Courage Is Humanity's Anthem

The Demon Slayer's mouth fell open as he watched Mu Yu merely stand there and frighten the powerful grotesque demon—one that had left him and another Corps member one dead and one wounded—into near immobility.

A Hashira... had he encountered one of the Hashira who stood at the pinnacle of the Demon Slayer Corps?

He was saved!

As expected of a Hashira. Compared to ordinary members like them, he was as powerful as a monster.

Mu Yu stared coldly at the Centipede Demon. "Were humans born just to be eaten by demons?"

Mu Yu's presence was truly overwhelming. In that instant, the Centipede Demon even felt as if he were facing that person.

Why?

Why did this happen?

I only needed to eat a few more humans to advance further, perhaps even learn a Blood Demon Art and become an even more powerful demon with supernatural abilities.

Why did I have to run into a Hashira from the Demon Slayer Corps?

I can't escape. I can't escape. If I run, I'll definitely die!

Cold sweat kept pouring from the Centipede Demon. Yet after being frightened to the extreme, he stopped feeling afraid instead.

"Ha... hahaha, hahahaha!"

"That's right, as a Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps, you can kill me. But was I wrong?"

"Aren't humans just such vile creatures? The moment they encounter danger, they abandon their companions and flee alone. If you don't believe me, ask that coward you're protecting behind you!"

The Centipede Demon's words made the Demon Slayer swordsman behind Mu Yu burst into tears.

"No, that's not it. The Centipede Demon was too powerful. He beat the two of us until we couldn't fight back at all, then told us he would give us a chance to escape—but only one person could leave."

Mu Yu fell silent, immediately piecing together what had happened.

The Centipede Demon must have displayed absolute strength, driving the two Demon Slayer swordsmen into a hopeless situation before setting up some so-called "test of humanity"—

Something like only letting one of them leave, after which one of the Demon Slayers abandoned the other and ran away.

It was a crude psychological tactic, but in a desperate situation, it was extremely effective.

But since when did a demon get to test humanity?

Didn't it know that humanity could not withstand being tested?!

Seeing Mu Yu's silence, the Centipede Demon laughed loudly. "See? This is humanity!"

"Even a Hashira like you is no exception. You can only bully little demons like us. The moment you encounter a powerful Twelve Kizuki, you'll still abandon your companions!"

Mu Yu ignored the Centipede Demon and turned toward the Demon Slayer swordsman slumped on the ground.

"Can you still hold the sword in your hand?"

Though the Demon Slayer swordsman was terrified, Mu Yu's presence as a "Hashira" allowed him to regain some courage.

"Yes!"

Mu Yu asked, "Then can you keep fighting?"

Fight? Me?

The Demon Slayer swordsman looked at Mu Yu, then at the Centipede Demon. His legs began to tremble uncontrollably.

After a brief moment of confusion, the Centipede Demon understood Mu Yu's intentions.

This "Hashira" intended to help his junior regain his courage this way!

How laughable. Truly laughable!

He could neither kill nor escape from a Hashira, but was there anything stopping him from dealing with that coward?

Even if he died, he would take someone down with him!

"Yes, I can still fight!"

Under Mu Yu's gaze, the terrified Demon Slayer swordsman shouted those words aloud.

He had a deep blood feud with demons too. Otherwise, he would never have joined the Demon Slayer Corps!

Mu Yu nodded. "Good. Humanity's greatness lies in courage, and humanity's anthem is an anthem of courage. Fight. Show that demon through your actions that you're not a fucking coward!"

Tears still lingered in the Demon Slayer swordsman's eyes, and hesitation filled his heart as his gaze darted repeatedly between Mu Yu and the Centipede Demon.

In the end, the Demon Slayer swordsman chose to fight.

"I'm not a fucking coward! Aaaahhhhh!"

With an angry roar, the Demon Slayer swordsman seized his blade and charged at the Centipede Demon.

The Centipede Demon revealed a malicious grin.

It's here, it's here—the chance to viciously retaliate against that damned Hashira!

What nonsense about humanity's anthem being an anthem of courage? Just a mere human. Ridiculous!

But at that moment, the Centipede Demon met Mu Yu's icy gaze and instantly felt as though he had fallen into an ice cellar.

My mind is blank. What was I just thinking about?

Right, I was going to kill that coward and viciously retaliate against this Hashira. Retaliate against a Hashira?

At that moment, image after image surfaced in the Centipede Demon's mind.

"It hurts! I got bitten! A centipede bit me! Ryu, am I going to die from the poison?"

His friend answered with a reassuring smile. "You won't, Atsushi. It's only a centipede bite. The doctor will take care of it. I'll carry you to see him!"

"This won't do, Atsushi. My stamina's too poor. At this rate, it'll be too late. Wait here for me. I'll run back to town alone and get the doctor."

Atsushi? My name is Atsushi? Then who is Ryu?

When the Centipede Demon came back to his senses, he saw the Demon Slayer swordsman he had scared out of his wits swing his sword at his neck.

No! My neck is about to be cut off. Did that damned Hashira do something? Why did my mind go blank just now?

Slash!

The sound of steel cutting into flesh rang out, and the Centipede Demon's head was severed.

I was beheaded? Even dying at that Hashira's hands would have been better than dying at the hands of a coward. Damn it, damn it!

Beheaded by a Nichirin Blade, the Centipede Demon's head and body rapidly began to turn to ash.

And precisely because he was about to die, the Centipede Demon recovered his memories from when he had been human.

I remember now. My name was Atsushi, and my best friend was Ryu. A centipede bit me, and Ryu said he would carry me to see a doctor. But Ryu wasn't very strong. After carrying me only a short distance, he was too exhausted to keep walking.

The poison had already spread to my thigh. Ryu put me down and told me to wait while he went back alone to find a doctor.

But Ryu never came back. He betrayed me!

Memories from his days as a human kept flashing through his mind. Atsushi, who had become the Centipede Demon, remembered.

Ryu had said he was going to town to find a doctor, but no matter how long Atsushi waited, Ryu never returned. By then, the poison had already numbed his body.

Just as he was about to die, he encountered Lord Muzan. Lord Muzan gave him blood and turned him into a demon. He was his benefactor.

"No!"

Tears suddenly flowed from the Centipede Demon's blood-red eyes.

"No... Before I became a demon, through the haze, I think I saw two figures running toward me. It was Ryu and the doctor. Ryu never betrayed me."

"Muzan... Lord Muzan turned me into a demon before they arrived. After Ryu and the doctor came, I ate them."

"I ate my best friend?!"

"What have I done?"

"Did Lord Muzan really not know that Ryu had brought a doctor to save me?"

At that moment, a warm hand rested on his shoulder.

"Atsushi, you really are such a crybaby. I can't stand you!"

Atsushi, now in soul form, looked up. Before him was a long-lost smiling face.

Who else could it be but his dearest friend Ryu, whom he did not know how long he had forgotten?

The moment Atsushi saw Ryu, he could not stop himself from crying again.

"I'm sorry, Ryu. I'm sorry. I misunderstood you!"

Ryu smiled. "What are you saying, Atsushi? My body was just too weak. If I had been healthier, if I had run faster, you wouldn't have become a demon!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

Knock!

Ryu flicked Atsushi on the forehead and said unhappily, "You're so noisy. How long are you going to repeat that? We're best friends, aren't we?"

"Yeah!"

Atsushi wiped his tears and nodded heavily.

Ryu was right. They were best friends.

In this life, he had let Ryu down. If there was a next life, he would surely protect Ryu even at the cost of his own life!

Holding his best friend Ryu's hand, Atsushi looked toward Mu Yu and shouted, "Mr. Demon Slayer, you were right! Courage is humanity's anthem!"

Mu Yu said, "You became a demon, so stop talking to me. Only demons listen to demon talk, you bastard!"

Ryu bowed to Mu Yu. "Thank you, Mr. Demon Slayer. You saved my best friend!"

Mu Yu waved his hand impatiently. "Go on, both of you. May you not encounter demons in your next lives."

PS: I feel like I can't keep writing this. I still haven't been able to get a contract, and the results are worse than I expected.