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Obanai Iguro's past was nothing short of tragic.
He'd been born into a family that had only produced daughters for generations—a clan of thieves who stole property and wealth from others to survive. Greedy, stubborn, vain. The family hadn't seen a male heir in three hundred seventy years.
From the moment of his birth, Obanai's heterochromatic eyes marked him as different. They locked him in a windowless cell and brought him lavish meals every day—food that made him nauseous rather than hungry.
Every night, he heard something massive slithering across the floor outside. He could feel a viscous, suffocating gaze watching him through the darkness.
He was twelve years old when they finally dragged him from his cell.
Face to face with a demon—a woman with a serpent's lower body—Obanai learned the truth. For centuries, his family had survived by offering their children as living sacrifices to this snake demon who murdered and stole on their behalf. The demon preferred eating infants.
But Obanai was special. A rare male child with unusual eyes. The demon found him interesting and decided to fatten him up before devouring him.
To make him match her appearance, the snake demon ordered his family to carve his mouth open from ear to ear.
Thrown back into his cell, Obanai spent every waking moment planning his escape. He stole a hairpin and spent months slowly carving through the wooden bars. The only creature he could trust was Kaburamaru—a small white snake who'd wandered into his cell by accident.
Every day, Obanai lived in constant fear of discovery.
Finally, he escaped.
The snake demon caught up to him just as he encountered the Flame Hashira of that era.
Enraged by his escape, the demon slaughtered Obanai's entire clan. The only survivor—his cousin—spat venom at him instead of gratitude:
"This is all your fault! Everyone's so upset because you ran away! You should've just let her eat you!"
She blamed him for everyone's deaths. He was the sacrifice—he should have accepted his fate quietly.
Those words shattered something inside Obanai Iguro. He began to believe he was trash, born from a family of trash. Unable to direct his anguish anywhere else, he poured all that rage and self-loathing into killing demons.
Only when saving others by slaying demons did he feel any semblance of redemption.
But the past refused to let him go. It dragged behind him like chains, weighing down every step. The only way to achieve purification, he believed, was to die after killing Muzan.
With a mindset bordering on suicidal, Obanai had thrown himself into the fight against demons without looking back.
...
After finishing his story, Obanai looked at Kaidō. "Someone like me... do I even deserve to be with her?"
Kaidō took a breath before responding. "Obanai, everyone has a different past. You can't tear yourself down because of where you came from. Your family's crimes aren't your crimes."
He leaned forward. "Think about it—what would've happened if you hadn't escaped? You'd be dead. And your family would've kept partnering with that snake demon, killing more people, destroying more families. How many would've died? How many children would've lost their parents?"
Kaidō's voice grew firm. "That family deserved what they got. But you're different. Because you made that choice, you saved countless lives from suffering at their hands. So forget this 'deserve' nonsense. If you love someone and they love you back, they won't care about your past."
"But I—"
"No 'buts,' Obanai. If you really love Mitsuri, tell her. Even if she rejects you, at least you won't spend the rest of your life wondering 'what if.'"
Silence stretched between them. Finally, Obanai spoke.
"I understand. Thank you, Kaidō."
...
The Next Day
Kaidō was training in his courtyard when he spotted Hotaru Haganezuka approaching in the distance.
"Haganezuka-san! What brings you here?"
"Hmph! I'm here to engrave your sword, obviously!"
"Engrave what?"
"You IDIOT! Every Hashira's Nichirin blade gets the inscription 'Destroyer of Demons' engraved on it! Obviously!" Haganezuka jabbed his finger repeatedly into Kaidō's forehead with each word.
"Okay, okay! I get it! Here—it's all yours. Thanks for doing this!"
Haganezuka accepted the greatsword and examined it carefully. "Well, well! You've kept the weapon I forged in pristine condition—not a single chip or crack. Excellent! Hahaha!"
"So, uh, how long will the engraving take? I have a mission tomorrow."
"Won't take long. Half a day at most."
"Perfect. I appreciate it!"
...
After Haganezuka finished the engraving, Kaidō presented him with a box of mitarashi dango as thanks. The swordsmith's mood immediately brightened.
Before leaving, Haganezuka issued a stern warning: "Don't you DARE damage this blade, or I'll never forgive you!" Then he departed happily, dango in hand.
Watching him go, Kaidō chuckled. "Now I understand what Tanjiro went through. Still... we're lucky to have the swordsmiths. Without them, fighting demons would be nearly impossible."
He returned to his training.
...
Six Months Later
Kaidō was racing toward Tanjiro Kamado's home in the mountains.
"If my timeline estimate is right, this should be around when the story begins. Hope I'm not too late."
He knew the general plot, but the exact timeline? That was fuzzy at best. He could only make educated guesses.
"There—that's the mountain." He increased his speed, bounding up the snowy slope.
...
On the Mountain
A boy ran desperately down the snow-covered path, carrying a bloodied girl on his back.
"Why? Why did this happen?! Nezuko, hang on! I won't let you die! I'll save you—I promise I'll save you!" Tanjiro's voice cracked with desperation.
"Ah!"
His foot slipped. He tumbled forward, rolling down the slope.
THUD.
"Saved... the snow saved me. Even though the snow is what made me fall in the first place..."
"Nezuko! Are you okay?!" He looked toward where his sister had landed. She was standing—alive.
Relief flooded through him. He scrambled over to embrace her.
Then he saw her eyes.
"Nezuko... no. A demon?! Nezuko turned into a demon?!"
...
"Faster. Come on, faster—please let me make it in time... Hm?" A loud crash echoed from somewhere ahead. "That direction... that's where... Giyu!"
Kaidō changed course immediately.
When he arrived, Giyu Tomioka had already placed a bamboo muzzle over Nezuko's mouth and laid her beside the unconscious Tanjiro.
"Senpai."
"Mm." Giyu acknowledged him with a nod.
"I'll take it from here."
"Fine. Make sure you write to Master Urokodaki about this."
"Will do."
Giyu departed without another word.
Kaidō sighed heavily. "Well, this is just great. Still got here too late. Should've rewatched the anime a few more times when I had the chance—then I'd have the timeline memorized. Ugh."
...
"Nezuko! Thank god you're okay! I was so worried!"
"You're awake, Tanjiro."
"You're... that scent. I know that scent." Tanjiro stared at the masked figure. "It's so familiar. Have we met before?"
"What, you forgot me already?" Kaidō removed his fox mask.
"Kaidō-san! It's you! I'm so glad to see you!" Tanjiro's expression crumbled. "Kaidō-san, my mother—someone killed her! And my brothers and sisters, they're all... and Nezuko, she... she..."
Tears streamed down his face.
"I'm so sorry for your loss, Tanjiro." Kaidō's voice was gentle. "Let's give your family a proper burial first. As for Nezuko—I believe there's a way to turn her back into a human."
"Thank you, Kaidō-san. Thank you so much."
...
After helping Tanjiro bury his family, Kaidō gave him instructions.
"Go to Mount Sagiri. Find a man named Sakonji Urokodaki. Tell him Giyu Tomioka and Ryūjin Kaidō sent you. He'll teach you what you need to know."
"What about you, Kaidō-san?"
"I've got other things to handle. The path ahead—you'll have to walk it yourself." Kaidō placed a hand on Tanjiro's shoulder. "Your family took me in once. Treated me like I was one of you. If you're family, then Nezuko's my little sister too. I'll help find a way to turn her back into a human."
"Thank you, Kaidō-san! I promise I'll do exactly as you said!"
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