Chapter 26: The Problem of Fear
As the whirlpool dissipated, the black water was littered with severed demon limbs and shredded mesh garments.
A relatively intact piece of fabric floated before Tanjiro. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was the collection of hairpins from one of the demons.
Tanjiro immediately tucked the fragment into his uniform and swam quickly toward the surface.
The moment he broke through, he collided with Nezuko, who had been crouching by the water's edge, anxiously waiting for him to emerge.
Knocked backward, Nezuko looked up at him with a pitiful, wounded expression.
Tanjiro immediately helped his sister to her feet, soothing her gently. "Nezuko, are you okay? I didn't know you were waiting right there! I'm so sorry! Are you hurt anywhere?"
He stroked her head affectionately.
With Tanjiro's comfort, Nezuko's grievance immediately melted away. She rubbed her face against his palm contentedly.
At that moment, Tanjiro noticed Hakuya on the other side, holding a Nichirin blade against the neck of each remaining demon clone with both hands. The demons were completely immobilized.
Tanjiro walked over to his senior. "Hakuya-senpai, I still have a long way to go!"
Hearing this, Hakuya smiled at Tanjiro. "What nonsense are you talking about? You did excellently! Facing three demons who can use Blood Demon Art, you managed to severely injure them. That's remarkable! Even without me, I bet you would've surfaced and subdued them by now!"
"But I didn't kill them in one strike like you did before!" Tanjiro still felt he fell short of Hakuya's level.
Hakuya knew Tanjiro wasn't as strong as he was, but to avoid discouraging him, he added, "If you'd killed them underwater, we wouldn't be able to question them about Muzan Kibutsuji."
Tanjiro felt somewhat better at those words.
"You've done well! You need to believe in yourself!" Hakuya continued.
Tanjiro nodded, a smile finally breaking through.
Having restored Tanjiro's confidence, Hakuya turned back to the two demons. They'd been so severely injured by Tanjiro that only their torsos and heads remained intact.
"Now, I have something to ask you. Do you know Muzan Kibutsuji?"
The moment Hakuya finished speaking, both demons' expressions suddenly changed. Their initial shock gave way to absolute terror. Their mutilated bodies trembled violently.
Seeing their reactions, both Hakuya and Tanjiro couldn't help but wonder: What was happening? Were they being controlled somehow?
"Hurry up and answer!" Tanjiro shouted.
"I dare not say..." one demon replied, voice quaking with fear.
"I'll die... I'll die... I'll die... I can't say... I can't say..." the other demon repeated the words like a mantra, its voice growing increasingly frantic.
Tanjiro looked at Hakuya helplessly. "Hakuya-senpai, what's wrong with them?"
Hakuya shook his head. "I don't know for certain, but Muzan Kibutsuji may have placed some kind of curse on them using his Blood Demon Art. They physically cannot speak about him without consequences."
Understanding dawned on Tanjiro. "So what do we do now? Just kill them?"
"Getting information about Muzan Kibutsuji isn't as easy as we thought," Hakuya said with a hint of frustration. "Leave the rest to me."
With that, Hakuya sheathed both his Nichirin blades.
Then, a dark purple aura began emanating from Hakuya's body. Dark purple patterns appeared across his face. His eyes took on a strange, eerie appearance—the whites turning black, the pupils glowing an unsettling purple.
The aura gradually gathered behind Hakuya, eventually forming a dark purple shadow that resembled neither human nor demon.
Finally, Hakuya extended his arm—now even more monstrous in appearance—toward the two demons.
The demons, seeing Hakuya's transformation, became even more terrified.
Kazumi was also frightened by the transformation. Only Tanjiro remained relatively calm. Having witnessed Hakuya's demon form once before at Mount Fujikasane, he wasn't frightened, but rather curious about what his senior was planning.
"Become sustenance for the demon! Devour!" The shadow behind Hakuya suddenly transformed into thick black tendrils, completely engulfing one of the demons.
Enveloped by the dark aura, Tanjiro could still see what was happening. The demon cried out in agony, as if experiencing the torments of hell itself. As its screams faded, the black aura gradually dissipated, and the demon vanished completely—not even ash remained.
The purple-black aura gathered behind Hakuya once more, condensing back into the shadowy demon form.
Hakuya then exited his demon state and returned to his normal appearance.
Tanjiro was puzzled. If Hakuya wanted to kill the demon, why didn't he just use his Nichirin blade? Wouldn't that be more direct?
"Hakuya-senpai, if you wanted to kill them, why did you transform? Wouldn't using your sword be easier? The last time I saw you in that state, it didn't seem very stable!" Tanjiro asked.
"My special ability allows me to absorb the Blood Demon Arts of demons I devour. What you just witnessed was that absorption process," Hakuya explained concisely.
Hearing this, Tanjiro was genuinely surprised. He had no idea Hakuya could copy demons' Blood Demon Arts. Now that he knew, he realized just how powerful that ability was!
Though he felt a twinge of envy, Tanjiro didn't feel jealous. Instead, he was happy for Hakuya.
At that moment, Tanjiro walked over to Kazumi.
Kazumi was sitting on the ground, heartbroken. The unconscious woman was propped against the wall beside him.
Tanjiro crouched down. "Kazumi-san, are you okay?"
"I couldn't save Satoko for you, but no matter how much you've lost, I hope you can continue living with a smile, no matter how painful the loss!"
As Kazumi listened to Tanjiro's words of comfort, tears welled up in his eyes again.
"You think it's that easy after losing your fiancée? What do you know, kid? Stop saying such naive things!"
Kazumi grew increasingly angry. He suddenly grabbed Tanjiro by the collar, looking as if he was about to strike him.
Tanjiro showed no anger. Instead, he blocked Kazumi's punch with his palm and looked at him with a gentle, understanding smile.
Then, Tanjiro pulled out the scrap of fabric containing the hairpins. He handed it to Kazumi. "I'm leaving now. This is the only thing I could recover. If something of Satoko-san's is among them, I hope it brings you some small comfort."
Kazumi took the item and spread it out before him. Seeing the pink bow-shaped hairpin, he burst into tears.
At that moment, Hakuya approached and spoke to Kazumi. "The dead are gone, and Satoko-san's spirit probably doesn't want to see you like this. What you should do now is honor her memory by living well, perhaps take care of her parents, and eventually find someone who can understand you and start a new life."
After saying that, Hakuya didn't wait to see if Kazumi had heard him. He looked at Tanjiro. "The matter is resolved. We should leave."
Tanjiro nodded, then helped Nezuko climb back into her wooden box. He secured it on his back and departed with Hakuya.
Kazumi watched them leave. Suddenly, realization struck him. He shouted after Tanjiro, "I'm so sorry! What I said was terrible and I acted so impulsively! Please forgive my rashness!"
Tanjiro stopped, turned, and waved goodbye to Kazumi. "Kazumi-san, please take care of that woman!"
Then Tanjiro hurried to catch up with Hakuya.
Hakuya and Tanjiro left town and found a quiet grove outside to rest for the night.
The next morning, just as the sun was rising, a crow from the Demon Slayer Corps flew onto Hakuya's shoulder.
"CAW! Your next destination is Asakusa, Tokyo! CAW! Rumors say demons are lurking there!"
Tanjiro was startled by the crow's sudden announcement. "Another mission so soon?"
"Depart immediately! Depart immediately!" the crow repeated insistently.
"Let's go, Tanjiro." Hakuya had no objections to the fast-paced assignments.
"Yes, Hakuya-senpai!" Tanjiro said nothing more. He secured Nezuko's wooden box on his back and set off for their next mission location—Asakusa, Tokyo.
After several days of travel, Hakuya and Tanjiro arrived in Asakusa during the bustling evening hours of the night market.
Asakusa was far more developed than any town they'd passed through. Even at night, it was brilliantly lit and teeming with activity.
Upon entering the city, Tanjiro was completely awestruck. The highly developed urban area with all kinds of modern facilities and Western-style buildings was utterly shocking to someone who'd grown up selling charcoal in the mountains.
"Is this really a city? Has civilization advanced this far?" Tanjiro stood frozen among the crowds flowing around him, unable to process what he was seeing.
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