[The scene continued.]
[The camera zoomed in on Tanjiro's eyes—now dyed crimson by the blood-red threads—moving closer and closer until it entered his pupils.]
[Fragments of memories appeared, forming a collage across the skies of countless worlds.]
[With a flash of white, the scene shifted into a pale, hazy memory space.]
[A young Tanjiro and a young Nezuko stood on a grassy field.]
[One held a branch with a small bell hanging from it. The other clutched a hand drum their father had just bought.]
[Nezuko, dressed in a cute pink kimono, shook the drum joyfully—cheering as Tanjiro mimicked their father's ritual dance for the Fire God.]
[The scene pulled back.]
[A gaunt middle-aged man appeared—bearing a scar on his left forehead, much like Tanjiro's.]
"…Father…?"
In the courtyard of the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters, Tanjiro Kamado stared blankly at the figure in the sky.
Tears instantly welled up, blurring his vision.
"W-Why… why is Father appearing in the scene…?"
He muttered in disbelief.
Nearby, Shinobu Kocho calmly described the childhood scenes of Tanjiro and Nezuko to Kagaya Ubuyashiki.
"Hey! Kid! What's going on here? Why did the scene suddenly change? Where did Lower Five go?!"
Sanemi Shinazugawa once again started picking on Tanjiro.
This time, instead of slapping his head—since it hurt his own hand too—he jabbed Tanjiro's forehead with his sword sheath.
"This… this is a memory… something I recalled during the fight…"
Tanjiro murmured.
At the Butterfly Estate—
On a hospital bed, limbs atrophied and hair sparse, Zenitsu Agatsuma stared out the window at young Nezuko in the sky.
A disturbingly blissful grin spread across his face.
"Little Nezuko is so cuuuute… hehe… hehehhehehe…"
"…That's disgusting."
Standing nearby, Aoi Kanzaki instinctively took two steps back, keeping her distance.
[Back to the scene.]
[Tanjiro's frail-looking father spoke slowly toward the camera:]
["Tanjiro… you must breathe."]
["Adjust your breathing… and become one with the Fire God."]
[Another memory fragment flashed through Tanjiro's eyes.]
[A gentle song began to play.]
[The scene shifted once more—to a dark, snowy night.]
"WOAH!!! Someone's singing!!!"
Across countless worlds, spectators erupted in excitement the moment the song began.
Watching the lively reactions, Rukia Kuchiki tilted her head in confusion.
"Do people in the human world not watch anime? Why are they so excited just because of background music?"
"…I'm more curious why Soul Society even has anime," Ichigo Kurosaki replied.
"When I went to rescue you, everything there looked like it was still in the Edo period."
Not just Ichigo—Uryu Ishida, Yasutora Sado, and Orihime Inoue all leaned in curiously.
"That's because every Soul Reaper stationed in the human world brings back a 'local specialty' when they return," Rukia explained.
"And anime just happens to be one of the most iconic specialties of the human world. Of course we know about it."
"…Oh…"
Everyone nodded in understanding.
[Back to the scene.]
[The memory continued in the snowy night.]
[Torches were planted into the snow in a circle, creating a bright clearing.]
["Tanjiro, look—that's your father's Kagura."]
[A gentle, beautiful woman with a small mole beneath her lip whispered softly into young Tanjiro's ear.]
[Within the torch-lit clearing—]
[Tanjiro's father, wearing a mask marked with the character for "flame," and dressed in ceremonial robes adorned with fire patterns—]
[Held a kagura bell and danced tirelessly in the snow, offering prayers to the Fire God.]
["Because our family works with fire…"]
["At the start of every year, we perform this dance to pray to the Fire God for safety and protection from disasters."]
[As Tanjiro's mother explained, his father's movements grew more intense.]
[The bells attached to the hilt rang out more crisply with every motion.]
["Mom…"]
[Young Tanjiro looked up at her with wide, innocent eyes.]
[In a villa somewhere—]
As the adorable young Tanjiro appeared on screen, two certain viewers instantly lost their composure.
"AWWWWW!!!"
"Baby Tanjiro!!! Mommy's here!!!"
They abandoned their previous favorite and rushed emotionally toward the screen.
Meanwhile, a certain neglected child sat in the corner, drawing circles in silence.
"…Hmph. Women."
[Back to the scene.]
[Tanjiro's mother, holding an umbrella and carrying baby Nezuko on her back, crouched down and looked at him with gentle eyes.]
["Even though Father is so weak… how can he dance for so long in such heavy snow?"]
["My lungs feel like they're freezing…"]
["There is a way to breathe…"]
[The scene shifted again.]
[On his sickbed, Tanjiro's frail father gently placed a hand on his head and spoke softly:]
["A way of breathing that never exhausts you… no matter how you move…"]
["Breathing?"]
[Little Tanjiro lay against his father's lap, looking up in confusion.]
["That's right."]
["If you master the correct breathing…"]
["You'll be able to keep dancing forever."]
["Even the cold… will no longer matter."]
["Tanjiro…"]
["This Kagura… and these earrings…"]
["You must inherit them."]
["Never let them be lost."]
[At the end, his father's expression turned unusually serious.]
["Promise me."]
[As the memories faded, the scene returned to the present.]
[Tanjiro's eyes sharpened.]
[His breathing… changed.]
["Haa—"]
[Following the breathing method his father had taught him, a stream of scorching air escaped from his mouth.]
["Hinokami…"]
["Kagura!!!"]