Giyu and Shinobu Arrive

The night was dark. After Rui died, the mountain wind gradually dispersed the stench of blood on Mount Natagumo, but the death and sorrow filling the air lingered on. Hurried footsteps and shouts came faintly from the foot of the mountain. The Demon Slayer Corps reinforcements and the Kakushi had finally arrived.

Moyu sensed that Tanjiro and Inosuke's breathing was stabilizing. Meanwhile, Zenitsu's faint but steady breath was moving swiftly down the mountain, carried along by another presence that bore the faint fragrance of Wisteria and medicinal herbs—they must have been rescued by the support unit. Moyu breathed a small sigh of relief and headed toward Tanjiro.

Meanwhile, in the forest clearing where Tanjiro and Inosuke were.

Tanjiro had just settled the unconscious Inosuke on relatively level ground. Exhausted himself, he sat down against a tree trunk and carefully placed the wooden box beside him. Nezuko slept quietly inside; the earlier battle had taken a great toll on her too.

Just then, a figure appeared silently at the edge of the clearing. A haori patterned on the left with a tortoiseshell design in yellow, orange, and green, and crimson on the right, fluttered gently in the night wind. Blue eyes calmly surveyed the ravaged battlefield—the shattered trees, the scorched ground, the few ashes left behind after the demons had disintegrated, and the battered Tanjiro leaning against a tree beside the unconscious Inosuke.

"Mr. Tomioka...?" Tanjiro looked up at Giyu Tomioka, surprised by his sudden appearance.

Giyu did not answer immediately. His gaze fell on the wooden box Tanjiro was guarding closely at his side. The presence coming from inside was pure, yet unquestionably that of a Demon. It was also utterly unlike the foul, violent presence of an ordinary Demon, carrying a peculiar warmth and... a will to protect. So it was her.

It brought back memories of that snowy day, when Tanjiro had carried his sister, who had become a Demon, on his back and stood firmly in front of her with a broken axe. Even facing him, a sword-wielding Hashira, there had been no retreat in his eyes, only the resolve to protect his sister with his life.

"You..." Giyu was silent for a moment, then, unusually, spoke of his own accord. His voice was as even as ever, but seemed to carry a trace of almost imperceptible emotion. "Did well."

Tanjiro stared for a moment, then a tired but sincere smile spread across his face. "Yes! Thank you, Mr. Tomioka! We'll keep doing our best!!"

Giyu nodded slightly and said nothing more. He could see how Tanjiro had grown, not merely in strength, but in the resilience he had gained through trials of life and death.

But the brief peace was soon broken.

"Oh my, Mr. Tomioka, you're fast! It looks like things have ended here too." A voice as gentle as a spring breeze sounded, though it carried a barely perceptible chill.

Shinobu Kocho, wearing a butterfly-wing-patterned haori, landed in the clearing as lightly as a real butterfly, her signature sweet smile on her face. Her gaze swept over the scene, and she gave Giyu a slight nod when she saw him. Then her amethyst eyes locked precisely onto the wooden box beside Tanjiro.

Her smile remained unchanged, but her gaze instantly sharpened like a blade!

"Sorry to interrupt, everyone." Shinobu Kocho smiled. Before the words had left her lips, she vanished from where she stood!

The next instant, she appeared between Tanjiro and the wooden box. The tip of her Nichirin Blade drove straight at the box on the ground, trailing a fierce rush of wind! She was unimaginably fast!

"Stop!" Tanjiro's eyes widened in horror as he tried to lunge forward, but his injuries were serious, and he was a moment too slow.

"Clang!"

A crisp metallic ring sounded. Giyu Tomioka had drawn his Nichirin Blade later, but it arrived first, precisely blocking Shinobu Kocho's thrust.

Shinobu Kocho's smile did not change, but surprise and confusion flashed in her eyes. "Mr. Tomioka? What is the meaning of this? I recall you once said, 'I can't get along with demons,' didn't you?" She tilted her head, her tone still gentle. "And now you're going to obstruct me in the performance of my duties? This is why everyone dislikes you, you know."

Giyu remained silent, his blocking stance unwavering. After a few seconds, he answered in his usual calm tone, "I... am not disliked."

Shinobu Kocho's smile seemed to grow even sweeter, but her words were like needles. "Oh my, oh my, it seems you haven't realized at all that people dislike you. I'm terribly sorry, I shouldn't have said anything~"

Giyu seemed taken aback. His brows drew together almost imperceptibly, as if he were genuinely considering the question.

Taking advantage of the opening, Shinobu Kocho flicked her wrist and feinted, slipping around Giyu's block like a ghost and closing in on the wooden box again!

"Little brother," she said to Tanjiro as he struggled to rush toward her, reaching for the box, "what you're protecting is a Demon, you know? She's very dangerous, so please move aside."

"She's my sister!" Tanjiro spread his arms and stood firmly in front of the box, his eyes filled with an unyielding determination. "Nezuko has never hurt a human! She even protects humans!"

"I see..." Shinobu Kocho paused slightly. Looking at Tanjiro's desperate struggle, she showed a trace of pity in her smile. "She's your sister. How pitiful. Then, so she won't suffer in the future, and no more people will be harmed, I'll use a gentler poison to let her die without pain~"

"No!" Tanjiro roared.

"Tanjiro, take the box and go on ahead." Giyu stepped in front of Shinobu Kocho again, his tone brooking no argument.

"Mr. Giyu, you're clearly violating Corps rules, you know?" Shinobu Kocho's smile finally faded a little, and a warning entered her voice.

"Tanjiro, go," Giyu simply repeated.

Shinobu Kocho's gaze turned cold. Without another word, she darted forward and clashed with Giyu again. Her swordsmanship focused on speed and thrusts, nimble and unpredictable, while Giyu's Water Breathing was steady and powerful, leaving no openings in his defense. For a time, neither could gain the upper hand.

But Shinobu Kocho's aim was not to defeat Giyu. Spotting an opportunity, she used a subtle feint to draw his defense to one side, then flitted past the other like a butterfly weaving through flowers and lunged straight at Tanjiro, who was retreating deeper into the forest!

"It's over, little brother~"

Just as the tip of her blade was about to touch the wooden box on Tanjiro's back—

"Wait a moment, Miss Shinobu Kocho."

A calm voice rang out. At the same time, an invisible force quietly appeared in front of Shinobu Kocho. It was not a solid wall, but it was like sinking into a mire, abruptly slowing her down.

Shinobu Kocho stepped lightly back, steadied herself, and looked in surprise toward the source of the voice. A black-haired, blue-eyed youth had somehow appeared in front of Tanjiro. It was Moyu, who had just arrived. He had not drawn his sword and merely stood there, but his azure eyes gave the impression that they could see through everything.

"Another little brother I haven't met before?" Shinobu Kocho quickly recovered her smile, but the wariness in her eyes deepened. "Are you going to stop me too?"

"Forgive my rudeness, Miss Shinobu Kocho." Moyu inclined his head slightly in greeting, his manner neither servile nor overbearing. "Nezuko, inside the box, is Tanjiro's sister, and she could be considered my sister too. Although she's a Demon, her circumstances are exceptional, and she truly has never harmed anyone. Master Sakonji Urokodaki can attest to that, and he has already reported the matter to the Master."

"Oh?" Shinobu Kocho raised an eyebrow. Her smile remained, but her tone was questioning. "Mr. Urokodaki, you say... Even so, a Demon is a Demon. You say she hasn't hurt anyone, but what if she does in the future? Wouldn't another innocent life be sacrificed for nothing then? Who would take responsibility for that?"

Moyu met Shinobu Kocho's seemingly gentle eyes, which held a steadfast killing intent, without flinching. He took a deep breath, and his clear, firm voice echoed through the silent mountain forest:

"If Nezuko ever harms an innocent person..." He paused, then spoke word by word. "I will cut off her head myself, and then... take my own life to atone."

At those words, even Giyu Tomioka, standing to the side, was slightly moved, and his gaze grew more profound as he looked at Moyu. Tanjiro whipped his head toward Moyu, his eyes full of shock and gratitude. He opened his mouth, but could not say a word.

The smile vanished completely from Shinobu Kocho's face. She studied Moyu carefully, as though trying to find even the slightest trace of hesitation or deceit in his eyes. But in those azure eyes, there was only unquestionable resolve and composure.

The air seemed to freeze, filled with the tension of the standoff. Shinobu Kocho's hand remained on her sword hilt. Clearly, she was not entirely convinced; Corps rules and her own beliefs would not allow her to show a Demon any leniency.

Just as tensions reached their peak—

"Caw! Orders! Orders!"

A Kasugai Crow came flying swiftly toward them, flapping its wings. It circled above them and announced loudly in a piercing voice:

"Orders from the Master! Bring Tanjiro Kamado and his sister, Nezuko Kamado, back to headquarters immediately! No mistakes! I repeat, orders from the Master..."

The order reached everyone's ears clearly.

Shinobu Kocho slowly released her grip on her sword hilt. Her flawless, gentle smile returned, as though the killing intent from moments before had never existed.

"Since it's the Master's order..." She clapped her hands lightly, as though brushing away dust that was not there. "There's nothing to be done." She looked at Moyu and Tanjiro, her gaze lingering on Moyu in particular for a moment. "I hope you... won't regret your choice."

With that, she lingered no longer. She turned lightly and slipped soundlessly into the night like a real butterfly, apparently going to check on the other wounded.

Giyu Tomioka also sheathed his sword and glanced at Tanjiro and Moyu. His expression was as blank as ever, but he seemed to breathe a small sigh of relief. "Follow me," he said succinctly, then turned and walked down the mountain.

Tanjiro held the wooden box tightly and looked at Moyu, his eyes a little red. "Moyu, what you said just now..."

Moyu shook his head, cutting him off. "Let's go, Tanjiro. Nezuko needs rest, and Inosuke and Zenitsu need treatment too. I'm still here for whatever comes next. It'll be all right."