"Yeah, this is enough." Wiping his sweat, Tanjirou put away his axe and slung his bamboo basket over his back. "Yoizumi-nii, what about you…?"
Behind him, there was no one. The snow was still falling.
Back at home, Hanako, Shigeru, Takeo, and Rokkuta were in the room.
Where were Nezuko and Yoizumi-nii?
"Where are Nezuko and Yoizumi-nii?"
"Yo-nii went with Big Sister to pick wild vegetables in the mountains," Takeo said, looking at Tanjirou.
"Eh! It's daytime now!" Tanjirou's sudden nervousness made Hanako a little confused.
"Is that not allowed?"
Ah… strange, why was that his first reaction?
In reality, Nezuko crawled out of the wooden box, first looking at her two sleeping brothers, then at Zenitsu and Inosuke on the other side. Her pink eyes were dazed, not knowing why everyone was asleep.
And one person was standing asleep, holding someone by the neck.
She reached out and shook Tanjirou, who was slumped in his seat, and pulled Yoizumi's wrist, but found that no matter what, her brothers wouldn't wake up.
An angry Nezuko couldn't reach Yoizumi, so she could only forcefully ram her head into Tanjirou's forehead. The result was Tanjirou's head remaining perfectly fine, while Nezuko's forehead immediately started bleeding. Her small mouth pouted, and large tears welled up and streamed down her face. Even angrier, she headbutted Tanjirou again with her bleeding head.
Nezuko's blood instantly ignited and enveloped Tanjirou but didn't harm him in the slightest.
In his dream, flames erupted from Tanjirou's wrists, engulfing his entire body. He dazedly gripped his nichirin blade, looking at his Demon Slayer Corps uniform.
He remembered!
The smell of Nezuko's blood! Was he attacked?
Was I asleep?
When?!
He had to wake up quickly, Nezuko was crying!
Looking at his startled younger siblings, Tanjirou struggled and gritted his teeth.
I'm sorry, I have to go… He rushed out the door, his younger siblings' calls echoing behind him.
Where? Where is the demon that put me to sleep?
The slippery snow nearly made Tanjirou stumble and fall. A pair of strong hands appeared, reaching out to steady Tanjirou.
Looking at the owner of these hands, Tanjirou's eyes paused.
His Yoizumi-nii, whom he had known so well, looked at him with concern.
"What's wrong, Tanjirou, you're very flustered."
Yoizumi reached out and touched Tanjirou's cold cheek, frowning. "It's so cold, let's go home first."
"Brother?" Nezuko walked over, holding a basket of wild vegetables. "What happened?"
Tanjirou tried hard to suppress his tears. Yoizumi-nii and Nezuko were both standing safely in the sun. Everyone was still alive.
This was the peaceful life he should have had, but now it had become an unattainable dream for his entire life.
He bit his lower lip, and tears fell onto the snow, dissolving into nothingness.
"Mom, over here! Over here!"
"Brother just had fire coming out of him!"
"Tanjirou, are you alright?"
Tanjirou took a few steps forward, his head bowed, with his family's concerned words behind him. He didn't dare to look back; he was afraid that if he did, he would see the worried looks in his family's eyes, and he would be unable to harden his heart and leave.
He swallowed the lump in his throat, took a deep breath of the cold air, and clenched his fists. His already pale knuckles turned even whiter.
"I really want to stay here forever…" he murmured softly. Yoizumi, who was right behind him, heard this and walked over to Tanjirou's side.
"This is Tanjirou's home. Tanjirou can stay here forever."
Yoizumi-nii… He knew, he also wanted to be with everyone forever.
But… he had already lost them once!
Nezuko and Yoizumi-nii in reality still didn't know what was happening.
Having lost them once, he couldn't bear to experience it again.
He lifted his feet, one step after another, finally running away with determination.
"Brother! Don't leave me!" Rokkuta cried out heartbrokenly, and Tanjirou ran with tears streaming down his face.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry… "Tanjirou, I don't know what happened, but please be careful."
"Everyone will wait for you to come back."
Yoizumi-nii's voice came, and Tanjirou nodded vigorously.
I will go back, back to Yoizumi-nii and Nezuko's side!
... A cold snowball hit him on the head. Yoizumi dazedly reached up to wipe away the snow remaining on his face.
"Yay! We actually managed to hit Yoizumi-nii!" Shigeru excitedly ran out from behind the tree he was hiding behind, coming up to Yoizumi.
"Eh? Yo-nii actually got hit." Takeo could hardly believe it. After so many snowball fights, this was the first time.
"Yoizumi-nii, are you feeling alright?" Nezuko, who was watching from the side, walked up to Yoizumi. Seeing him in a daze, she asked worriedly.
Yoizumi looked at Nezuko. He had just heard her crying, but Nezuko was clearly right here.
No… he hadn't misheard. That sound was sometimes distant, sometimes near, but it wasn't an illusion.
He sharply turned his head. Was someone there not far away just now?
"Yoizumi-nii?" Nezuko's concerned expression made Yoizumi snap out of his daze. He shook his head and smiled calmly.
"I'm fine."
"Tsk, I'm here. I almost got found out." A haggard-looking child ran through the snow.
"I need to find the core quickly and destroy it."
Found it!
Although the scenery continued, he couldn't move forward another step. Taking out a tool, he swiped it through the air, and the space was torn apart. The child walked in.
He found himself in a strange place.
Is this where the core exists?
How could it be like this?
He swallowed, bravely walking forward. He had to destroy it; that way, he could also have a good dream.
Beneath his feet was a dark sea, as if he might accidentally fall into an endless abyss, so black he couldn't see anything.
Yet above his head was a sea pierced by sunlight, where he could clearly see the ripples on the surface, the light refracted by the restless sea. Looking up, it was like countless shimmering points of light.
Two completely different seas appeared at the same time.
What's going on?
In such a world, what would his core look like?
Ahead is… the core!
Clenching his tool, let me have a good dream!
Getting closer and closer, almost able to see it clearly!
What exactly is it like… He suddenly opened his eyes.
What, back to reality?
He was so close!
What on earth is going on?!
As soon as he stood up, he felt a pain in the back of his neck and fell to the ground.
"Yoizumi-nii! Yoizumi-nii! Wake up!"
The awakened Tanjirou shook Yoizumi's body.
"No, he won't wake up!"
What to do?
He could only go find the source demon first.
If he killed that demon, everyone should be able to wake up.
"Nezuko, you stay here and keep trying to wake everyone up!"
Pushing open the train car door, the strong demonic aura made Tanjirou cover his nose.
He actually fell asleep in this situation?
How disgraceful!
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