The moment Ren Kuroda saw the shattered sword fragments hurtling toward Tanjiro and his sister, he froze for only a heartbeat—then immediately abandoned his clash with Giyu Tomioka and sprinted toward the siblings.
Ren had already admired their courage earlier. Now, seeing them in danger because his own blade had broken, he couldn't stand by and let them die.
But he hadn't expected this.
His weapon had shattered the moment he pushed demonic power through it, and now, as he turned his back fully to protect Tanjiro and Nezuko, he exposed himself completely to Giyu.
Yet the Water Hashira—the same man who moments earlier insisted that all demons must be cut down—did not seize the opportunity. Instead, he mirrored Ren's decision.
It was the perfect chance to strike Ren down.And yet Giyu did exactly as Ren did: he dashed straight toward Tanjiro, executing the Third Form to match Ren's speed almost perfectly.
"Water Breathing—Eighth Form: Waterfall Basin!"
A fierce upward slash burst from Giyu's blade, followed by a spiraling pillar of water that crashed forward like a towering waterfall, sweeping aside the incoming metal shards with overwhelming force.
"As for me… Calling upon the majesty of the sacred mountain—unmoving as a mighty gate, unshakable as the ancient peak: Mountain Gate!"
Ren's voice echoed as he lifted what remained of his broken sword.
The blade was ruined, yet somehow its fractured edge glowed—coated in a strangely vivid aura. Despite its condition, it radiated a sharp, impenetrable force. Ren slashed in a wide arc, his defense firm and unyielding. For a single instant, a colossal phantom of a mountain loomed behind him—tall, immovable, awe-inspiring.
Together, their simultaneous strikes dispersed the deadly fragments.
Tanjiro and Nezuko remained unharmed—but Nezuko's condition was worsening rapidly.
In Tanjiro's trembling arms, Nezuko clutched her head as the agony of demonic hunger tore through her. The scent of her brother's blood, so close, gnawed at her instincts. She wanted—needed—to devour him.
But her frail remaining reason whispered desperately:
No… this is my brother. My last family… if I hurt him… I'll never forgive myself…
"Put this on her. If you want to save your sister… find a man named Urokodaki Sakonji."
Giyu stepped forward, his voice calm but solemn. He tossed Tanjiro a bamboo muzzle.
Despite Nezuko's transformation and her overwhelming hunger, she still resisted the urge to attack Tanjiro. Her fragile rationality, coupled with Tanjiro's earlier self-sacrifice to shield her with his own body, stirred something deep in Giyu.
Against his expectations, he was moved.
So instead of killing her, he offered Tanjiro a path forward.Find Urokodaki. He would answer everything.
After delivering the bamboo muzzle, Giyu turned toward Ren. He studied him—scrutinizing every detail—then slowly sheathed his Nichirin Blade.
He turned to leave.
Their battle had lost all meaning.
It had begun because Giyu believed Nezuko should be executed, and Ren stepped in to protect the siblings. But now, moved by their bond, Giyu had spared them.
The escalation into a deadly fight happened only because Giyu sensed a demonic aura from Ren—combined with Ren's frightening strength. He feared Ren might become a threat to the Demon Slayer Corps.
But then—when Tanjiro was moments from death—
Ren had risked his own life to protect the siblings.
That single act overturned everything Giyu believed about demons.No demon would ever act so selflessly.
And Ren's strength… Giyu wasn't certain he could defeat him even now.With Ren's sword destroyed, Giyu could perhaps overpower him—but capturing him alive? That was another matter entirely.
So Giyu Tomioka, Water Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps, chose to withdraw.
Ren watched him turn away and couldn't help smiling.
He also had no intention of continuing the fight.
After all… he no longer had a sword.How was he supposed to continue?
Even with plenty of demonic energy remaining—and the trump card of a Half-Demon Transformation—Ren wasn't certain that Giyu had shown his full strength. And he had to admit: nearly seventy percent of his combat power came from his sword techniques—Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain—and his enhanced swordsmanship granted by the system.
Without a weapon, even catching Giyu would be impossible.
In the end… this was his loss.
If he'd had a proper blade, he was certain he could've beaten the Water Hashira.But the moment his sword shattered—it was over.
No complaints. For a swordsman, the blade was part of one's strength. Ren accepted the loss.
"Per our agreement," Ren said, voice calm, "if I'd won, I'd have taken your sword. Since I lost, I would've simply turned away and left without caring about the siblings' fate. But since you've accepted them now… as the victor, you're entitled to one reasonable request."
Half-demon or not, Ren belonged to the oni race—and oni honored their promises.Especially promises tied to single combat.
Breaking such a vow would disgrace him before every battle-crazed oni in existence.
Giyu paused mid-step and turned back, studying Ren more closely.
"It seems you're truly different from other demons… in every possible way."
The more he thought about Ren's actions, the more convinced he became that sparing him—and the siblings—was the right choice.
"My duel with you wasn't a real defeat," Giyu said quietly. "You lost your weapon first. And I didn't win outright either. So you don't owe me anything."
He knew the truth. Had Ren's devastated sword not broken at that final moment, even his Eleventh Form might not have held against that overwhelming flame.
"Stop talking nonsense," Ren replied flatly. "A loss is a loss. A sword is part of one's strength. And who said my weapon was inferior? That blade was the most treasured heirloom of my entire village."
Oni loved two things more than all else—sake and battle.And a promise made through battle was absolute.
Ren would honor it.No matter the result.