Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters.
Three figures moved swiftly through the corridor.
They were Shinobu Kocho Giyu Tomioka, who had come all the way from Mount Natagumo, and another member of the Kakunobi organization.
Tanjiro lay quietly behind the members of the Hidden Ones, looking as if he had fainted, while Nezuko crawled into a box and was carried by Shinobu Kocho.
The group quickly arrived at the courtyard where the meeting was to be held. By then, all the other pillars in the courtyard had already arrived and were standing in twos and threes.
"Are you back...?"
Sensing their arrival, Gyomei Himejima muttered something under his breath.
Shinobu Kocho's gaze swept across the courtyard before naturally heading towards Kanae.
Giyu Tomioka also naturally stood in a place that was relatively far away from everyone else.
After thinking for a while, the remaining members of the Hidden Team walked to the center of the courtyard and dropped Tanjiro on the ground.
Kanae looked Shinobu Kocho up and down, and after confirming that there was nothing wrong, her gaze shifted to the box in Shinobu Kocho's hand.
Is Nezuko inside?
Shinobu Kocho nodded and handed over the box.
Kanae took it and walked into the house where it didn't get any sunlight.
Sanemi Shinazugawa's gaze followed Kanae's slight shift before returning to her own.
After glancing at Giyu Tomioka in the distance, she wisely refrained from asking him anything and instead looked at Shinobu Kocho.
"Hey! Insect Hashira! Can you explain what that thing Kasugai Crow was talking about? What do you mean by a swordsman with a demon?"
"Haha, Shinazugawa, can't you even understand what I'm saying?" Tengen Uzui laughed.
Sanemi Shinazugawa said, "Of course I understand, but I don't quite understand what 'a swordsman with a demon' means?"
"That's exactly what it means, a swordsman with a demon! How spectacular! I never imagined it could be done like that!"
Tengen Uzui praised him, then looked at Tanjiro lying on the ground.
"Is this the swordsman with the demon?"
Shinobu Kocho nodded. "Yes, it's him!"
After carefully examining Tanjiro for a few moments, Tengen Uzui said with considerable regret:
"When I first heard this news, I thought one of you was carrying a ghost!"
After all, if you're going to be carrying a ghost, you at least need to be able to defend against its ever-present potential attacks, and most team members don't have that kind of ability!
Didn't expect him to turn out to be just such an ordinary guy?
If there's anything particularly special about him, it might be the scar on his forehead that adds a little something to his charm!
Sanemi Shinazugawa glanced at Tengen Uzui but ignored him.
He had no interest in discussing anything about how glamorous or not with Tengen Uzui.
Looking at Shinobu Kocho, he asked, "Could you explain what exactly is going on?"
Upon hearing this, everyone turned their gaze in that direction.
They only learned about the swordsman with the ghost after receiving a notification from the Kasugai Crow early that morning.
Shinobu Kocho glanced into the house, and seeing that her sister hadn't come out yet, she thought for a moment and said:
"When we went on our mission yesterday, we encountered this swordsman with the demon, and then we received a message from Kasugai Crow saying we had to bring him back!"
Is this just right?
Did the Kasugai Crow arrive just as you were about to meet him?
He couldn't possibly be carrying a Lower Rank, could he?
Even if Lower Rank encountered you, it would be instantly annihilated, right?
Why wait for the Kasugai Crow to arrive?
Obanai Iguro somewhat suspicious.
Giyu Tomioka said, "No need to guess, I stopped Shinobu Kocho from killing him!"
Upon hearing this, everyone turned their gaze toward Giyu Tomioka.
Seeing that Giyu Tomioka seemed unwilling to explain, Kyojuro Rengoku asked:
" Mr. Tomioka, why is that?"
Giyu Tomioka said, "Because I was the one who introduced him to the trainer in the first place!"
Upon hearing this, Shinobu Kocho's lips twitched slightly.
What are you talking about? Isn't this just making things worse?
Sanemi Shinazugawa snapped, "I'm asking you why you stopped the Insect Hashira from killing him!"
Giyu Tomioka explained, "Because I didn't kill him back then, and instead introduced him to a trainer, I naturally won't kill him now!"
Sanemi Shinazugawa's lips twitched slightly. "Then why didn't you kill that demon back then?"
Upon hearing this, Giyu Tomioka stood quietly.
Past memories surfaced in my mind.
Why?
Perhaps it's because I saw my past self in Tanjiro back then...
And Nezuko is definitely different from ordinary demons!
She defeated Tanjiro while she had just become a demon and was injured.
Instead of eating Tanjiro, they chose to protect Tanjiro.
But would they believe me if I told them?
"Hey, hurry up and tell me!" Sanemi Shinazugawa urged.
Giyu Tomioka paused for a moment, then said, "Because she's different from ordinary demons!"
I knew it! Shinobu Kocho slapped her forehead.
"What kind of excuse is that! Get Shinichi!" Sanemi Shinazugawa's forehead veins bulged.
Kanae came out of the house, said, "Regardless of Giyu's reasons, Tanjiro and Nezuko were brought here, weren't they?"
" Tanjiro? Nezuko? Are those the names of the team members and the demons?" Obanai Iguro asked.
Kanae explained, "Yes! That's right! They were originally siblings, the brother was Tanjiro, and the sister was Nezuko!"
Upon hearing this, Mitsuri Kanroji looked up in surprise.
Huh?
Are they siblings?
How touching!
Kyojuro Rengoku nodded, his gaze falling on Kyojuro lying on the ground.
"So, one of the important topics of today's Hashira Meeting is the trial of this boy and his sister?"
Upon hearing this, Tengen Uzui turned his gaze back to Tanjiro.
"How long is he going to sleep? Wake him up!"
"Yes!" the hidden member replied.
Hey! Wake up!
Wake up!
Hey! I'm talking to you, you jerk!
"Hey! Wake up!"
The noise made Tanjiro slowly open his eyes, and he used his hands to push himself up from the ground.
I had just woken up, and my vision was blurry, but I could still make out the general shape of the unfamiliar scene before me.
Where is this place?
How did I get here?
My memories are flooding back; it seems I was on Mount Natagumo when I came down the mountain with Mr. Tomioka and the others.
Down the mountain... Down the mountain...
What do we do after we come down the mountain?
I can't remember!
Did I faint?
As his vision gradually cleared, Tanjiro slowly turned his head, finally fixing his gaze on what lay behind him.
Nine figures stood silently not far behind him, including the pillar who had attacked him on Mount Natagumo.
"What's going on? Who are these people...?"
Bang!
"Snort!"
Tanjiro groaned as his head was shoved to the ground by a member of the Hidden Society beside him.
"Idiot! These are the ten highest-ranking Pillars of our Demon Slayer Corps! Show them some respect!"