"No… don't do this…"
The light of the screen reflected on his face in the darkness of the room.
He was sitting alone; it was almost three in the morning, and his eyes were fixed on the movie Infinity Train from Demon Slayer.
Tanjiro was crying and screaming at the fleeing Akaza after sunrise, while Zenitsu and Inosuke stood motionless.
"What are you doing, you idiots? You're just fools who can't handle responsibility. Rengoku saved every single one of you; no one was harmed, yet he's surrounded by a bunch of fools who don't know how to fight or defend him at this crucial moment. Rengoku cannot die like this! Damn it, do something!" muttered the young man angrily.
The decisive scene appeared: Rengoku asked Tanjiro to stop screaming and to come speak with him one last time, as he didn't have much time left.
Rengoku tried to tell Kamado Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke that they would become future Hashira, able to protect humans from demons, and that they shouldn't worry about his death but should live with their heads held high.
After these words, the image of his deceased mother appeared, and he asked her: "Did I do it, Mom? Was I worthy of the responsibility?"
His mother nodded, telling him he was very good, a smile on her face, as Flame Hashira Kyojuro Rengoku died with a broad smile.
The young man felt a warmth in his eyes and tried not to cry, then said:
"Damn you, Tanjiro… if I were in your place… I would have saved everyone.
I would have abandoned your foolish idealism. I would have killed before being killed! You are a disgrace to the corps."
After saying this, the young man slammed his hand on the table, put on his jacket, and left. The night air was freezing, and the street was empty. He instinctively took out his phone and opened a short clip of Rengoku Kyojuro's final moments, repeatedly whispering:
"I'm sure if I were in that idiot Tanjiro's place, I would have changed everything. I wouldn't let anyone die, and I could protect everyone."
He was crossing the street slowly, as the pedestrian light was green, when a speeding car—its driver intoxicated—hit him. His body slammed against the windshield and was thrown several meters.
The ground was freezing. Someone was screaming. Distant sounds. Running footsteps toward him, yet he couldn't hear clearly.
He focused on one thought, repeating with his lips: If I were in his place… I would have changed everything. The light above him became hazy, then complete darkness.
A faint, indistinguishable sound, then a strange, heavy feeling pressed on his chest. He opened his eyes slowly: a low wooden ceiling, the smell of burning wood… and the scent of herbs.
The room was small, simple, yet warm. He tried to speak but didn't hear his usual voice; instead, it was deeper, sharper: "Where am I?"
He looked at his hands: pale… slender… strong… a small scar on the back. He was astonished—they weren't the hands he knew, yet they felt familiar. He quickly went to the mirror, only to see something that stopped his breath for several seconds.
A young man with reddish-brown eyes, short brown hair, and a scar on his forehead… it was Tanjiro Kamado.
"What…?" he whispered hoarsely, putting his hands on his head, trying to understand what was happening. Memories… all the events from the anime… every death… every battle… every sad moment… everything now in another body.
Then he heard a voice inside—sharp, angry, yet familiar:
"Didn't you say you'd save everyone? Come on, don't let them die this time."
He froze, his eyes widening, his heart nearly stopping. He wasn't prepared for this, hadn't expected to hear his echo like this… the panic and control over this unknown body surged within him.
"What… what does this mean? Am I… am I Tanjiro?" he muttered with a trembling voice, putting his hands on his head as he tried to control the shock flooding his mind. His breathing became erratic, and all his memories of the anime, of death, of battles, poured in suddenly, as if every pain, every loss, every moment of weakness had become real. He shivered… closed his eyes, trying to calm himself, but felt the hand of fate pressing down on him, as if the entire world was shouting inside him: Now you must act… now you must protect them… or everyone will die. Slowly, his heart began to calm a little, and a new strength began to seep into him.
"Alright… alright… I'll protect them… no one will die this time…" he muttered softly, yet he felt a strange power flowing through his veins.
He stepped out of the small room and found himself in a simple wooden house, sunlight streaming through small windows, birds chirping outside. He tried to focus on the scene around him, on his new body, on the abilities he now possessed, recalling everything he had seen in the anime… every battle, every mistake caused by Tanjiro's hesitation, every moment he couldn't protect his loved ones.
"I won't repeat the same mistakes… this time I'll act before harm occurs…" he said to himself, moving toward the door.
Outside, the village was quiet, but his heart raced. His mind planned every step, every move, as if he were watching events unfold whose endings he already knew. Suddenly, he saw Zenitsu and Inosuke training in the yard, just like in the anime—but this time, he was Tanjiro… faster, calmer, more decisive.
He approached them and asked:
"When exactly did Rengoku die? What day is it?"
Zenitsu was surprised by the question, and Inosuke shouted:
"What are you talking about, you idiot? Rengoku went to get some fish from the river so we could have lunch before we leave tonight."
The young man was shocked, as he thought he had woken up after Rengoku's death, and said:
"Do you mean we haven't boarded the train yet?"
Zenitsu replied nervously: "Are you okay, Tanjiro? Has a ghost possessed you? My God… I always knew there were ghosts around. Hey, will anything bad happen to us tonight when we board the train?"
The young man was stunned by Zenitsu's response: Tonight? Tonight is the night.
"Stop! Don't take a single step without a plan. Something big is going to happen today, and no one will die."
Zenitsu raised his eyebrows in astonishment, and Inosuke shivered at the seriousness in his voice. Yet something in this new look of Tanjiro made them trust him. Suddenly, he felt an inner pressure, as if death itself were watching him, reminding him of the words he whispered after the car accident: If I were in his place, I would change everything…
He smiled faintly and said:
"I won't allow Rengoku to die, and I won't let anyone get hurt. I'll fight… and I will win."
At that moment, he felt a strange energy flow through him, a feeling of power… a sense that this body wasn't just meant to live, but to make a difference, to change events, to turn back time… but this time, with a different ending.
Tanjiro swallowed and said confidently:
"I won't let anyone die… this time… the ending will be different."
Fear mixed with determination, willpower fused with strength, and the entire village knew that something huge was about to happen—something that had never occurred before in the history of the Demon Slayers.
Hello friends, how are you?
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