightly.
He had been angry earlier—after witnessing such a brutal death, Zenitsu had still refused to enter and fight.
"Tanjiro! Hey—Tanjiro! You'll protect me, right?! You will, right?!"
Zenitsu was on the verge of suffocation from fear. He hadn't expected Aoyama to actually throw him in.
Tanjiro sighed.
"Zenitsu… I'm sorry, but my ribs and leg were injured in previous battles. They haven't fully healed yet, so…"
So I can't protect you.
Zenitsu mentally finished the sentence himself.
His soul left his body.
"Eh?! Why why why?! How could you be injured?! If you're injured, what do I do?!"
"How can injured Tanjiro protect me?!"
He collapsed to his knees, clawing at his hair.
"I'm going to die! I'm definitely going to die this time! Ahhh!!!"
Aoyama rubbed his aching ears and nudged him with his foot.
"If you keep screaming like that, you'll attract the demon. What do you think will happen then?"
Zenitsu instantly clamped both hands over his mouth, not daring to breathe loudly.
"S-Senior Aoyama… you're not injured… right?"
Translation:
Please protect me.
Just then—
The two children ran inside, hand in hand.
"B-Big brother! The wooden box is making creaking sounds… we're scared!"
Tanjiro froze.
"You came in… just because of that?"
He looked almost hurt.
"That's something more important than my life…"
A hand landed on his shoulder.
Tanjiro turned—
And met Aoyama's icy gaze.
"Senior Brother! I… Nezuko outside can protect the children. It's safer for her…"
He truly thought so.
Last time, during the battle with the Arrow Demon, he had called Nezuko to help Aoyama—and she had nearly been hurt.
Back then—
Aoyama had looked at him just like this.
And now that look had returned.
Boom—
A thunderous crash shook the entire house.
"Ahhhh!"
Zenitsu felt like his heart was splitting apart. His organs trembled violently.
His legs gave out.
He stumbled backward—
And knocked the little girl into a nearby room.
Aoyama reacted instantly, pulling the child with him as the room shifted violently with the drumbeats.
The structure twisted.
Walls rotated.
Floors flipped.
When it stopped—
They were in a room lit by red lanterns.
The girl clung to Aoyama, gripping his clothes tightly.
He kept his eyes on the doorway.
"What's your name?"
"Sho—Shoji…"
"Shoji, listen carefully. If something comes in, hide in the corner. I'll protect you."
Heavy footsteps echoed outside the door.
A massive foot stepped into view.
Then—
The entire figure.
Aoyama's gaze was calm as he slowly raised a hand to cover Shoji's mouth, preventing her from making a sound.
Standing in the doorway—
Was the former Lower Rank Six of the Twelve Kizuki—
Kyogai.
The Drum Demon.
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