When Tanjiro saw the demon vanish in the sunlight, fear snapped him back to his senses. The heavy stone he was holding slipped from his hands and hit the ground with a dull thud.
"It turns to ashes in sunlight?! No wonder Nezuko avoids it!" Tanjiro thought, heart racing.
Panicked, he looked around for his sister and Shin Arashi.
"Nezuko! Senior Shin!" Tanjiro shouted. Where could they have gone while he was hesitating?
He rushed back to the Buddhist temple and stood at the entrance, scanning the dim interior. In one dark corner, he spotted Nezuko curled up inside a bamboo basket. Next to it, Shin Arashi was sound asleep, leaning against the wall.
Tanjiro let out a sigh of relief. He didn't wake Shin Arashi and turned to look around outside the temple.
Off to the side, he noticed Urokodaki Sakonji kneeling by several small mounds of earth—graves he had dug for those killed by demons. The old man bowed his head in silent prayer.
"Um—" Tanjiro started to speak as he walked over.
Before he could finish, Urokodaki stood up and said, "I am Urokodaki Sakonji. You and that young man—you're the ones Giyu mentioned, correct?"
"Yes! My name is Tanjiro Kamado. The young man is Senior Shin Arashi, and my sister is Nezuko," Tanjiro replied quickly, relieved to have found the man he was looking for.
Urokodaki didn't respond to the introductions. Instead, he stared directly at Tanjiro and asked, "Tanjiro, what will you do if your sister ever eats a human?"
Tanjiro froze, stunned by the question. He didn't know how to answer.
Seeing his hesitation, Urokodaki walked over and slapped him sharply across the face.
"There's no need for you to worry," said a calm voice nearby. "As long as I'm around, Nezuko won't harm anyone. But if she ever does, I'll be the one to end her life."
It was Shin Arashi, now awake and standing against the wall of the temple, his expression composed.
After speaking, he yawned and stretched casually.
Urokodaki turned to look at Shin Arashi. Despite his calm demeanor, the old man was impressed. Shin's decisiveness and control were traits Urokodaki respected signs of a warrior with a strong heart.
"Shin Arashi is right," Urokodaki said, facing Tanjiro again. "You're too slow to make decisions. The entire night passed, and still, you couldn't finish the demon. And now, you can't even answer a simple question. Your heart isn't firm enough!"
"If your sister loses control and eats someone, you only have two options."
"Kill your sister. Then kill yourself."
"Carrying a demon with you means taking full responsibility for everything that happens. You must never let her hurt anyone."
"Do you understand?"
"Yes! I understand!" Tanjiro said with determination.
"Good," Urokodaki nodded. "Let's see if you're fit to become a demon slayer."
He then turned back to Shin Arashi. "You too, Shin Arashi. Giyu told me you're… different. Special. So, you'll join the trial as well."
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