I forced myself to calm down, rubbing my face hard, but I still felt a little shaken.
["The plot is completely messed up. Maybe I'll die even worse than Inosuke did in the original story…"]
Just then, five people appeared. Inosuke was unconscious and shirtless. Jigoro Yoriichi was holding him upside down by the feet.
I wanted to laugh, but held it back. This was another dark chapter in the story. I took a deep breath and asked,
"So… what's the plan now?"
"He has no clothes, and strangling him isn't an option," Jigoro said plainly. "This is the only way."
I didn't argue. The sun would rise in about half an hour. I glanced at Inosuke and covered him with a protective red light.
"That's enough for now. Treat him after we're done."
We set him aside, and Yoriichi Tsugikuni closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again.
Transparent World.
Everything around him became see-through. And far below, he spotted a human-shaped figure covered in tiny black particles.
"Here," Jigoro said, squatting and planting the Sun Wheel Sword into the ground.
"What does this mean?" Tanjiro asked. He could smell the ghost strongly, but the difference from the surroundings was subtle.
I wasn't surprised. Transparent World was tricky—it made everything else fade until you could see exactly what you wanted.
"Breathing of the Sun, Form Ten: Radiant Light!" Yoriichi gripped the hilt with his left hand, pressed the end of the hilt with his right, and half-knelt, driving the Sun Blade into the ground.
The flames along the blade roared and rushed outward, shaking the house. Screams came from below—high-pitched female, deep male, blended into one eerie sound.
"What… what is that?!" I froze. The voice was neither fully male nor female, like something from a nightmare.
Before I could react, the wooden walls exploded outward, and black particles poured out like a mist.
Breathing of the Wind, Form Five: Cold Autumn Mountain Wind.
Ichiro activated his breathing, swinging wind blades in a circle. The blasts scattered the black mist, though only a little.
"Tsugikuni Yoriichi, do what you need to!" I grabbed Tanjiro, Muichiro, and Ichiro by the collars, smashed through the ceiling, and landed outside. My landing was perfect—I wouldn't admit it out loud, but it felt amazing.
"Wait…" Yoriichi's calm expression cracked as he looked up. The figure he wanted was gone. His heart skipped a beat.
He drew the Sun Blade from the ground. "Full Concentration Breathing, Sun Breathing, Form One: Round Dance!"
The slash went from top to bottom, forming a flaming wheel that shattered the roof. The fire spun free, visible against the night sky as dawn approached.
I dropped the three behind me. They were dazed, unsure what had just happened.
["I didn't expect that. Thought it was just an ordinary ghost… though that's normal for me."]
I tapped my shoulder, breaking the red light and scattering the black insects along with it. The light on the others also broke, and the insects disappeared.
"What… magic blood demon technique…" Muichiro said, eyes wide.
I scratched my head. Something felt off. "Wait… am I missing something?"
Suddenly, I remembered Inosuke. "Shit! I forgot about him!"
Before I could rush back, sword energy and a flaming wheel ripped through the house, cutting it in half.
"Does this kid have a grudge against that lower-rank demon?" I muttered. His attack was even more violent than before.
"Better not get too close," I said, stepping back. Wood chips flew everywhere, and I didn't want to dirty my clothes.
Tanjiro and Muichiro did the same, stopping a short distance away.
"That… Muichiro, what kind of person is Lord Yoriichi?" Yuichiro asked. He'd never seen Yoriichi act like this, and the sheer force of the attack was terrifying.
Muichiro shook his head. "He's never spoken at Pillar meetings… I don't know."
"Really?" Yuichiro sounded skeptical.
"Yeah. I honestly don't know."
Tanjiro, standing nearby, muttered to himself while staring at the scene.
"If I were as strong as Master Yoriichi… I could have protected Nezuko… maybe even killed that demon." He glanced at Nezuko's box with tenderness.
Even if Muzan hadn't attacked directly, any family in hiding could still be destroyed. How many families had been lost in the cities?
"I have to get stronger. I have to find a way to turn Nezuko back into a human."
I wiped my forehead with my sleeve, even though I wasn't sweating.
"Looks like I need to stop being so reckless…" I muttered to myself.
After Yoriichi Tsugikuni's sword attack, he grabbed Inosuke—who was standing nearby when the wall collapsed—and leapt out as the debris fell around them.
"…Who… ahem… who's grabbing… my… neck!?"
Tsugikuni held Inosuke by the neck. The sudden pressure woke him instantly. His limbs flailed, he gasped for air, and if it weren't for his boar mask, his face would have been bright red.
No matter how hard he struggled, he stayed in place, twitching and panting.
The two of them looked spectacular against the pre-dawn sky. One of them was even hovering above the ground. Tanjiro and the Tokito brothers froze in surprise—but I didn't notice, hidden in the box as the sun started to rise.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
As the house collapsed, black insects poured out of the ground and swirled together, forming a massive humanoid ghost with a twisted face, black body, and a foul stench.
"Why! Why does the Demon Slayer Corps always follow us?!"
"I just… I just wanted a peaceful life… with him!"
The voice suddenly broke, the face twisted in despair, and a hand made of insects covered it as the voice quivered:
"No… that's… not right… he's gone… he's gone…"
Anger faded into grief. Everyone watched silently.
After landing, Yoriichi handed the unconscious Inosuke to Tanjiro, then looked toward the horizon. Seeing the box secure seemed to lift a weight off him; he visibly relaxed.
After a moment, he turned back to the ghost. There would be time to observe later. He studied the creature's mix of rage and sorrow, then spoke calmly:
"A cannibal is a cannibal. No matter what happened, you can't avoid it."
He drew his Nichirin Sword slowly. As the black blade appeared, his expression hardened.
Meanwhile, I stayed in the box, stroking the cat and reading a message from Mingnu. My face stayed neutral at first, but by the middle of the message, it darkened.
["Enough. I don't need to hear more."]
["Lord Muzan, should I teleport you back?"]
["No. I don't want to repeat myself… and Kokushibo must not know where I am."]
The tone I used was cold. I didn't want to give away my position—not to Mingnu, and certainly not to Kokushibo.
["Understood, my lord…"] Mingnu shivered as she received the coldness in my words.
I ended the message before she could respond. I already had the information I needed.
"I didn't expect it… that ghost… has that kind of… taste," I muttered. Goosebumps ran down my spine.
"Male x male… strong preference… not sure if he's I or O…"
Muichiro, nearby, shivered. "Ni-chan… do you feel that? Something's… strange."
"Strange? Are you sick?" his brother replied casually, still watching Yoriichi.
Yoriichi had assumed his stance and closed Transparent World.
The ghost roared in fury, slamming its insect-formed fists toward Yoriichi.
But there was no crash—just a quiet whoosh.
Yuichiro put away his Sun Blade, standing firm with his back to the ghost.
Suddenly, the ghost's head slid toward the ground. Its anger faded; it didn't notice its head was gone.
The first two slashes missed. The third was a simple horizontal strike. The head touched the ground, and the body fell slowly.
In its final moments, the ghost felt no pain, no resentment. Tears formed at the corners of its eyes. It glimpsed memories it had lost, looked toward the rising sun, and its twisted face softened into a human smile—before finally turning to dust.
After a moment, Yoriichi and Tanjiro clasped their hands in prayer where the demon had vanished. The Tokito brothers imitated silently.
Tanjiro carried Nezuko in her box. Muichiro and Ichiro supported Inosuke. Yoriichi placed his box carefully on his back.
"Are you ready?"
"Yes… what's next?" I was still lost in thought, but the voice startled me into replying.
Yoriichi paused. "Do you… know that ghost's identity?"
"You want to know? Let me go, and I'll tell you."
"No." Yoriichi's tone turned serious.
"Hmph… I figured. Fine, I'm going to sleep." I yawned, closed my eyes, and drifted into a deep sleep.
Yoriichi reached out, gently lifted the box, placed it on his back, and walked toward the rising sun. Tanjiro followed with Nezuko. Muichiro and Ichiro carried Inosuke, all heading toward the city.