The sky was approaching dusk. Outside, the wind and snow suddenly grew heavier, and with the dim lighting, visibility was basically zero.
And at this moment, Tanjirō still hadn't returned.
On the other side, Tanjirō had finished selling the charcoal and was jogging toward his mountain home. But as the snowstorm worsened, he had no choice but to pick up the pace.
"It's you, Tanjirō. It's getting dark, and the snowstorm's strong. Why don't you rest at my place for the night? Wait for the snow to die down, then head out tomorrow."
Tanjirō turned his head. It was an old man he knew—he had delivered charcoal to this man's house many times, so they were fairly familiar.
"Grandpa Saburō, my family's still waiting for me. I can't stay here."
This old man named Saburō often let Tanjirō and Asaki rest at his place when they couldn't make it home in time at night.
Old man Saburō said with a stern face, "Don't think like that. Your own safety is the most important. In this weather and darkness, if anything bad happens, your family will only suffer more."
"Besides, night is falling. There are man-eating demons wandering around at night, you know. You should stay here and head out tomorrow."
Tanjirō hesitated a little because what old man Saburō said made sense. Traveling now was indeed dangerous.
After thinking it over, Tanjirō decided to stay the night and return home tomorrow. This had happened before—his mother and the others should understand.
"Grandpa Saburō, sorry to trouble you. But… those demons you mentioned, do they really exist? I've never seen one."
Old man Saburō paused, a nostalgic look surfacing on his face.
His voice carried suppressed pain, and at the same time, Tanjirō caught a scent of sorrow from the old man.
"Man-eating demons… It's best if you never encounter one in your entire life. Tanjirō, just take it as a story."
Tanjirō nodded, though he thought to himself, "Such intense sorrow… Could demons really be real?"
...
The wooden cabin trembled slightly in the wind and snow, letting out faint creaking sounds.
Outside, it had already turned pitch black.
A faint candle flickered in the center of the cabin. Asaki and Kie sat cross-legged across from each other. Nezuko and the others were already asleep.
Kie was a little worried about Tanjirō but didn't want to wake Nezuko and the rest.
So she spoke in a soft whisper, "Tanjirō should be fine, right? He's usually back by now."
At the same time, the ominous feeling inside Asaki was growing stronger. Could something have happened to Tanjirō?
He forced a smile and comforted her, "Don't worry. The snow's heavier today. Tanjirō might be resting somewhere for the night. It's happened to me before, too. He'll be fine. He has to be."
These words weren't just to comfort Kie—they were also to comfort himself. Right now, Asaki's worry for Tanjirō might've been even stronger than Kie's.
Kie didn't say anything else, but from her furrowed brows and eyes, it was obvious her worry hadn't faded one bit. In fact, it had deepened.
Asaki was the same. It felt like a hand was gripping his heart—heavy, nauseating, like he was going to throw up.
He thought for a moment and said to Kie, "Mother, how about I go down the mountain to check? Even though the snow's heavy, I can still walk."
Kie shook her head. She didn't want Asaki to go into danger. Tanjirō being unable to return due to the snow was highly likely, but not too dangerous. Her worry came from a mother's love.
But if Asaki went out now, it would be truly dangerous.
"The fact that you care so much about Tanjirō and the others… it makes me so happy."
"But Tanjirō's not that young anymore. He's smart—he should be able to handle this kind of situation. You don't need to put yourself in danger."
Asaki smiled faintly. "Caring is only natural, because… you're all my family."
"But I still want to go look for Tanjirō. Otherwise, I won't be able to rest easy."
Kie thought it over. She had always trusted this eldest son—obedient, sensible since young, and had never let her down.
"If you're sure about it, then go ahead, Asaki."
Asaki stood up, ready to head out to search for Tanjirō.
However, at that moment, a bone-chilling sensation suddenly crept up behind him.
It felt like a small herbivore encountering a vicious predator. Cold sweat. Terror. Pressure.
"Who's there!"
Asaki spun around sharply—but saw no one.
Yet the feeling clung to his back, refusing to fade.
Wait… behind me? Kie!
"Asaki… run… don't turn around…"
A weak voice came from behind. It was his mother Kie's voice—distorted by pain, but he could still recognize it.
Asaki looked down. His soles were sticky. Blood had soaked through his socks and shoes.
In disbelief, he turned around—only to witness a scene he would never forget for the rest of his life.
Mother Kie. Nezuko. Hanako. Takeo, Shigeru, Rokuta.
In the span of a single breath, they were all lying in pools of blood.
Nezuko and the others still wore peaceful smiles from their sleep on their faces.
Kie was struggling, trying to stop the shadowy figure behind her. But her frail body couldn't stop the figure's strength. She was lifted easily by the neck.
In Asaki's eyes, a terrifying creature—at least a head taller than him—stood before him.
Its face vaguely resembled that of a young man, with a head full of messy black hair.
But its entire body bulged with veins, and its blood-red eyes were full of violent rage.
Its mouth did not contain human teeth—but terrifying fangs as sharp as a rasp.
This was a demon. It ate humans. It brought chaos to the world.
Unbelievable—those childhood stories were real. Demons actually existed.
Asaki's heart pounded wildly. For a moment, it felt like it was going to explode.
This scene… finally made him recall that nightmare.
So this ominous premonition… it had been aimed at him and his family inside the house all along. It had nothing to do with Tanjirō.
"Let her go!"
His blood rushed instantly. Asaki's eyes nearly burst.
Facing this terrifying demon he'd never seen before, he didn't think of running. Instead, he grabbed the hatchet used for chopping wood and swung it straight at the demon's arm holding Kie.
The swing was sharp and vicious. Asaki was sure—this was the most powerful chop he'd ever swung since he started using the axe.
Since childhood, Asaki had chopped wood. He trusted the power of his axe. In the past, when he encountered wild wolves or boars in the mountains, it was thanks to this axe that he drove them off.
The axe blade was old, but still gleamed with a cold shine.
But the black-haired demon made no move to dodge.
It shook its head and sighed. "Too weak. Is this the strength and speed of a child playing house? Just like that adult said… demons really are the superior form of life."
It suddenly stomped the ground, cracking the wooden floor beneath its feet, spiderweb cracks spreading outward from the center.
Asaki's vision blurred. By the time he realized what had happened, the axe in his hand had already been knocked away. A burning pain exploded on his cheek.
His whole body was lifted off the ground—his head clutched by the demon's single hand.
Out of the corner of his eye, Asaki saw Kie tossed aside like a rag doll. Her neck bent at an unnatural angle. No breath.
"Moth… er…"
Asaki muttered with difficulty. The demon's five fingers dug into his cheek—just slightly applying pressure.
Its nails, sharp like blades, pierced into his skin and shattered his facial bones.
The broken bones impacted his brain. Asaki's strength left his body. His consciousness began to scatter...
(End of Chapter)