"Is it more important than life itself?"
The wooden door was forcefully broken open, and Agatsuma Zenitsu, startled by the sudden noise, looked over.
He hugged Shoichi and exclaimed, "Eeek! Isn't that the wild boar wack?"
Hashibira Inosuke's gaze swept around, "There's a demon's scent!"
Agatsuma Zenitsu understood upon hearing that person's voice. This guy was the fifth successful candidate, the one who entered the mountain earlier than everyone else and left the mountain before everyone else!
An ultimate hothead!
"Found it!" Inosuke charged towards the wooden box under the tree's shade, his sword in hand.
No! Tanjirou's wooden box! Agatsuma Zenitsu ran in front of the box first, shielding it with his body to prevent the other party from approaching.
Hashibira Inosuke swung his sword in annoyance and said, "Who are you! Get out of the way!"
Spreading his arms to block the strange person, Agatsuma Zenitsu, though terribly scared, tried to speak loudly, "I am Agatsuma Zenitsu, and like you, I am a Demon Slayer Corps member!"
"If you're a Demon Slayer Corps member, you should understand that it's something that must be dealt with! Get out of the way!" Hashibira Inosuke saw that the other party still didn't move, so he swung his sword down forcefully, attempting to make the other party retreat in the face of difficulty.
The sharp blade was right next to his neck. Agatsuma Zenitsu's face was pale, and he tried hard to clench his teeth to keep them from chattering. "No, I won't let you touch this box! This belongs to Tanjirou, it's important!"
"Hey, hey, hey! There's a demon inside! Don't you get it?!"
"I knew that from the very beginning!" Agatsuma Zenitsu shouted with all his might.
He knew from the start that Tanjirou was carrying a demon. The sound of a demon and the sound of a human are completely different.
But... Tanjirou had a voice so gentle it made one want to cry.
It was the gentlest voice I had ever heard.
Living beings emit all sorts of sounds: the flow of blood, heartbeats, breathing. If you listen carefully, you can understand what the other person is thinking.
I am often deceived because I always choose to believe the people I want to believe.
Therefore, I believe Tanjirou must have a reason that allows him to accept this.
Agatsuma Zenitsu's face was grim, and his tone was firm, "I will ask Tanjirou directly. You... step back!"
..."Brother Yang Quan, there's the smell of blood!"
The group quickened their pace. The entrance was right before them. Just as they reached the entrance, Tanjirou witnessed a scene that made his eyes widen: Agatsuma Zenitsu was desperately hugging the wooden box, and the wild boar wack was forcefully kicking him.
Even though he was bruised and battered, Agatsuma Zenitsu still looked up at Tanjirou, who had come out, and said, "Tanjirou, I... protected it."
"Because you said it was... more important than life itself..."
"You talk a big game, but as a Demon Slayer Corps member, pull out your sword! Coward!" Hashibira Inosuke said impatiently, continuing to kick him.
Yoizumi stood in the shadows, casually broke off a piece of wood, and with a slight flick of his wrist, the wood plank was thrown, striking the person's head with surprising speed and precision.
Hashibira Inosuke suddenly felt a dizzy spell in his head. The sword in his hand dropped to the ground. Tanjirou rushed towards the two, his hand forming a fist, and struck the boar-headed man in the abdomen.
"Crack!"
"Crack?!" Agatsuma Zenitsu looked in disbelief at the person who flew backwards. "He fractured! His bones are broken!"
Tanjirou was furious, clenching his fists in anger. "Don't you know that Demon Slayer Corps members are not allowed to draw their swords against each other without reason?"
"Ho ho cough~ I see, my apologies. Then let's fight bare-handed!" Even with a fractured ribcage, Hashibira Inosuke seemed indifferent and was about to get up. Yoizumi, from inside the house, threw another piece of wood, hitting the opponent's face. The headpiece was knocked off, and he completely fainted.
"Eh! That face! A woman?!" Agatsuma Zenitsu shouted in disbelief. What a disgusting guy, with a face like that, yet so muscular.
"But is he alright?"
"He just fainted." Tanjirou said, moving the wooden box to Yoizumi's position. "Brother Yang Quan, are you coming in now?"
Shaking his head, Yoizumi turned and walked back inside. "There are still people inside. I'll bring them out. Tanjirou, go bury the bodies."
"I understand!"
It wasn't until evening that the group finished burying all the bodies. Next to many small mounds of earth, Tanjirou clasped his hands together, praying for the deceased.
I'm sorry, I couldn't come sooner. Please rest in peace in the other world.
"Ugh ah!" Hashibira Inosuke scrambled up from the ground, then immediately ran to Tanjirou, shouting.
"Duel me! Duel me!"
"Hit me again with that invisible attack! This time I can dodge it!"
"No! Your body isn't healed yet!"
"That doesn't matter! Duel!"
Tanjirou sighed and asked, "What's your name?"
"I'm Hashibira Inosuke!"
"Inosuke, I've just finished burying everyone and I'm very tired. I don't have the strength to duel you."
"Ha! Then hurry up and rest!" Hashibira Inosuke pulled Tanjirou, about to force him to the ground, when the Kasugai Crow reappeared in the sky.
"Hurry down the mountain, down the mountain! Come with me!"
Upon reaching the entrance and telling Yoizumi, Yoizumi slowly shrank, and the wooden box door opened. Nezuko, who had been waiting for a long time, looked at Yoizumi with sparkling eyes, wiggling her small bottom to make space for Yoizumi.
Back in the cramped space, Nezuko rested her head on Yoizumi's shoulder. Yoizumi nodded to Tanjirou, indicating it was fine, and the wooden box was then plunged into darkness.
The even breathing of Nezuko was in his ears.
Is she asleep?
His blue eyes fixed on her sleeping face. She must have smelled the rare blood too, right?
She had been enduring it. Yoizumi also knew that such a feeling was not pleasant. He reached out a small hand and gently stroked her soft hair, then lightly rested his own head on Nezuko.
He was also a little sleepy.
Hashibira Inosuke followed the group down the mountain. At the foot of the mountain, it was time to part ways with Shoichi and the others.
"No! Shoichi has to protect me!" Agatsuma Zenitsu knelt on the ground, hugging Shoichi and refusing to let go. Tanjirou had no choice but to knock him out with a hand chop.
Zenitsu finally calmed down completely.
The Kasugai Crow flew in front of Kiyoshi, asking him to hold out his hand. Kiyoshi obediently raised his hand, and the Kasugai Crow spat out a brocade pouch from its mouth, still covered in its sticky saliva. Kiyoshi looked at the brocade pouch in his hand with some disdain.
"The smell of wisteria!"
"What is that?" Kiyoshi pinched the edge of the brocade pouch with his fingertips.
"A flower demons hate. It can ward off demons."
Kiyoshi pulled his younger siblings and bowed deeply to the group.
"Thank you very much! We will go home by ourselves."
Tanjirou waved his hand, "Be careful."
The Kasugai Crow flew into the sky, "Come with me! Come with me!"
He struggled a bit to carry Zenitsu on his back, while Hashibira Inosuke beside him was still clamoring for a duel.
"I will definitely beat you!"
"I'm not calling you, I'm Kamado Tanjirou!"
"Fishcake Gonpachiro, I'll beat you!"
"Who is that?!" Tanjirou said angrily.
"It's you!"
"It's someone else!"
"So noisy!" Agatsuma Zenitsu on his back suddenly burst out shouting.
Night.
The three arrived at a mansion with wisteria flower patterns. The Kasugai Crow's sharp voice rang out again, "Rest, rest! The injured are at the Wisteria House. Rest until you are fully recovered!"
The wooden door opened in response, and a white-haired old woman came out from inside.
"Excuse me for visiting so late."
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