Tanjuro Kamado

It had been some time since they left the Rengoku Family. Everyone had come to see Suzuki Mufeng and Kanae Kocho off when they departed. He hadn't expected Shinjuro Rengoku to come out, too, though his attitude was as gruff as ever. He cursed them out while clutching his sake jug, then tossed over a small booklet filled with his experience using Flame Breathing.

The middle-aged man was all bark and no bite. After he and Suzuki Mufeng had settled things through a good old-fashioned brawl between men, things were much better than before.

At the very least, Shinjuro Rengoku now offered Kyojuro Rengoku pointers when he practiced Flame Breathing. When he saw Senjuro Rengoku tidying up and doing chores, he would quietly help mop the floor, serve tea, and so on. It proved that he still cared deeply about the Rengoku brothers.

After learning through their Kasugai Crow which mountain the Kamado Family lived in seclusion on, Suzuki Mufeng and Kanae Kocho hurried there without stopping.

"Mr. Mufeng, tell me honestly. Are you related to Master? You agreed as soon as the Kasugai Crow notified you."

"Not at all. Maybe Master saw something. Don't forget, he can see the future. So just relax and follow me."

But Kanae Kocho's instincts told her that Suzuki Mufeng definitely knew something. Being kept in the dark left her feeling a little sulky.

The next moment, Kanae Kocho suddenly picked up speed. In the space of a breath, all Suzuki Mufeng could see was her back.

"Is she sulking? This is a good chance for me to see how much slower I am than a Hashira."

Suzuki Mufeng took a deep breath and used Total Concentration—Thunder Breathing. His speed surged, and he quickly overtook Kanae Kocho. But she soon caught up, and the two ran side by side, neither willing to yield.

At this speed, they were only a few dozen minutes from reaching the town at the foot of the mountain where the Kamado Family lived.

In that town, Tanjuro Kamado was selling charcoal with his son, nine-year-old Tanjiro Kamado, carrying a basketful on his back.

"Tanjuro, thanks. Here's the money for the charcoal. Keep the change and buy the boy some candy."

"Thanks, Taro, for always supporting my business."

"Come on, what are you saying? You've helped us so much. Grandma Hiraya can barely walk, and you always fetch water for her. When Heiro's child had a fever, you stayed up all night to take him to the clinic in the next town.

"Everyone remembers how kind you've been. You need to take care of yourself, too. You're getting thinner and thinner. Tanjiro, hurry up and grow so you can help your father."

Faced with the man's words, nine-year-old Tanjiro Kamado straightened his back and thumped his chest.

"Uncle Taro, tomorrow I'll go down the mountain to sell charcoal instead of Dad."

"That's impressive. Tanjuro, I won't keep you any longer. Go on and sell your charcoal."

After saying goodbye to Taro, father and son continued selling charcoal. Just as Taro had said, the Kamado Family was well regarded in town. Before long, they had sold all the charcoal they had made, though evening had already fallen.

"Time to go home, Tanjiro. You'll be fine going back alone, right? Dad still has a few things to take care of here."

As Tanjuro Kamado prepared to return up the mountain, he gazed into the distance as if he had noticed something.

"No problem, Dad. I can go back by myself. Don't worry—go take care of what you need to do."

Kind-hearted Tanjiro knew his father was in poor health. He had always hoped to grow up and take some of the burden off him. This was his chance to prove himself.

He watched his son take a torch and head up the mountain path, then gripped his axe and slowly made his way to the other side of the mountain, murmuring,

"I won't let you hurt my family."

On the other side of the mountain, a demon covered in spikes slowly advanced. Its target was the town beyond the mountain.

"Those guys have claimed so much territory for themselves, and Demon Slayers guard everywhere else. That leaves me with no choice but to satisfy my appetite in some remote little town like this."

"Demon, stop right there. You shall not pass."

Tanjuro Kamado emerged from the distance, his frail body looking as if a gust of wind might topple him. Seeing a man who looked as though his life could go out at any moment dare to speak so boldly, the demon burst into laughter.

"You shall not pass? You think you can stop me all by yourself, looking like a bag of bones? Since you're putting on a show for me, I'll let you experience a thousand needles piercing your flesh!"

The demon puffed up all over like a pufferfish, and its spikes sprang out one by one.

The next moment, the spikes erupted from its body like a torrential storm of needles. They filled the sky and rained down like petals scattered by a celestial maiden.

"Feel honored. Since I learned this Blood Demon Art, you're the first to experience it."

As soon as the words left its mouth, its vision suddenly split in two. It had been cleaved in half from head to toe, like a log being split for firewood!

"Demon, rest in peace."

"Haha! Good thing you're not a Demon Slayer, or I'd really be dead. How could a weapon like that kill me?"

As it spoke, it wrapped its arms around the two halves of its body and forced them together. The severed edges began to heal. Before long, it watched helplessly as the man split it in half at the waist with another swing of his axe.

"W-who are you?"

Tanjuro Kamado said nothing. He simply raised his axe again. At that moment, memories that weren't his surged through his cells: a godlike man raising a Nichirin Sword. And now, Tanjuro felt terror deep in his soul.

"Thunder Breathing, First Form—Thunderclap and Flash!"

Rumble—

After the thunderclap, the demon's head was severed, and its body began to crumble into ashes and scatter into the sky.

"Mr. Tanjuro Kamado, are you all right? You're in poor health. It's cold—why didn't you put on another layer? Here, wear this."

As Tanjuro Kamado stared at him in confusion, Suzuki Mufeng took off his haori and draped it over his shoulders. A man who possessed Hinokami Kagura and the Transparent World absolutely couldn't be allowed to die.

"This gentleman does look quite unwell. Let me examine him first."

Kanae Kocho arrived soon after. Seeing Tanjuro Kamado's condition, her compassion as a physician immediately moved her to examine him.

The sudden appearance of the two left Tanjuro Kamado bewildered. "Who are you two?"

"I came because of those earrings. I think you understand."

At Suzuki Mufeng's answer, Tanjuro Kamado immediately understood everything.

"Please come back up the mountain with me. We can talk at my home."

They readily accepted the invitation. As they made their way up the mountain, the memories of the dead demon returned to Muzan Kibutsuji, who was disguised as a man in a suit.

"Sun Breathing! Yoriichi Tsugikuni! I killed everyone connected to Sun Breathing back then. How did your Breathing Style still get passed down? Akaza!"

Upper Rank Three, Akaza, immediately appeared and dropped to one knee.

"I'm going to kill that man's entire family in the mountains. Bring me their heads. Do you understand?"

"I'll leave at once, sir."