"Ren… when do you think we'll actually find this Urokodaki-san?""Are we even going the right way? The address that guy gave us looks like it belongs on an old treasure map…"
Tanjiro's voice drifted down the country path for what felt like the twentieth time that morning. Ren Kuroda walked a few paces ahead, hands in his pockets, pretending he didn't hear the boy's rising panic.
"And—and what if this Urokodaki person is like that swordsman before? What if he sees Nezuko turn into a yokai and tries to kill her?"
Behind him, Tanjiro trudged forward with a bamboo carrier slung over his back, his sister curled up inside. Every few minutes, the cage rattled faintly with Nezuko's restless movements.
Ren sighed. Kid's got lungs on him. And stamina. And anxiety. A lethal combination.
He didn't remember Tanjiro being this talkative when they first met. But after days of walking and no one else to talk to—because Nezuko couldn't speak in her current yokai state—Ren had become the boy's only outlet.
They'd been following the hand-written address given by Tomioka, the stoic officer from the Paranormal Crimes Division. In this part of the countryside, transportation was basically "shoes." Tanjiro had spent so many years running charcoal into town that even carrying his sister for days barely slowed him down.
The result? Endless conversation.
And, for better or worse, Tanjiro had also developed a deep trust in Ren.
After all, compared to Tomioka—who had nearly killed Nezuko the moment he realized she'd turned—Ren felt like a warm campfire on a winter night. He had intervened, protected them, and even carried Nezuko on his back when Tanjiro started wobbling.
The strangest part?Nezuko—who, as a yokai, reacted aggressively to anyone except Tanjiro—showed an odd calmness around Ren. Sometimes she even leaned against him, quietly sniffing at his shoulder like a curious kitten.
Ren wasn't sure whether to feel honored or worried.
The reason Ren had ended up traveling with them was simple:
a promise made in a duel.
Tomioka had insisted he make "one reasonable request" as the victor. Ren, bound by the oni clan's strict code of honor, had no intention of breaking his word.
So Tomioka had said:
"Protect these siblings. Take them to Urokodaki Sakonji."
He'd also warned Ren—sternly—to stop trying to steal swords from officers of the Paranormal Crimes Division. The special alloy used in their blades reacted uniquely to each wielder; Ren wouldn't be able to use someone else's weapon even if he stole it.
If he wanted a proper blade for himself, Urokodaki Sakonji was the one who could forge it.
And if Ren wanted answers about his own half-demon nature, Urokodaki was the only man Tomioka trusted to handle it.
After meeting Ren—even briefly—Tomioka clearly feared what would happen if the half-demon ran into other officers along the road. Most patrolmen wouldn't stand a chance. To avoid casualties, Tomioka practically shoved Ren and the siblings toward his retired mentor, passing the entire problem upward.
Urokodaki had once been one of the most feared demon-hunters in Japan. Even in his seventies, no one knew his true limits.
Tomioka certainly hadn't wanted to find out the hard way.
Ren pushed a low branch aside and glanced back."According to the address he gave us, we should get there in a day or two. And since Tomioka accepted you two in the end, he wouldn't send you to someone dangerous on purpose."
"Do you really think so?"
"Yeah. Swords can lie, but the way someone fights can't."Ren scratched his cheek. "He's not a bad guy. Just… frozen on the outside."
Tanjiro brightened immediately."I really hope Urokodaki-san can help Nezuko."
They pressed onward until nightfall, when the road led them to a tall wooden gate surrounding an old countryside estate.
Relief spread across Tanjiro's face. "Finally! A place that might take us in for the—"
Before he could even raise his hand to knock, Ren's palm clapped onto his shoulder.
"Don't move."
Tanjiro froze."R-Ren…?"
"The air's wrong." Ren's voice dropped low, serious enough to make Tanjiro straighten. "There's blood—fresh and old. Thick. The whole mansion reeks of it. Whoever lived inside… they're probably gone."
As if confirming his words, the bamboo carrier behind Tanjiro rattled sharply. Nezuko poked her head out between the slats, eyes gleaming red in the dark as she hissed toward the mansion.
She smelled it too.
"Ren, what do we do? Should we rush in and save whoever's left?"
Tanjiro never doubted Ren's senses—after several days traveling together, he'd learned that Ren's nose could detect blood from kilometers away. Even Tanjiro, who had an excellent sense of smell himself, was often left in awe.
Ren shook his head."Judging by the concentration, the bodies are already cold. You and Nezuko stay out here. I'll check inside. If something comes out and it doesn't attack you—let it go."
Tanjiro tightened his grip on his hatchet and nodded."O-okay. Be careful."
This wasn't the first time they'd run into a yokai. Each time, Ren had handled it—swift, lethal, and eerily calm. Tanjiro admired him deeply and dreamed of becoming strong enough to slay every monster that hurt people.
But even in his short exposure to the world of yokai and hunters, he already understood:
Ren Kuroda was operating on a completely different level.
The kind of strength Tomioka wielded…The kind of strength Ren showed in battle…
Ordinary demons didn't stand a chance.
And Tanjiro knew, without a doubt:
Whatever waited inside that mansion—Ren was the only one strong enough to face it.
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