Giyu Tomioka vs. Sanemi Shinazugawa!

In the end, Muzan gave no orders and simply vanished before the demons.

Without any instructions, the Upper Ranks could only go their separate ways, each heading home.

In the blink of an eye, time flew by.

Once you started working, time seemed to pass faster and faster, and tremendous changes happened around you in an instant.

That was exactly how the Demon Slayer Corps was now.

Everything had been renewed.

Over a year had passed since the last Hashira Meeting. The swordsmen produced by the first reformed Mount Wisteria examination had all joined the Corps and begun their own journeys of slaying demons.

Among them were Tanjiro, Zenitsu Agatsuma, and, of course, Shinobu Kocho's successor, Kanae Kocho.

They all possessed exceptional talent. After entering Mount Fujikasane, they quickly earned the scores needed to pass the examination.

After that.

Tanjiro left Mount Sagiri with his younger sister on his back, traveling in fits and starts, carrying out missions while working hard to find a way to turn demons back into humans.

At last, in Tokyo, he met an unusual demon skilled in medicine, named Tamayo.

The siblings' unusual circumstances earned her trust, and she told him that Nezuko's transformation was quite special.

With blood from a demon on the level of the Twelve Kizuki, she might be able to discover something through analysis, or even develop Demon Transformation Medicine.

But up to that point, Tanjiro had never encountered a demon of that level.

"I heard that one of the Demon Slayer Corps' Hashira killed an Upper Rank demon a while ago. Perhaps he has some."

"I know. That was Big Brother You, but he's been away on a mission for a long time... I could write and ask."

Following her suggestion, Tanjiro sent Lu You a letter. Half a month later, Lu You's reply told him that all the blood he had obtained was in the hands of the Demon Slayer Corps' Insect Hashira, Shinobu Kocho.

"Tanjiro, don't rush. This isn't the best time yet. Nezuko still can't appear before other demon slayers.

Wait until I return, and I'll help you resolve the matter with Nezuko. I'm doing something very important right now and can't get away just yet."

Since Lu You had said that, Tanjiro could only keep trying on his own until he returned.

After all sorts of twists and turns, he also met Zenitsu Agatsuma and Inosuke Hashibira during this time, and the three youngsters formed a deep bond.

They had thought everything would continue to go smoothly.

Until they received the mission to Mount Natagumo...

It was a battle that could only be called brutal. Tanjiro practically gave everything he had, yet even after using his ancestral Hinokami Kagura, he still could not defeat his opponent.

Although this Tanjiro was considerably stronger than he had been at the same point in the original story, there was still a gap between him and Rui.

Nezuko nearly awakened her murderous demonic nature during the battle, but fortunately, Zenitsu and Inosuke joined the fight.

Unfortunately, they were soon defeated.

They thought death was certain, but fortunately, Giyu Tomioka arrived as backup and rescued them.

With just one simple slash, he easily beheaded Rui, Lower Rank Five.

Just as the three youngsters thought everything would finally be settled, the other two Hashira who arrived set their sights on Nezuko. Quite naturally, they intended to kill her, only for Giyu Tomioka to stop them.

As the most eloquent of the Hashira, Giyu very easily managed to anger Shinobu Kocho and Sanemi Shinazugawa.

In the pitch-black night, the smell of blood still hung in the air, and his aching organs felt as though they were burning.

Tanjiro coughed uncontrollably, yet still stood in front of his sister. Standing straight before the siblings was Giyu.

Once, Lu You had protected them like this. Now, it was Giyu Tomioka's turn to stand before them.

It seemed that whenever a critical moment came, someone would shelter him from the storm...

How fortunate was that? And how weak was he himself... Tanjiro hated himself.

He could feel that unwillingness battering his mind, driving his body temperature higher and higher.

His breath seemed to carry flames.

The injuries that had felt unbearable actually seemed less intense now.

It seemed he could move again...

"Tanjiro isn't a bad person, and Nezuko certainly isn't a man-eating demon! If they were, why would they risk their lives fighting a Lower Rank demon?!"

Lying on the ground with a broken leg, Zenitsu shouted at the top of his lungs.

He had burned himself out fighting Rui earlier. Now he truly had no way to get up again.

Otherwise, he would probably have already used Thunder Breathing, First Form and run off with Nezuko.

As for Inosuke, he had already fallen deeply unconscious.

Of the three, Inosuke, who had never had contact with Lu You, was still about as strong as in the original story. Unfortunately, the other two were stronger at this point than their original counterparts.

"Shut up! What do you know, brat?!"

Veins bulged all over Wind Hashira Sanemi Shinazugawa's forehead as he barked at Zenitsu. He decisively drew the Nichirin Blade at his waist, its green blade giving off a biting, cold gleam.

"Mr. Tomioka, please step aside. You are sheltering a demon. If you move away now, we can still pretend we saw nothing."

Shinobu Kocho, too, had a fierce murderous intent in her normally gentle eyes. When it came to those in the Demon Slayer Corps who hated demons most, she was certainly among the foremost.

Only after having something could one feel that bone-deep agony upon losing it. That profound hatred was like a raging fire that would sooner or later burn her away completely!

"Forgive me, but I can't."

Giyu Tomioka's fingers lightly touched the hilt of the Nichirin Blade at his waist, his gaze deep.

Behind him, Tanjiro and his sister were not merely his junior fellow disciples, but also where the miracle he firmly believed in lay.

They were both people Lu You had protected at the risk of his life.

And Lu You could never be wrong.

"You bastard... Perfect. I've wanted a real fight with you for ages!

Kocho, go capture that man-eating demon. I'll deal with Tomioka."

A wild grin spread across Wind Hashira Sanemi Shinazugawa's face.

The green Nichirin Blade in his hand erupted with brilliant blades of wind, and the terrifying gusts sent the surrounding trees swaying incessantly.

"Tanjiro, if you can still move, take your sister and run."

Giyu Tomioka spoke calmly. Azure vapor seemed to hiss at the corners of his mouth, and after he gripped his sword in both hands, faint blue currents of water flowed around its blade.

He was going to get serious!

With Tanjiro's speed, he could never outrun Shinobu Kocho. After all, thrusting attacks were her greatest specialty.

So he had to break free of Sanemi Shinazugawa's delaying efforts as quickly as possible. Otherwise, Nezuko might already have been poisoned to death by the time he saw her again.

"Wind Breathing - Fourth Form: Rising Dust Storm!"

"Water Breathing - Eleventh Form: Dead Calm!"

The violently rising gale sent sand and stones flying, uprooting the surrounding trees. Yet Giyu Tomioka, standing in its midst, seemed to turn intangible, his figure instantly vanishing.

When he appeared again, he was already standing before Shinazugawa. He raised his sword.

"Water Breathing - Tenth Form: Constant Flux!"

By using the Tenth Form, which had the least killing power but the greatest agility, he could disarm Shinazugawa without hurting him.

Unfortunately, Sanemi Shinazugawa was no weak Hashira.

The Wind Hashira was also a top-tier fighter, second only to the Stone Hashira.

He grinned, seemingly growing excited.

"Water Breathing has an eleventh form? I've never heard of it! But bring it on!"

They clashed dozens of times in an instant, blades flashing as the ground along their path shattered layer by layer. For a short while, neither seemed to have the upper hand, yet Giyu Tomioka grew increasingly anxious.

But the more anxious he became, the more easily he exposed openings.

Gradually, with his focus slipping, Giyu Tomioka fell half a move behind Shinazugawa, and that tiny opening was steadily widened by a storm of attacks.

It's over. He's going to lose! Damn it, move already, you useless legs!

Zenitsu screamed inwardly.

Meanwhile, elsewhere.

Tanjiro raced through the woods with Nezuko in his arms, his eyes frighteningly bright, his crimson pupils like blood.

"Nezuko, I'll protect you, no matter what. Mr. Giyu, thank you for buying me time!

But now, I might not be able to do as you said..."

Tanjiro was preparing to fight back!

His breathing was like a steaming boiler, letting out a piercing whistle, with flames surging at the corners of his mouth.

He set Nezuko down, gripped his damaged Nichirin Blade, and turned to stare at the purple figure darting toward him like lightning.

"Nezuko, run!"