"Faster! Faster!! Faster!!!"
Matsuemon Tennoji ( Tanjiro's Kasugai Crow ) was yelling loudly in the sky.
"I know! I know! I've been running the whole time! Can you please be quiet?"
Matsuemon Tennoji flew to Tanjiro's side and shouted:
"Didn't Lord Kato say that training time will be less during missions, so we should make the most of every available moment? We can train by running while traveling!"
"Yes, yes, yes! I know that's why I'm running!"
"Too slow! Too slow!! Too slow!!!" Matsuemon Tennoji cried out, then flew to Tanjiro's head and kept pecking at Tanjiro's head with his beak.
"Ah! Be gentle!!"
Tanjiro clutched his head and cried out in pain, his pace quickening involuntarily.
On the country road, a person and a bird ran swiftly forward.
Please!!!
A voice trembling with tears made the man and the bird pause slightly.
Tanjiro looked in the direction of the sound and saw a boy wearing a yellow polka-dot haori kneeling on the ground, holding a girl and crying loudly, pleading with her as he cried.
Please!
Please marry me!!
I don't know when I'll die, and it would be so tragic if I never even touched a girl before I died!!!
So, please marry me!!
Please!!!
Tanjiro was slightly taken aback.
Huh? What's going on?
A brown sparrow spotted Tanjiro and flapped its wings as it flew over.
Tanjiro instinctively raised a hand to let the sparrow fall.
"Chirp, chirp..."
The sparrow kept chirping in Tanjiro's hand.
"No, even if you say that, I still wouldn't understand!" Tanjiro scratched his head with his other hand.
Matsuemon Tennoji explained, "That person is also a team member; it's telling you to hurry and stop him!"
"Oh! I see!" Tanjiro suddenly realized, and then quickly went over.
He grabbed Zenitsu by the back of his collar and separated Zenitsu from the girl.
"What are you doing? Can't you see they don't want to? Besides, don't make things difficult for the sparrow!"
Zenitsu was still a little dazed when he was suddenly dragged away from the girl, and turned to look at Tanjiro.
"Huh? Team uniform? You... you're the one who cleared the Mount Fujikasane Test back then?"
"Who are you? I don't know you!"
Zenitsu shouted, "Huh? We've met before, haven't we? Back at Mount Fujikasane, didn't we pass the Final Selection together?"
Upon hearing Zenitsu's words, Tanjiro seemed to remember something as well.
He did seem to have seen this person before.
But... how embarrassing...
After putting Zenitsu down, Tanjiro went to the girl's side and said:
"Don't worry, everything is fine now. You can go home safely!!"
"Okay! Thank you very much!!" The girl smiled and bowed to Tanjiro in gratitude.
"Hey--!!!" Zenitsu's blood pressure spiked at the sight before him, and he roared angrily:
"Are you using me as a stepping stone?"
How dare you! You've got your eye on this girl too?
But there has to be a proper order of arrival!
I was the one who fell for her first!!
She's going to marry me in the future...
Snap!
A loud slap rang out as the girl delivered a blow to Zenitsu.
This was followed by a series of slaps.
"Ouch! Be gentle!! Be gentle!..."
Tanjiro, seeing this, quickly went up and pulled the girl away.
"Calm down! Calm down!!"
The girl struggled a few times, but seeing that she couldn't break free, she angrily said:
"Who would marry you?! I'm already engaged!!"
Upon hearing this, Zenitsu froze on the spot, his jaw clenching.
"A... a... a marriage contract?"
Ignoring the two of them, the girl turned and left angrily.
"Etc..."
Zenitsu reached out a hand, as if trying to stop the girl from leaving.
Seeing this, Tanjiro advised, "You should give up! She already said she's engaged!"
Upon hearing Tanjiro's words, Zenitsu seemed to have found an outlet for his anger and turned around angrily.
"It's all your fault! If you hadn't interfered, I would have already married her!!"
Upon hearing this, Tanjiro's lips twitched slightly.
This was the first time he had ever encountered something like this...
emmm...
Such a special person...
Hey! What's with that expression?!
Why are you looking at me with that expression, like you're looking at some other creature?
Let me tell you.
I'm not married today because of you, so you have to take responsibility for it!
Tanjiro couldn't help but lean back slightly.
Huh? Is he really serious?
Ignoring Tanjiro's reaction, Zenitsu continued to wail:
Listen carefully!
I'm super weak!
If I were to carry out a mission alone, I might die at the hands of the devil on my next mission!
You won't be able to fulfill your responsibilities then.
So you heard me clearly.
Before I get married, you have to take responsibility for protecting me!
Tanjiro's lips twitched slightly, and he asked uncertainly, "Are you... are you serious?"
"Of course! Do you think I'm joking? Who would joke about their own life?!"
"So how did you pass the Mount Fujikasane Test and become Demon Slayer?"
Zenitsu his head with both hands, collapsed to the ground in agony, and wailed:
I don't know either!
I faint from fright every time I encounter a ghost!
When I woke up, everything was fine!
It must be because one of the kind teammates saved me!
The team member who saved me is such a kind person!
At this point, Zenitsu became somewhat indignant again:
"But it's also thanks to them!"
I actually passed the Final Selection.
Now I'm stuck doing ghost-hunting missions all the time.
Terrifying! So terrifying!
This is absolutely hellish!
If I'm this weak, I might get killed by a demon on the next demon-hunting mission!
The ghost will drain my blood, eat all my flesh, and might not even leave me with my brain!
No, help!
I don't want this!!
Seeing that Zenitsu's fear seemed genuine, Tanjiro couldn't help but soften.
He crouched down and gently patted Zenitsu.
"My name is Tanjiro Kamado! Don't worry! If we really encounter any danger later, I'll definitely protect you if I can!"
Protect you!
I'll protect you!
Protect!
Tanjiro's words resonated in Zenitsu's ears like heavenly music.
Zenitsu instantly perked up, knelt down, and tightly grasped Tanjiro's hands.
"My name is Zenitsu Agatsuma. I'm counting on you from now on, Tanjiro!!"