The Interception
Kanami collapsed from exhaustion, the twin blades of Heaven's Devour and Heaven's Judgement clattering to the ground. He had saved the day, but at a massive physical cost. Tanjiro was comforting the dissolving remnants of Rui, while Giyu Tomioka remained in the shadows, observing.
Suddenly, a sweet, lethal voice cut through the air.
"Ara ara. You're quite the persistent little demon, aren't you?"
Shinobu Kocho landed gracefully beside Nezuko, who had reverted to her small form but was still exposed. Shinobu raised her poisoned blade.
Before her blade could strike, Giyu Tomioka moved, faster than a breath. He blocked Shinobu's path.
"Tomioka-san, why are you interfering?" Shinobu's voice lost its sweetness, laced with genuine irritation. "She is a demon. We must eliminate her, swiftly and cleanly."
"She is different," Giyu stated flatly, his gaze unwavering. "She will not harm humans. And Tanjiro is a Corps member who has proven her difference."
"That is the same tired excuse that got the former Water Hashira exiled! And look at that boy!" Shinobu pointed to Kanami, who was trying to rise, his black and white swords nearby. "He reeks of demon essence and possesses a power that should be impossible for a human. There are too many variables here, Tomioka-san! We must follow protocol!"
The brief standoff ended abruptly as Kanao Tsuyuri, Shinobu's disciple, launched herself forward. Ignoring the two Hashira, Kanao darted past Giyu and aimed for the small Nezuko.
Tanjiro, despite his fatigue, reacted instantly. He snatched up Nezuko's box and fled, with Kanao in relentless pursuit.
Kanami's Rage Erupts
The chase was frantic. Tanjiro was struggling against Kanao's superior speed, dodging blows while clutching his sister's box. Just as Kanao was about to land a paralyzing blow, the massive, unchecked energy from Kanami's system and the twin Nichirin blades erupted.
Kanami's fatigue was overcome by a sudden, intense surge of pure, uncontrollable Will.
He launched himself between them, his long hair, still slick with sweat and grime, briefly shimmering with a dark, angry red. His right eye glowed a vivid, furious gold, truly resembling a mythical, angry serpent.
"DO ALL OF YOU HAVE NO SHAME?!" Kanami roared, his voice amplified by a raw, guttural power that shook the very trees. "STOP THIS FIGHT! YOU ARE FIGHTING AMONG YOURSELVES WHILE DEMONS REMAIN!"
The sound was thunderous. Tanjiro, Kanao, Shinobu, and Giyu all froze, turning to stare at the masked figure who was now pulsating with terrifying, barely contained power. The intensity of his presence instantly overshadowed the Hashira's own auras.
Before the moment could shatter, the skies opened with the squawks of their mission crows.
Mission Crows: "CAW! CAW! Tanjiro Kamado, Nezuko Kamado, Kanami Reire, Zenitsu Agatsuma, Inosuke Hashibira! Return to the Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters! Immediately! CAW!"
The command was final. The soldiers of the Corps, the Kakushi, swarmed the area and quickly restrained Tanjiro and Kanami, securing Nezuko and carrying the others away on stretchers.
The Hashira Meeting: Oyakata-sama's Delayed Arrival
Tanjiro and Kanami were brought to the Demon Slayer Corps main base and thrown onto the open courtyard, where the nine Hashira stood in judgment.
Kanami was quickly dragged to the infirmary due to his severe exhaustion and the acidic burns he sustained earlier. The Hashira began their condemnation of Tanjiro.
Sanemi Shinazugawa, the Wind Hashira, was the most vocal. "We have no need for demons! And the slayer who protects one must be executed!"
The atmosphere was tense. Tanjiro was tied up, forced to listen.
Sanemi, fueled by his hatred, grabbed Nezuko's box. "I'll prove she's an evil monster!" He ripped the box open and stabbed his sword repeatedly into the wood, drawing blood.
Tanjiro, seeing his sister harmed, reacted with a primal fury. He ripped free from his ropes and charged the powerful Hashira.
BAM!
Tanjiro slammed his now-legendary forehead into Sanemi's face. The Wind Hashira dropped his sword, spitting blood and staggering back from the force of the Headbutt of Justice.
Mitsuri Kanroji, the Love Hashira, immediately covered her mouth, stifling a giggle. "Oh my goodness, he headbutted him! He's so fast!"
Sanemi recovered, his rage boiling over. He raised his blade, intending to slice Tanjiro in half. Giyu moved a single muscle, ready to intervene, but he was too slow.
In a terrifying display of speed, a shadow moved.
Kanami, who had just left the infirmary against medical advice, was a blur of black and red. The Hashira, including Giyu, suddenly felt their eyes go wide with shock.
Kanami had moved so fast, not even the Wind Hashira had seen him approach. He was suddenly standing between Tanjiro and Sanemi.
As Sanemi brought his sword down, Kanami didn't draw his own. He raised his right hand, deflecting the lethal strike with only the hilt of his Heaven's Devour sword. The heavy CLANG echoed across the courtyard.
Before Sanemi could recover, Kanami spun with impossible velocity, his momentum amplified by his twin blade mastery and his SPD (29). He delivered a brutal, side-spinning kick to the Wind Hashira's face, snapping Sanemi's head back.
Sanemi staggered, utterly stunned. Kanami followed up instantly with a final, crushing, downward kick to Sanemi's head. The force was tremendous.
The mighty Wind Hashira fell to one knee, unconscious, the blow having knocked the breath from his body.
The entire court, every single Hashira, stared at Kanami in disbelief. The Hashira, the elite of the Corps, had just been defeated in two kicks by a masked anomaly they didn't know.
Just then, a gentle, revered voice finally broke the silence.
"It seems we have much to discuss today."
Kagaya Ubuyashiki, the Master of the Demon Slayer Corps, had arrived. The stage was set for the final judgment.