Inside the deep pit, the bear stirred, rising from its curled-up state. Spotting Tanjiro, its eyes gleamed red!
Food!
Starved for days, the bear was ravenous, ready to devour anything—even this sword-wielding human!
Tanjiro gripped his katana, facing the towering bear, its massive frame and ferocious hunger overwhelming him. Panicking, he shouted upward,
"Master Urokodaki! Are you serious!? This is a bear!"
Urokodaki stood at the pit's edge, calling down,
"No joke, Tanjiro! You'll face demons in the future, far worse than bears. If you can't handle a bear, forget about demons!"
"Well… that's true, but…"
The bear readied its charge, eyes blazing, fangs bared, drool dripping to the ground.
What could Tanjiro do? He braced himself and faced it head-on!
"Roar!"
The starving bear bellowed, lunging with raised claws!
After months of training, Tanjiro's agility and reflexes had sharpened. Reading the bear's attack pattern, he ducked and sidestepped, slashing its belly as he dodged!
Evading, Tanjiro quickly retreated, back against the pit wall, sword raised in a standoff.
The bear's lunge missed, and though the belly slash didn't do much damage—its thick fat cushioned the blow—the pain fueled its ferocity. It turned, charging again.
Tanjiro focused intensely on the bear's movements, dodging each attack, battling within the cramped pit.
Above, Urokodaki observed closely.
Was he truly unconcerned about Tanjiro getting hurt?
Not entirely.
Urokodaki knew Tanjiro's current strength. As long as he stayed focused, he could defeat the bear without issue.
If anything went wrong, Urokodaki could intervene swiftly.
Joking aside, with two Hashira-level fighters present, how could they not save Tanjiro from a bear?
In the pit, Tanjiro and the bear clashed for several rounds.
Gradually, Tanjiro noticed a problem.
Outside the pit, he could have killed the bear more easily.
In this confined space, fighting was far harder. He had to stay hyper-focused, dodging every attack while landing blows when possible.
The bear's size and strength were overwhelming. A single hit could sap most of Tanjiro's fighting ability.
Absolutely cannot get hit!
With this resolve, Tanjiro fought with even greater intensity.
After a few more rounds, the bear hadn't touched him, but Tanjiro had landed numerous slashes.
The bear was now covered in wounds, its fur blood-soaked, looking worse for wear.
But the real danger wasn't the wounds—it was the slashes on its legs.
If its legs gave out, it'd be at Tanjiro's mercy!
The bear sensed this, growing cautious, its attacks more deliberate, each round stretching longer.
This tested Tanjiro's endurance and stamina in a grueling contest with the bear.
"Roar!"
With another bellow, the bear lunged!
In that instant, Tanjiro saw it—perhaps due to its leg wounds, the bear's attack had a flaw!
Now!
Tanjiro seized the moment!
Dodging and passing the bear, he swung his katana, slashing deep into its neck!
The strike carved through half the bear's neck, blood gushing out.
"Graa…"
Feeling its wounds and defeat, the bear let out a mournful howl, collapsing in the pit's corner, motionless, eyes closed.
Tanjiro stood on the opposite side, sword raised, panting heavily, still wary. He knew a cornered beast could still fight.
After several tense minutes, confirming the bear's death, Tanjiro relaxed, slumping to the pit's floor, gazing skyward, gasping for air.
He'd won! It wasn't easy, but he'd won.
Above, Urokodaki nodded, calling down,
"Well done, Tanjiro. Climb out!"
"What?" Tanjiro eyed the sheer pit walls, exclaiming, "How am I supposed to climb this?"
"Figure it out!" Urokodaki's tone was stern.
Tanjiro, quick-witted, devised a plan. Using his katana to carve holds in the wall, he climbed, hands and feet working together, stabbing the blade for support, and finally scrambled out.
By now, his stamina was nearly spent. He trudged heavily toward Urokodaki.
But after a few steps, his foot caught a rope, triggering another trap!
He froze, dumbfounded.
Though he reacted, his exhaustion left him unable to dodge!
The trap sprang—a hidden rope snared his ankle, yanking him up, leaving him dangling upside-down from a tree, swaying.
Urokodaki approached, voice grave.
"I told you that was the last trap, and you believed it?
You fell for it! There was another trap waiting!
Tanjiro, here's another lesson: never trust your enemy. Stay vigilant always!"
Tanjiro, staring at the inverted world and Urokodaki, nodded tearfully.
Nearby, Horitake watched Tanjiro's plight, unable to hold back a laugh, though he quickly stifled it.
"Hahaha… cough, cough! Ahem!
Master Urokodaki's right, Tanjiro. Take it to heart."
Had Horitake not spoken, Tanjiro wouldn't have noticed him.
Turning, he recognized the familiar figure, but the upside-down view muddled his perception.
Horitake waved, grinning.
"Yo, Tanjiro, long time no see."
Recognizing the voice and squinting, Tanjiro lit up.
"Senior Horitake! It's you!"
"Yup, it's me."
Tanjiro hurriedly righted himself, undoing the rope, landing on the ground, and rushing to Horitake, thrilled.
"Why'd you come to Sagiri Mountain!?"
"Was slaying demons nearby, thought I'd drop by to check on you and Nezuko."
Tanjiro started to respond excitedly but faltered, thinking of Nezuko's condition.
"I'm glad you came to see us, but Nezuko's…"
Patting Tanjiro's shoulder, Horitake smiled.
"I heard Nezuko's been sleeping. Don't worry, it's fine. I might know why. Take me to her."
Tanjiro's eyes brightened with hope, eagerly leading the way.
"That's great! Thank you, Senior Horitake! This way!"
Tanjiro guided Horitake toward Urokodaki's cabin.
Urokodaki, puzzled, muttered,
"I don't recall telling him about Nezuko. How'd he know?"
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