Is All This Really Necessary?

Tanjiro suddenly snapped back to his senses, as though everything had finally connected, and asked tentatively.

"Could it be the Dance of the Fire God?"

"You guessed correctly. Your father wasn't a swordsman, so he never cultivated Sun Breathing. But you're different—you have the potential to learn Sun Breathing!"

Hearing these earth-shattering secrets, other doubts arose in Tanjiro's heart.

"So that's why you chose me?"

Facing the question, Lin Fan replied flatly, without any change in expression.

"I didn't choose you because you have the potential to learn Sun Breathing. What truly moved me was always your unwavering resolve for revenge!"

Actually, the system forced me to...

"You must have your own reasons, but thank you for choosing me." Tanjiro smiled brightly once again and gave a sincere reply.

"Enough nonsense. Start honing your Breathing technique now!"

"Okay!"

Tanjiro steadied his breathing and focused his mind completely as he began digging graves and burying the dead. Yet before long, he often felt as though his lungs were about to burst.

At those times, Lin Fan would use Demon Power to quickly restore him.

Time passed silently.

In the blink of an eye, dusk was approaching.

Only then were all the dead finally buried.

They watched the setting sun sink beyond the horizon.

Night was about to fall.

As everyone paid their respects to the dead, a Kasugai Crow swooped down from the sky. It spread its wings and hovered in midair, saying, "Go down the mountain quickly, go down the mountain quickly, follow me..."

After saying that, it flew ahead to lead the way.

After bidding farewell to the four of them, Tanjiro and the other two followed behind the Kasugai Crow.

Under the glow of dusk, they walked down the mountain path.

Lin Fan gave Tanjiro a warning at that moment.

"Be careful. Demons may attack tonight."

"I'll be careful."

Tanjiro rested one hand on Ajuramaru at his waist, feeling an unprecedented sense of security.

At the same time, he specifically warned the other two.

"Demons might attack us tonight. You two must be careful."

"I'm not afraid no matter how many demons come! Hahahaha..." Inosuke became even more excited at those words, waving his arms around.

Zenitsu's expression changed as he cried out in bizarre terror, "What happened? Why would demons ambush us?"

But on second thought, with someone as strong as Tanjiro around, one or two demons didn't seem like much of a threat.

Thinking that way, he did not seem quite so afraid anymore.

The group wandered about, following the Kasugai Crow down the mountain until night fell.

But while they were walking—

On the narrow path they had taken earlier, Lin Fan's voice suddenly rang out in Tanjiro's mind. "Demons are coming for you. Be careful—there are thirteen of them this time!"

What? Only then did Tanjiro react. He sniffed at the bloody scent in the air, along with the distinct stench unique to demons.

The distance had made it difficult to notice before, but after taking only a few more steps forward, the smell flooded into his nostrils. The scents were mixed together.

But without exception, the owners of those scents had to be demons!

Zenitsu, beside him, also pricked up his ears. He suddenly turned his head and asked, "Did you two hear something?"

Tanjiro did not hide it and told him directly, "Demons. Thirteen demons are approaching us from ahead!"

"Th-thirteen? Huh? Huh!... Where did so many demons come from? I'm going to die here! I haven't even gotten married yet..."

Zenitsu could not help dropping to his knees, wailing as though his heart had been torn apart.

Inosuke snorted disdainfully at the sight.

"What are thirteen demons? I'll kill every last one of them for you!"

With that, he drew his twin swords.

Tanjiro also drew Ajuramaru from his waist and said,

"I'm counting on you, Ajuramaru!"

Zenitsu, meanwhile, was like a headless fly. All his earlier ease had vanished.

He had thought there would be one or two at most. Who the hell knew over a dozen demons would show up at once?

Were they raiding a boss or something?!

Did they really need such a huge lineup?

"Let's run. If we run now, we might still make it. And these demons might not even be coming for us..."

Zenitsu still clung to a sliver of hope.

But Tanjiro immediately shattered it.

"These demons are most likely here for me. But even if they aren't, I can't step aside!

If we step aside, how many more people will these demons hurt?!"

He gripped his sword with both hands and prepared himself.

At that moment—

The ground shook as dense footsteps rushed toward them.

The first thing they saw was a young man with bat wings gliding through the air. His crimson eyes and pair of fangs—

All revealed his identity as a demon.

On the ground below him, three figures raced toward them at high speed. The nine demons behind them were clearly far slower.

"The first four demons have strong scents. They must have eaten many people, so they won't be weak. I'll hold them back!"

Tanjiro held his sword in both hands. Thanks to the improvements brought by several rounds of Nourishment, as well as Ajuramaru's support, he was confident he could fight even in such circumstances!

The demon in the air immediately confirmed their target after seeing the three of them, especially Tanjiro's outfit and his earrings.

It shouted down below.

"We caught up! That guy is the demon slayer that Lord Muzan specifically ordered us to kill!"

"Our long journey wasn't for nothing!"

A bull-like, muscular demon on the ground burst into wild laughter as it followed behind.

Beside it, a man as thin as a bamboo pole added, "Kill him and bring his head back to Lord Muzan!"

There was also a white-haired female demon among them. "As long as we kill him, Lord Muzan surely won't be stingy with his blood!"

The demons following behind them said nothing.

These demons did not argue; their objective was clear.

The reason for that was that Muzan had permitted demons hunting Tanjiro to gather together!

Thus, the demons in this region had assembled for one purpose only: to hunt Tanjiro.

"What do we do, Tanjiro?!"

Zenitsu had gone pale with fright and looked close to collapsing.

Inosuke gave a disdainful snort.

"Quit whining. You're so annoying!"

Tanjiro had nothing else to say and could only comfort him helplessly.

"Let's do our best together!"

Zenitsu was filled with question marks.

The moment those words fell, the Bat Demon in the air swooped down first. Its bat wings were like blades, gleaming with chilling light beneath the moon.

It tore through the air and shot straight toward the three of them.

"Get out of the way!"

Tanjiro shoved Zenitsu aside, while he himself dodged to the side as well.

Without even looking back, Inosuke charged toward the demons with his twin swords in hand.

"Charge forward, pig! Charge forward, pig!"

But the demons showed little interest in him. Only the bull-like, muscular demon stopped, bringing three other demons with it to fight him.

"Kid, can you cut through my skin?!"

"Huh?! Of course I can cut through it!"

Inosuke raised his twin swords and clashed head-on with it.

But when his blades struck the demon's body, they produced the sound of metal striking metal, sparks flashing for an instant.

"So hard."

Inosuke's hands went slightly numb.

"You can't break through my defense at all. Die, you little brat!" the demon roared with arrogant laughter, spreading its arms as it lunged at him.

Meanwhile—

Tanjiro rapidly retreated, reaching a nearby forest in only a few breaths. In this terrain—

The Bat Demon's ability to fly was restricted, forcing it to lower both its speed and altitude.

Zenitsu was still slumped on the ground nearby, trembling uncontrollably.

The demons only glanced at him before all heading into the forest to pursue Tanjiro. However, three weaker demons remained behind to finish Zenitsu off.

One of the thin demons laughed.

"Big Brother, this guy is way too pathetic. Is he really a demon slayer?"

At that, the demon standing in the middle sneered wickedly. "Who cares whether he is or not? I've never eaten a demon slayer before. Hurry up and kill him so we can see how he tastes compared to ordinary people."

A demon holding a spiked club stepped forward from the side. "Big Brother, let me do it. I want to eat his brains."

As he spoke, he walked forward and raised his spiked club.

At the sight, Zenitsu's eyes rolled back, and he fell backward, passing out from sheer terror.

Meanwhile—

Inside the forest, beneath the cover of night—

Tanjiro moved lightly, weaving through the trees and using the terrain to his advantage.

Behind him, the Bat Demon beat its wings and opened its fang-filled maw.

"Blood Demon Art—Sound Wave Resonance!"

Invisible waves shot out from its mouth, covering a vast area. Once they enveloped Tanjiro, his hands gripping the sword began to tremble slightly on their own.

His body also quivered faintly beneath those waves.