You Can't-At Least, You Shouldn't

As for where she had come from, he had no mind left to care. He had completely lost his senses and fallen in love at first sight!

Both his eyes had turned into heart shapes.

With just one look, he could no longer feel the pain from his grievous injuries...

Lin Fan noticed Zenitsu's practically lovesick gaze and could not help but feel a chill run down his spine.

His body immediately dispersed, turning into black mist and merging back into the blade.

Meanwhile, Tanjiro's body had already adapted to the power of Demonification. One of his eyes had completely turned pale violet.

His smile, once bright and cheerful, now carried a hint of madness!

"Are you ready to die, demon?!"

Kamanue actually felt fear at the sight, something it could not accept.

"Who do you think you are?! No matter what kind of monster you are, if I can kill you once, I can kill you a second time!"

It raised both claws and charged forward.

Every step shattered the floor beneath its feet.

But in Tanjiro's eyes, everything it did seemed to be in slow motion. Every movement was crystal clear.

And he could understand the Ashura Maru in his hand even better. It was a feeling of being completely in sync!

At that moment, he had the illusion that he could change the world!

When Kamanue closed in—

It took the initiative to attack, swinging its right arm and throwing a powerful punch.

"Just die already!"

Tanjiro's gaze sharpened as he gripped the blade in one hand.

He moved so fast that afterimages appeared.

In an instant—

The blade swept past. Kamanue's right claw and forearm were sliced into several pieces, severed limbs hitting the ground as blood sprayed everywhere.

Kamanue hurriedly retreated.

Tanjiro, meanwhile, looked utterly relaxed. He simply stood there, watching it with an icy gaze as he slowly walked forward.

Every step seemed to land directly on Kamanue's heart.

Like the Death God slowly drawing near.

Lin Fan reminded him at that moment.

"In this state, your body can hold on for three minutes at most. End this quickly!"

"I understand."

Tanjiro answered softly.

He stepped forward, and his figure instantly vanished.

"Where did he go?"

Fear had already appeared in Kamanue's eyes. Panic crept onto its face as it rapidly scanned its surroundings, trying to find even the slightest trace.

But when it came back to its senses—

It discovered that Tanjiro had already appeared in front of it, slashing horizontally with his blade.

Kamanue had no time to think and immediately leaped into the air.

But it was still one step too late.

Tanjiro's horizontal slash released a blade aura formed from black mist.

As the black mist swept past—

Kamanue's airborne body had already lost its lower legs, completely annihilated by the black mist from before.

Now it truly understood what real fear was. But beyond that, its mind was filled with even more confusion and disbelief.

"How is this possible... Why did he suddenly become so strong...?"

I should escape first.

If this continued, I might die at this guy's hands. With that thought—

It immediately turned and controlled its floating body, flying out of the room and into the pitch-black night sky.

Before leaving, it did not forget to say—

"Don't think this is over! Next time, all you heinous bastards will die!"

However, Tanjiro flashed onto the corridor outside the room.

His thoughts became clear.

With the blade held before him, he listened to its guidance and said—

"Ashura Kannon—Three Blades!"

Black mist poured from the blade before him, condensing in midair into three blades burning with crimson flames.

They locked onto Kamanue in the air.

The blades tore through the air with a piercing shriek.

In an instant—

The three blades pierced through Kamanue's body.

The Demon Power within them invaded its body, continuously eroding its flesh and cells.

Its body lost control and fell from the sky, crashing straight into the courtyard and kicking up a cloud of dust.

When the dust settled—

Kamanue was revealed within. Its body had been pierced through by blades, blood pouring from its wounds, its limbs severed. It looked utterly miserable.

Tanjiro slowly walked forward.

Only a minute had passed so far.

"Goodbye, Kamanue."

He murmured softly, and his body vanished once more.

In Kamanue's vision, its sight spun wildly. When it finally stopped—

It found its own headless corpse directly before its eyes!

People Can't—At Least, They Shouldn't

"What... happened... Is that my body?" It did not even realize at first that it had been decapitated.

When it came back to its senses, its pupils turned toward Tanjiro's retreating back. By then, it had been completely consumed by fear.

Death was drawing closer, step by step.

Before dying, it let out a desperate wail.

"Impossible... How could I die so easily? I haven't punished all the evil people yet... I'm so unwilling..."

Unfortunately, before it could finish speaking—

Its thoughts came to a halt. Its head had already turned to ashes and scattered into the world.

Its headless body also began to crumble away.

Tanjiro sheathed his sword. Looking at Kamanue as it dissipated, pity and sorrow flashed through his eyes as well.

He could feel Kamanue's fear before death, along with its pain at being unable to punish evildoers.

Though he did not know what had happened to it, that did not stop Tanjiro from feeling sad for it.

That was his own unique kindness.

Seeing this, Lin Fan immediately canceled Demonification.

As the ability ended and the Demon Power faded—

Tanjiro's pale violet eye and the unusual markings that had spread across him rapidly receded, gradually returning to their original appearance.

At the same time, he lost that unparalleled strength.

But Tanjiro did not feel disappointed.

What he had always wanted was never power, but to protect others. If that power was not used to protect others, then it was worthless to him.

But right at that moment—

"Meow!"

A cat's cry suddenly came from behind him.

Hearing it, Tanjiro turned around and saw that familiar cat. He skillfully crouched down, opened the pack on its back, and took out the folding blade.

Looking at Kamanue's body, which was slowly disappearing, he inserted the blade directly into it and let it draw blood on its own.

A moment later—

The blood had already been collected. Tanjiro pulled the blade out and placed it back into the pack on the cat's back.

He waved his right hand and smiled brightly.

"Thanks for your help again. Have a safe trip."

The cat licked the fur on its paw, as if responding.

Then it turned and walked off in one direction.

"Meow!"

After another cry, the cat gradually disappeared from sight.

After finishing all that—

Tanjiro finally came back to his senses and hurried over to Zenitsu, who was closest to him, asking with concern—

"Zenitsu, are you okay?"

Faced with the question—

Zenitsu put on an expression of extreme pain. He placed one hand on Tanjiro's shoulder and said weakly—

"I almost died because of you this time. You have to compensate me, Tanjiro! Who was that girl who suddenly appeared beside you just now?

Please, you have to tell me!"

Hearing that, Tanjiro immediately knew what he was after. But after thinking it over—

Marrying a sword—

People can't. At least, they shouldn't...

And Zenitsu really had helped this time, so Tanjiro could not bring himself to refuse. He could only explain, "What you saw just now was the incarnation of the blade in my hand, Ashura Maru."

Only after getting that answer did Zenitsu come back to his senses, but he no longer cared at all.

Who cared what it was? As long as it was pretty!

"Huh?! That beautiful girl is the blade in your hand? Hurry and let me see it! Doesn't it heal injuries?

Please let me hold it and recover a little... I feel like I might die if I don't get treated soon..."

Seeing him throw such a tantrum, Tanjiro could not help but twitch at the corner of his mouth.

Lin Fan, watching from within the blade, was utterly speechless too.

As expected of you, Zenitsu. You really had not disgraced your title as the naturally gifted freak!

He immediately curled his lip and said—

"This guy and your sister aren't badly hurt. Go save the person outside first. If you don't, they might die soon..."

Hearing the reminder.