The term "Gyuutarou" refers to those who work in the red-light district, responsible for soliciting customers and collecting prostitution fees. They are also known as "Cow" or "Cowtarou."
Perhaps Gyuutarou wasn't the only one named after such an unsavory profession; fragmented human memories allowed him to continue using that name to this day.
"You little brat are quite unlikable, daring to bully my sister..."
Gyuutarou's voice grew closer, but Tanjirou still lay on the ground, unable to move.
He was already at his limit after cutting off Daki's head, and Gyuutarou's kick just now even made him hear his own bones crack. He conservatively estimated that at least three of his ribs were broken.
A sharp pain in his abdomen came in waves, and he had never felt his limbs so heavy.
Stand up... stand up... there are so many innocent humans around, Nezuko is also nearby, I must protect them!
Slowly, Tanjirou's body shifted from lying on his side to crouching on the rooftop, his arms trembling as he propped himself up.
"Pfft..."
Blood spurted from his mouth, but Tanjirou paid it no mind. Supported by his arms, he slowly stood up, though he was hunched over and trembling all over.
He gripped his damaged nichirin blade tightly, his eyes bloodshot, and slowly raised his head. Gyuutarou was already close in front of him.
"Hahahahaha, you can still stand up? But what can you do with that trembling body?" Gyuutarou said mockingly to Tanjirou, tilting his head.
"Let me help you find release."
With a playful attitude, Gyuutarou picked up his scythe and swung it at Tanjirou. His movements weren't fast, and a mocking smile played on his lips.
Clang!
The broken nichirin blade collided with the blood scythe. Even though Gyuutarou didn't use much force, the exhausted Tanjirou was still sent flying by him.
Thud!
This blow sent Tanjirou directly from the rooftop to the ground, but because his forehead hit first, protecting his body, he only scraped his forehead and bled a little.
"You're really weak, try standing up again and let me see."
Gyuutarou leaped down, once again appearing before Tanjirou, who was still struggling to stand up.
Bang!
Just then, a nearby door suddenly opened, and a drunken man shouted loudly from inside:
"What's all the noise about! Can't you quiet down for a bit after all this time!"
Tanjirou and the others had now fallen into another street of the Entertainment District, where people were still unaware of what had happened.
Hearing that voice, Tanjirou's heart jolted.
"Quick... cough cough... run!" Tanjirou used all his strength to shout at the man, but it was already too late.
Gyuutarou turned his head and glanced at the man.
Upon seeing Gyuutarou's face, most of the man's drunkenness wore off in fear, and he trembled, wanting to turn and flee.
The next second, Gyuutarou grabbed the man and returned to Tanjirou's front, covering the man's mouth with his left hand and holding the blood scythe to his neck with his right, grinning at Tanjirou.
"Mmmph mmmph!"
The man, gripping Gyuutarou's hand, had tears welling up in his eyes from fear, and because of the scythe at his neck, he didn't dare to struggle much.
"I remember your goal as a Demon Slayer is to kill us and protect humans, right?"
Gyuutarou said mockingly to Tanjirou, the tip of the scythe in his hand pressing closer to the man's neck. Just a little further and it could pierce his blood vessels.
"But now I'm going to kill him. What can you do about it? Huh?"
Gyuutarou asked Tanjirou with a grin.
"Stop! Him!"
Watching the scene before him, Tanjirou's eyes were splitting with rage. Anger and the will to protect humans drove him to stand up once again, the new wound on his forehead connecting with the old ones, forming a strange shape.
Seeing Tanjirou stand up again, Gyuutarou felt even more excited. He wanted to see this person fall into despair again and again, to let him know that no matter how many times he stood up, it would be useless, and reality would only deliver another painful blow.
"Hahahahaha, this is truly impressive, to stand up again with sheer willpower. But..." Gyuutarou laughed a few times at Tanjirou, then his laughter abruptly stopped, and the expression on his face turned cold.
"The result is still the same!"
Gyuutarou's expression became distorted, and the blood scythe in his right hand was raised high and plunged towards the man's neck.
"Mmmph!!!"
The man held by Gyuutarou desperately tried to break free, but it was useless.
At the same time, Tanjirou raised his broken blade and charged at Gyuutarou, wanting to save the man.
"Brother, be careful!"
From the distant rooftop, Daki had also arrived and called out a warning to Gyuutarou.
Nezuko had arrived at some unknown time, rushing in front of Gyuutarou and kicking him in the head.
Tanjirou also reached Gyuutarou's front at this moment, using his broken blade to block Gyuutarou's scythe.
Nezuko's kick struck the back of Gyuutarou's head with a dull thud, failing to budge him in the slightest.
Tanjirou struggled to resist the downward pressure of Gyuutarou's blood scythe, while speaking to Nezuko: "Nezuko... save him first..."
Hearing Tanjirou's words, Nezuko stopped attacking Gyuutarou and intended to pry open Gyuutarou's left hand to rescue the human.
Daki also rushed over at this time, swinging her sashes, wanting to help Gyuutarou kill Nezuko.
Facing the pincer attack from Tanjirou and Nezuko, Gyuutarou grinned, and his right hand, which was pressing down on Tanjirou, suddenly stopped.
Tanjirou was feeling confused, and the next second, Gyuutarou's left hand moved down and gripped the man's neck.
"Save..."
Crack.
The man only managed to utter one word before his neck was snapped by Gyuutarou, and his head slumped limply.
...
The blood scythe slashed down, and Nezuko blocked in front of Tanjirou, protecting him with outstretched hands.
"Mmm..."
One arm was severed by the blood scythe, and blood splattered onto Tanjirou's face.
There was no time for sorrow. Tanjirou hugged Nezuko and leaped backward, moving away from Gyuutarou.
"Hehehehehe... See? You Demon Slayers can't do anything at all." Gyuutarou dropped the corpse in his hand and said to Tanjirou with a strange laugh.
"And... this little girl wouldn't happen to be your sister, would she? If I'm not mistaken, she should be a demon, right?"
Gyuutarou scratched his head and walked towards Tanjirou, guessing they were siblings due to Nezuko and Tanjirou's similar appearances and matching eye colors.
"If that's truly the case, then you're really not a good older brother, not turning into a demon with your sister. How about this, I'll turn you into a demon too, what do you say?"