Chapter 51: Kanae! Get out of here with this disgusting thing immediately!
Kanae Kocho was already in tears.
She covered her mouth, trying to keep herself from crying out loud.
"Look, Shinobu, Sanemi-san, I didn't misjudge him."
"Tatsu really is someone with a noble soul."
However, in the eyes of Kocho Shinobu and Sanemi Shinazugawa, this scene appeared incredibly absurd and farcical.
"Ha? Hahahahaha!"
Sanemi Shinazugawa suddenly burst into a fit of neurotic, wild laughter.
He covered his face with his hand, laughing until tears almost came out, his laughter filled with mockery.
"A demon? Going to buy Konpeito?"
"A demon? Learning some bullshit Kagura dance to protect humans?"
"Old man, have you gone senile from illness? Is your brain fried?"
"He definitely used some extremely clever Blood Demon Art to brainwash both you and Kanae!"
He absolutely did not believe Tanjuro's words.
In his creed of life, demons = lies = eating people.
He had seen too many cunning demons who, in order to survive, disguised themselves as humans and put on a pitiful act,
only to reveal their hideous fangs the moment the demon slayers let down their guard.
He would never be deceived by such a crude trick of self-harm!
Kocho Shinobu was likewise full of suspicion.
She gripped her nichirin sword tightly, her fingernails sinking deep into her palm.
"Sir, what demons are best at is bewitching people's hearts."
Kocho Shinobu's voice was as cold as ice.
"They will use all sorts of sweet words and hypocritical actions to trick humans into trusting them."
"By the time you completely let your guard down, he will eat your entire family until not even a bone is left!"
"You must not be deceived by him!"
She absolutely did not believe that a demon could possess emotions.
If demons really had emotions, then what about the demon that murdered her parents back then?
What about the demon that injured her sister like this?
The sickly man in front of her must be under deep hypnosis from a Blood Demon Art.
However, despite the anger filling their hearts,
Kocho Shinobu and Sanemi Shinazugawa did not launch an attack immediately.
They were both battle-hardened members of the Demon Slayer Corps with extremely high combat discipline.
At this moment, that 'vile demon' was standing in the courtyard of those civilians,
only a few steps away from the sickly man.
If they forced a move now and happened to provoke the demon,
causing him to lash out, take hostages, or even kill the family on the spot, they would be the ones at fault.
"Tch!"
Sanemi Shinazugawa gritted his teeth, forcibly suppressing the killing intent churning in his heart.
"Kanae! Get out of here with this disgusting thing immediately!"
"Find a place where no one is around; I'm going to chop him into mincemeat with my own hands!"
Kocho Shinobu also stared coldly at Tatsu:
"Let's go."
"If you really don't harm humans as this gentleman says, then stay far away from them."
Tatsu straightened his body, ignoring the hostile gazes of the two.
He knew that prejudice in the human heart is a great mountain; it was impossible to eliminate it with just a few words from Tanjuro.
But he didn't care; as long as Kanae and Tanjuro believed in him, that was enough.
"Let's go, Kanae."
Kanae nodded, gave a slight bow to Tanjuro,
and then walked out of the courtyard side by side with Tatsu.
Kocho Shinobu and Sanemi Shinazugawa immediately followed closely behind.
Their hands never left their sword hilts, and their gazes were locked firmly on Tatsu.
The four figures soon disappeared into the night.
The suffocating air of slaughter in the courtyard also dissipated.
In front of the wooden house, tranquility was restored.
Only the breeze blew through the bamboo forest, making a rustling sound.
Tanjuro stood quietly on the steps, looking in the direction where the four had left, not moving for a long time.
"Sorry, this is the most I can do for you."
"Husband..."
A gentle voice filled with a bit of worry came from behind him.
Kie, draped in a cloak, walked quickly out of the house,
hurriedly supporting the swaying Tanjuro.
"I'm fine, Kie."
Tanjuro gently patted the back of his wife's hand, giving her a reassuring smile.
At this moment, several small heads peeked out from the crack in the door.
Tanjiro was the first to run out.
He had actually been startled awake long ago inside the house.
With his extraordinary sense of smell,
he had not only smelled the intense killing intent on the two strange swordsmen but also an extremely complex scent.
"Father..."
Tanjiro walked to Tanjuro's side and looked up,
his ruby-like clear eyes filled with confusion and sorrow.
"Just now... I smelled the scent on Big Brother Tatsu."
"His scent... is filled with immense sadness,"
"and also... an aura that is warm like the sun yet suppressed."
Tanjiro paused, his voice becoming somewhat choked up:
"Big Brother Tatsu... is he really a demon?"
Immediately after, Nezuko also ran out.
The little girl's hand was tightly clutching a small cloth bag.
Inside was the Konpeito that Tatsu had just bought for her at the market yesterday.
Nezuko's eyes were red, and tears fell like broken strings of beads.
"Father, are demons bad people?"
Nezuko sobbed, holding the Konpeito in her hand up to Tanjuro.
"But... but when Big Brother Tatsu bought me candy, he had such a beautiful smile."
"Bad people... bad demons wouldn't buy Nezuko Konpeito, right?"
Then, Hanako, Takeo, Shigeru, and Rokuta all gathered around.
"Big Brother Tatsu helps us chop so much firewood every day!"
Takeo rubbed his eyes and said loudly.
"Big Brother Tatsu even taught me how to weave grass grasshoppers..."
Hanako pulled at Kie's hem, her face red from crying.
"Big Brother Tatsu isn't a bad person!"
"Those people with swords are the bad ones; they were mean to Big Brother Tatsu!"
Shigeru clenched his small fists and said indignantly.
Looking at the children gathered around him, all speaking up for Tatsu, and hearing their naive yet incredibly sincere words,
Tanjuro and Kie glanced at each other.
Although they were poor and lived in these remote mountains,
they would not judge a person based on worldly labels.
They only believed in the warmth and kindness they had personally felt.
Tanjuro slowly crouched down and took the children into his arms.
He reached out his rough hands, gently wiping the tears from Nezuko's face and ruffling Tanjiro's hair.
"Children, you must remember."
"In this world, there are many things that cannot be judged by appearances alone."
"Some people wear a human skin, but a vile demon lives in their hearts,"
"while others, even if they unfortunately take on the form of a demon,"
"in their hearts, the flowers belonging to humanity still bloom."
Tanjuro looked up in the direction Tatsu had left.
"Your Big Brother Tatsu,"
"is currently walking on a very, very difficult path."
"He carries a heavy curse on his shoulders,"
"and must face the world's misunderstandings."
"But as long as his heart still turns toward the sun,"
"as long as he still remembers how to love and how to protect..."
Tanjuro smiled.
"He will always be a guest of our Kamado Family,"
"and your warmest Big Brother Tatsu."
"He... will definitely not be swallowed by the darkness."
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