The faint morning light began to dispel the darkness in the forest.
"Hmm?" Nezuko, who had been staying quiet all along, suddenly shuddered.
Her pink eyes looked toward the gradually brightening sky, revealing a clear trace of unease.
No longer paying attention to Shirakawa's side, she turned around, stepped out, and instantly transformed into a pink afterimage that rushed into the temple, her movements as swift as a startled little rabbit.
"Nezuko!" Tanjiro was the first to rush in.
After Sakonji and Shirakawa exchanged a glance, they followed her inside.
The light inside the temple was dim, but in the shadows of the corner, Shirakawa Sato spotted that simple bamboo basket at a glance.
Inside the basket, Nezuko had already shrunk her body, turning into the child-like Little Nezuko, and was curled up obediently inside.
Two small, fair hands gripped the edge of the basket, with half of her little head peeking out over the rim. Her large pink eyes blinked repeatedly, like a small animal hiding in its nest—so adorable that it made one's heart melt.
Shirakawa Sato glanced at the corpses of the three villagers on the ground who had been killed by the demon.
He noticed that Nezuko didn't even give those corpses a second look now, as if they were just ordinary rocks or pieces of wood.
This was good news.
Sakonji also noticed this, his gaze behind the mask flickering slightly.
He walked over to the three corpses and looked at them silently for a while.
"Tanjiro, Shirakawa," he spoke, "bury them..."
"Yes!" *2
The burial process was silent.
The three of them found a relatively flat and dry spot next to the temple and dug holes using the crude tools they could find.
Shirakawa Sato had just "burst out" earlier and was feeling somewhat weak; he wasn't digging much faster than the untrained Tanjiro.
Sakonji Urokodaki's movements were the steadiest and fastest, each shovel of dirt carrying a certain rhythm.
No one spoke.
There was only the sound of soil being overturned and the sound of breathing gradually growing heavier.
They carefully placed the three mutilated remains into the pits, filled them with soil, and built simple burial mounds.
There were no names, no tombstones—only three irregularly shaped stones standing before the graves as markers.
The three stood before the graves, and Sakonji was the first to bow.
Tanjiro followed suit.
Shirakawa also rarely acted like a clown at a time like this.
His silence was half due to empathy and half due to reflection.
If he didn't have the system and hadn't found Sakonji Urokodaki by chance…
With his rare blood constitution, he would probably have ended up just like the three of them.
…
…No!
He would definitely have been worse off!
No one would even collect his body.
Or rather, with his condition, if he were caught by a demon, let alone leaving behind a whole corpse…
The demon probably wouldn't waste even a single drop of blood or a fragment of bone.
Tsk…
Thinking about it this way, that strike just now—impressive even to himself—was far from enough to protect him.
It looked powerful and had great range.
But thinking about the future, where even Tanjiro, who had just mastered Water Breathing, could split a boulder weighing dozens of tons, his own feat didn't seem that extraordinary anymore.
Moreover, most demons are agile; they wouldn't just stand still and wait to be cut.
In the end, his strength was still insufficient!
To live freely, safely, and with dignity in this world…
He needed even greater power!
The morning light completely illuminated the forest, but the atmosphere before the freshly made graves remained heavy.
After straightening up, Sakonji's gaze fell upon Tanjiro Kamado.
The tengu mask hid his expression, but his voice reached Tanjiro clearly.
"Tanjiro."
"Yes!" Tanjiro immediately straightened his back.
"If your sister Nezuko," Sakonji asked word by word, posing a cruel yet unavoidable question, "were to eat a human… what would you do?"
Tanjiro's body tensed instantly.
Pain and struggle flashed in his crimson eyes.
But it was eventually replaced by unwavering determination.
He believed such a thing would never happen!
His sister—she would never eat humans like those demons.
He opened his mouth, about to declare his resolve—
"Don't worry, Master!"
(￣３￣)a
A voice interrupted him.
Shirakawa had stepped forward at some point, smiling casually as he patted his chest.
"I'll keep a close eye on Nezuko! With me around—my 'special scent'—she won't even look at anyone else! I guarantee it!"
Tanjiro: "!!!"
The scar on his forehead seemed to turn even redder, and a vein popped out instantly.
"You—you—what nonsense are you talking about?!"
Tanjiro turned sharply, glaring at Shirakawa, his voice trembling with anger. "My sister should be watched by me! What does it have to do with you?!"
"Oh, Tanjiro, don't get so worked up," Shirakawa waved his hand as if he fully understood.
"I know you care about your sister, but isn't it better to have one more person helping? Besides, I even know a special Breathing Style that can 'soothe' Nezuko. It's perfect!"
"Perfect my foot!" Tanjiro nearly jumped.
"That's my sister! My biological sister! She doesn't need someone like you—someone so suspicious—to take care of her!"
"Suspicious?" Shirakawa raised an eyebrow.
"We've already gone through life and death together, haven't we? Helping a companion and looking after their sister—isn't that natural?"
"Shi—ra—ka—wa—Sa—to—!" Tanjiro gritted his teeth, fists clenched, looking ready to pounce.
"Enough." Sakonji Urokodaki's low voice cut through the tension.
He held his mask, feeling a headache coming on. Dealing with one troublemaker was already exhausting—now there seemed to be two.
…No!
Three!
There was also a troublesome demon!
"Both of you, be quiet. Tanjiro, answer my question first."
Tanjiro glared at Shirakawa before forcing himself to calm down.
He had always been gentle and rarely lost his temper.
But Nezuko was his only remaining family—his one weakness.
And Shirakawa kept provoking it again and again.
Still, now was not the time to argue.
Taking a deep breath, Tanjiro turned back to Sakonji, his eyes filled with determination.
"I will find a way to turn Nezuko back into a human! Until then, I will watch her closely and guarantee with my life that she won't harm anyone! If… if she really does eat a human…"
His voice faltered, the rest left unsaid.
Sakonji, having already grasped the boy's character, spoke the unspoken words in a commanding tone.
"If Nezuko eats a human… you must kill her with your own hands, and then commit seppuku to atone!"
His words echoed through the forest.
"Yes!" Tanjiro responded firmly.
Sakonji nodded. "Remember what you said today."
"Next, I will test whether you are qualified to become a true demon-slaying swordsman."
"A demon-slaying swordsman!" Tanjiro's eyes lit up as he pointed at Shirakawa. "Was what he used just now the ability of one?"
Sakonji glanced at Shirakawa, who looked completely unconcerned, sighed, and nodded.
"Yes… it was."
(OS: Though it's completely different from what I taught…)
Shirakawa cheerfully slung an arm over Tanjiro's shoulders. With his height of 1.84 meters and strengthened physique, it felt like leaning on a smaller person.
"Don't be so distant. How about this—you call me Big Brother, and I'll call you Brother-in-law. From now on, we'll each use our own titles~"
Sizzle!
Tanjiro's veins bulged again.
For a moment, he didn't even want to learn anymore.
But… without strength, how could he help Nezuko?
How could he avenge his family?
Endure! I must endure!
Seeing Tanjiro reluctantly call him Big Brother under pressure, Sakonji Urokodaki shook his head and turned toward the temple. "Let's go. It's dawn—let's get her out of here first."
Back in the temple, Nezuko still leaned against the basket like an obedient puppy waiting for her owner, though her head bobbed sleepily.
"Nezuko."
Seeing his sister, a gentle smile returned to Tanjiro's face. He stepped forward and naturally reached for the bamboo basket.
Just then, another hand pressed down on the other side of the basket.
Tanjiro paused and looked up.
Shirakawa had appeared beside him, smiling as his hand firmly held the basket, showing no intention of letting go.
Now that Nezuko had entered a new state, staying near her allowed Shirakawa to maintain his Breathing Style and Constant Concentration. Naturally, he wouldn't miss the chance to grow stronger.
"Brother-in-law Junior Brother," Shirakawa grinned, "you just fought a demon and spent half the day digging—must be tired. Rest a bit. I'll carry Nezuko back."
Tanjiro's brows instantly tightened, veins bulging on his hand.
He gripped the basket firmly, meeting Shirakawa's gaze without backing down.
Their eyes locked—and it almost felt like sparks were flying in the air.