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Deep in the night, the Kamado house lay quiet under the moonlight.
Inside, the youngest child, Rokuta Kamado, woke up with an urgent need to pee. He sat up in bed, rubbed his sleepy eyes, and looked over at his two older brothers, Takeo and Shigeru, who were still sound asleep.
Without hesitation he reached over and shook the older one. "Takeo-nii, wake up…"
"Hmm…?" Takeo blinked groggily. "Is it morning already?"
"I gotta pee," Rokuta whispered, voice tight with urgency.
Takeo woke up instantly. "Alright, alright. I'll go with you."
Even though it was a pain, Rokuta was still little and scared to go alone at night. With their big brother Tanjiro away, Takeo—as the second oldest—had to step up. He couldn't let the kid wet the bed and get teased by their sisters in the morning.
He took his little brother's hand and the two of them crept toward the outhouse without lighting a lamp. The Kamado family was poor; they lived by chopping wood and burning charcoal. They rose with the sun and slept with it. Moonlight was all they had.
Knock knock knock.
"Rokuta, you done yet?" Takeo tapped on the door, growing impatient.
"Almost—almost!" Rokuta answered shakily. "Takeo-nii, stop rushing me… I can't go if you keep bugging me…"
Takeo rolled his eyes outside the door.
Neither of them noticed the pair of glowing crimson eyes watching from the shadows nearby.
A hand shot out of the darkness and clamped over Takeo's mouth.
Who—?!
Takeo's eyes flew wide. He tried to pry the hand away, but the grip was impossibly strong. He thrashed and slammed both fists against the outhouse door as hard as he could.
At least… at least protect little brother—
BANG BANG BANG!
The sudden pounding made Rokuta jump. Thinking his brother was getting mad, he called out nervously, "Takeo-nii, don't rush me! I'm really almost done!"
No answer.
"Takeo-nii…? Are you still there?"
Still nothing.
Rokuta cracked the door open and stepped out.
A dark figure crouched on the ground a short distance away. Moonlight glinted off a mouth full of blood-stained teeth. In front of it lay a small, blood-soaked body.
It was Takeo.
Terror flooded Rokuta's eyes, but love for his brother won out.
"You monster! What are you doing to my brother?!"
The little boy charged, tiny fists pounding uselessly against the demon.
The demon casually backhanded him. Rokuta flew through the air and crashed to the ground, coughing up blood.
"I was going to eat the other kid first," the demon said, licking its lips, "but since you're in such a hurry…"
It wiped the blood from its mouth and started toward the fallen boy.
Inside the house, their mother, Kie Kamado, jolted awake as if sensing something terrible.
"Mom…? Did you hear that too?" Nezuko asked, sitting up beside her.
"Yes…" Kie nodded. A sharp pain twisted in her chest—like something unbearable was happening.
"Nezuko, watch over Hanako. I'll be right back."
She hurried outside. The moment she saw the front door left slightly ajar, dread gripped her heart.
Please… don't let anything happen to my children…
She rushed out and froze at the nightmare in front of her.
Two of her boys lay in pools of blood. A monstrous figure crouched over them, tearing into their flesh.
"You bastard! What have you done to my children?!"
Kie snatched up a wooden stick and charged, screaming in fury.
Crack!
The stick shattered against the demon's back.
The creature turned. "A woman? Fine. I'll save you for later. I'll give you my blood soon enough."
Kie's rage exploded. She stabbed the broken stick at the demon's chest.
"You people really don't know when to die," the demon growled, grabbing her by the throat. "So eager to throw your life away?"
"Let… my children… go…" Kie gasped, eyes pleading even as her face turned red from lack of air.
The demon sneered at the look in her eyes, then flung her aside like trash.
"Now no one will interrupt my meal."
It crouched down again—only for a silver chain to shoot out of the darkness and wrap around its entire body.
From the shadows, a figure stepped forward.
Looking at the blood-soaked scene, he spoke quietly.
"Looks like I'm still a little too late."