Sasuke finished off Rui as though he had merely brushed a speck of dust off his clothes.
He slowly sheathed his blade.
Then he turned, his calm gaze sweeping over Tanjiro in the distance, then over the two "Hashira" in the treetops.
In his right eye, two black tomoe slowly revolved.
That cold gaze, devoid of any reverence, made even the smile on Shinobu Kocho's face stiffen for an instant.
But she quickly recovered.
Now that the powerful demon had been dealt with, it was time to address the remaining problem.
Her gaze shifted from Sasuke to Tanjiro, who was struggling to get up from the ground and trying to run to Nezuko.
"Hey, young boy over there."
Shinobu Kocho's voice remained gentle.
"That thing you're carrying on your back is a demon, isn't it?"
"Taking a demon on a mission is a serious violation of Corps rules, you know."
"It's very dangerous. You should leave it to me."
Before she had finished speaking.
Shinobu Kocho had already vanished from the treetops like a phantom.
Her speed was astonishing. In an instant, she appeared behind Tanjiro, the strangely shaped Nichirin Blade in her hand glowing faintly purple as she thrust it straight at the wooden box holding Nezuko.
Tanjiro's pupils abruptly contracted.
He mustered every ounce of strength, trying to turn and block her.
But his body had already reached its limit. He could not keep up with Shinobu Kocho's speed at all.
However.
Clang!
A clear ring of clashing metal rang out.
At some point, Giyu Tomioka had moved in front of Tanjiro, firmly blocking Shinobu Kocho's thrust with his own Nichirin Blade.
"Mr. Tomioka?"
The smile on Shinobu Kocho's face remained unchanged, but a hint of coldness entered her voice.
"What is the meaning of this? Why are