Evening approached as the wind and snow outside suddenly intensified. Combined with the deepening darkness, visibility was practically zero.
And yet, Tanjiro still hadn't returned.
Meanwhile, having sold all his charcoal, Tanjiro was jogging his way back home through the mountains. But as the blizzard grew fiercer, he had no choice but to quicken his pace even more.
"Well, if it isn't Tanjiro. It's getting dark, and this blizzard is something fierce. Why not rest here for the night? You can set out again tomorrow once the storm has calmed. "
Tanjiro turned to see an old man he knew well. Tanjiro had delivered charcoal to his home many times, so they were quite familiar with each other.
"Grandpa Saburo, my family is waiting for me. I really shouldn't stay. "
This old man, Saburo, often let Tanjiro and Yuu stay the night when they couldn't make it home in time.
Grandpa Saburo's face turned stern. "Don't think like that. Your own safety is what matters most. In weather and darkness like this, if something dangerous were to happen, your family would only be more distraught. "
"Besides, night is falling. Man-eating demons roam after dark, you know. Best to stay here and leave in the morning. "
Tanjiro hesitated. Grandpa Saburo was right; traveling now was dangerous.
After a moment's thought, Tanjiro decided to stay the night and return home tomorrow. This had happened before; his mother and the others would understand.
"Grandpa Saburo, I'll trouble you then. But these demons you speak of. . . do they really exist? I've never seen one. "
Grandpa Saburo paused, a look of recollection washing over his face.
His voice carried a suppressed pain, and at that moment, Tanjiro caught the distinct scent of sorrow emanating from the old man.
"Man-eating demons. . . it's best to go your whole life without ever meeting one. Just treat it as a story, Tanjiro. "
Tanjiro nodded, though he thought to himself, "Such intense sorrow. . . Could creatures like demons truly exist? "
.........
The small wooden cabin trembled faintly in the storm, emitting soft creaking sounds.
Outside, night had fallen completely.
A single candle flame flickered in the center of the cabin. Yuu and Kie sat facing each other, legs crossed, while Nezuko and the others slept.
Kie was worried about Tanjiro, but she was also afraid of waking Nezuko and the other children.
So she whispered softly, "Tanjiro won't have run into trouble, will he? He's usually back by this time. "
At the same moment, the sense of foreboding in Yuu's heart grew stronger. Was something going to happen to Tanjiro?
He forced a smile, offering comfort. "Don't worry. The blizzard is heavy today. Tanjiro is probably resting somewhere. I've had to do the same before. It's fine. He'll be fine. "
These words were meant to comfort Kie, but also himself. Right now, Yuu's worry for Tanjiro might have been even greater than a mother's.
Kie didn't say anything more, but the worry etched between her furrowed brows didn't fade in the slightest; if anything, it grew deeper.
Yuu felt the same. A hand seemed to squeeze around his heart, a沉闷 (chénmèn - heavy, oppressive) feeling that made him nauseous.
He thought for a moment, then said to Kie, "Mother, perhaps I should go down the mountain to check. The storm is fierce, but the path is still walkable. "
Kie shook her head. She didn't want Yuu placing himself in danger. It was very likely Tanjiro was simply delayed by the storm, a situation with relatively little risk. Her worry was simply a mother's concern for her child.
For Yuu to go out now, however, would be truly dangerous.
"As his older brother, your concern for Tanjiro and the others makes me very happy. "
"But Tanjiro isn't a child anymore. He's clever. He should be able to handle this situation. You shouldn't put yourself in danger. "
Yuu smiled faintly. "It's only natural to be concerned. You are my family, after all. "
"Still, I think I should go look for Tanjiro. I won't feel at ease otherwise. "
Kie thought it over. She had great confidence in her eldest son. He had been sensible and obedient since childhood, never giving her cause for worry or disappointment.
"Well, Yuu, if you feel it's alright, then go. "
Yuu stood up, preparing to set out and search for Tanjiro.
However, right at that moment, a horrifying feeling suddenly crept up his spine.
It was the feeling a small, herbivorous animal gets when it encounters a vicious predator–heart-pounding terror and oppressive fear.
"Who's there! "
Yuu whirled around, but he saw no one.
Yet the feeling persisted, clinging to him, remaining right behind him.
Wait, behind him? Kie!
"Yuu. . . run. . . don't look back. . . "
A weak cry came from behind him. It was his mother Kie's voice, somewhat distorted by pain, but he could still recognize it.
Yuu looked down. The ground beneath his feet was sticky; blood had soaked through his shoes and socks.
He turned around, unable to believe his eyes, and was met with a scene of horror he would never forget for the rest of his life.
His mother Kie, Nezuko, Hanako, Takeo, Shigeru, Rokuta.
In the span of a single breath, they all lay fallen in pools of blood.
Nezuko and the others still had peaceful, sleeping smiles on their faces.
His mother Kie struggled, trying to stop the dark shadow behind her, but her frail body lacked the strength to hinder the figure. She was lifted easily by her neck.
In Yuu's eyes, a terrifying creature a full head taller than him now stood before him.
The creature's face vaguely resembled that of a young man, with a head of messy black hair.
But bulging blue veins covered its body, and its blood-red eyes were filled with nothing but violent emotion.
Its mouth didn't hold the flat teeth of a normal person, but terrifyingly sharp fangs, keen like files.
This was a demon. A creature that fed on humans and sowed chaos across the land.
He couldn't believe it. The stories he'd heard as a child were true. Demons really existed.
Yuu's heart pounded wildly, feeling as if it might burst open at any second.
This scene finally made him remember the nightmare.
So, this sense of foreboding was aimed at him and his family inside the cabin. It had nothing to do with Tanjiro.
"Let her go! "
His blood surged instantly. Yuu's eyes nearly burst from their sockets.
Faced with this terrifying demon he had never seen before, he didn't think of running. Instead, he grabbed the axe used for chopping wood beside him and swung it directly at the arm the demon was using to hold Kie.
The axe swung with fierce intensity. Yuu was sure it was the most powerful strike he had ever managed with an axe.
Having chopped wood since childhood, Yuu was fairly confident in the power of his axe. He had relied on this very axe to drive off wild wolves and boars encountered in the mountains before.
Though the blade was worn, it still gleamed coldly.
But the black-haired demon showed no intention of dodging.
It shook its head and sighed. "Too weak. Is this the strength and speed of a child playing house? This is exactly why, as that person said, demons are the superior life form. "
It stomped down hard, cracking the wooden floorboards. Fractures spread out in a spiderweb pattern from the point of impact.
Yuu's vision blurred. By the time he reacted, the axe had been knocked from his hands. A sharp pain exploded across his face as the black-haired demon lifted him effortlessly off the ground by his head.
From the corner of his eye, Yuu could see his mother Kie tossed aside carelessly by the demon like a ragdoll, her neck twisted at an unnatural angle, devoid of life.
"Mo. . . ther. . . "
Yuu managed a difficult, murmured whisper. The demon's five fingers gripped his face, applying slight pressure. Sharp, knife-like nails dug deep into his skin, directly cracking the bones of his face.
The shattered bones caused damage to his brain. Yuu lost all strength, and his consciousness began to fade.
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