Chika's answer came instantly.
"No."
Her hand moved before Zenitsu could even blink—a sharp chop to the neck. Thunder might as well have struck him again; he froze, eyes wide, the same way he had the day lightning literally turned his hair from black to gold.
"Wh-why?! Wait—your voice…" His eyes widened. "You're… you're that one from Final Selection, aren't you?!"
Chika sighed and pulled down the hood of her black cloak. Her cold gaze met his, and Zenitsu let out a squeak of terror.
"You two—! You're the swordsmen who chased that demon down during Final Selection!"
Still sitting on the dirt, he scrambled backward with panicked little hops, putting as much distance between them as he could.
Just as he was about to bolt, the tiny sparrow assigned to him after Final Selection fluttered straight into his face, pecking furiously at his forehead.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
"Ow, ow, ow! Stop! Why are you bullying me too?! What did I do to deserve this?!"
Chika and Tanjiro stood off to the side, quietly admiring what could only be called a masterpiece of human misery—A Man Bullied by a Sparrow.
Tanjiro tilted his head. "Is… is he an idiot?"
Chika nodded. "Obviously."
Through the strange gift that let Tanjiro understand animals, they finally pieced together what was going on. Zenitsu had been assigned the same mission as them—a demon-slaying operation at this very estate.
Once he calmed down, Zenitsu started talking—loudly, dramatically, and with far too many tears. He'd joined the Demon Slayer Corps after being scammed by a girl he thought loved him. A cultivator—a trainer of new recruits—had paid off his debt and taken him as a disciple, teaching him the basics of Thunder Breathing.
He'd only mastered one form, but that single technique was terrifyingly powerful.
"Tanjiro, you have to protect me, okay?!"
"Uh… shouldn't you stay closer to my sister? She's a lot stronger than I am."
Zenitsu paled. "W-wait, what? No way! Just looking at her gives me the feeling she'd rip my head open if I annoyed her!"
"That's… not true…" Tanjiro mumbled, though even he sounded unsure.
Zenitsu wasn't convinced. In his mind, Tanjiro was already the perfect person—kind, gentle, even cute enough that if Tanjiro were a girl, Zenitsu would have proposed on the spot.
By the time the three of them reached the massive mansion looming ahead, the sky had grown dim. Outside the gate, a trembling boy and girl clung to each other in terror.
The three Slayers exchanged glances. Finally, they all turned toward Tanjiro.
"You go," Chika said.
He sighed and stepped forward.
With his sharp sense of smell, Tanjiro quickly detected it—the scent of a powerful demon. Its strength was on par with the monsters they'd faced before, the likes of Yahaba and Susamaru.
Zenitsu's knees nearly gave out. "A h-high-level demon?! Oh no, oh no, I'm gonna die! I don't even know how I survived Final Selection! I was just running the whole time! I even blacked out for part of it!"
Chika estimated the timing. In the original story, a boy would soon come crashing out of the mansion, bleeding to death before their eyes.
But that hadn't happened yet. Which meant—maybe—there was still time to save him.
"Tanjiro, stay here," she said, resting a hand on her sword's hilt. "I'll handle this one alone."
Tanjiro wanted to protest but saw the resolve in her eyes. Besides, the two frightened children—and Zenitsu—needed protection. He nodded.
"Be careful, Sister."
Zenitsu tugged on his sleeve nervously. "H-hey, Tanjiro, your sister going in alone is too dangerous! Maybe you should go too! I can protect the kids! Probably!"
Tanjiro's expression softened. "It's all right. I told you before—my sister's even stronger than I am."
Zenitsu swallowed hard. He believed her strong, yes—but how strong? The Demon Slayer Corps had many women, but few on the front lines. The ratio of female to male fighters was something like one to nine.
He'd never even trained with a woman before. If he had, maybe he wouldn't still be single.
"Don't worry," Tanjiro added with a smile. "My sister's the strongest."
Inside the mansion, Chika moved quickly. She didn't have Tanjiro's keen sense of smell to pinpoint the demon's location—but she didn't need it.
The drumbeats began softly, echoing through the corridors. With each beat, the walls and rooms shifted position, the whole mansion twisting like a puzzle box.
'So this is it—the Drum Demon's domain.'
Wasting no time running in circles, Chika narrowed her eyes and drew her Nichirin Blade.
"Water Breathing, Tenth Form: Constant Flux!"
The blue dragon spiraled to life around her blade as she dashed forward, smashing through the nearest wall.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Each impact shattered wood and stone alike. Even outside, Tanjiro and Zenitsu heard the thunderous noise.
"Wh-what's happening?!" Zenitsu shouted, covering his ears.
Deep inside the mansion, a shirtless boy wearing a boar's head mask froze mid-step. He turned toward the crashing sound, eyes narrowing.
A second later, the wall in front of him exploded outward. A roaring water dragon surged through, tearing straight through the opposite wall, then another, and another, until it vanished down the corridor.
The boy blinked, dumbstruck.
"…What the hell was that?"