Demon Slayer: Tanjiro becomes a ghost, Nezuko becomes a pillar!

Chapter 7 Giyu Tomioka's Fury

Just as Giyu Tomioka and Tanjiro looked at Nezuko, who was rubbing her head in their arms.

The next second, Tanjiro, taking advantage of Giyu Tomioka's brief moment of hesitation, broke free from his grasp, grabbed Nezuko, and rolled away.

Giyu Tomioka was shocked and tried to get up, but it was too late.

[Oh no, this is when his brother is at his weakest in his demonic transformation. Is he going to be eaten?]

Giyu Tomioka could only watch helplessly as Tanjiro rolled away with Nezuko in his arms, his heart filled with anxiety.

However, the next second, his pupils contracted slightly, as if he had seen something unbelievable.

Nezuko churned in Tanjiro's arms, and every time she touched the snow, it was her older brother Tanjiro who cushioned her fall.

When she opened her eyes again and looked over, she realized that her brother had completely protected her behind her.

"elder brother……"

Nezuko watched Tanjiro's retreating figure. After being transformed into a demon, her brother had grown taller, and his red hair now cascaded down his back.

However, Tanjiro was panting heavily, his body heaving violently. His crimson pupils no longer held any ferocity; instead, he looked pleadingly at Giyu Tomioka and shook his head repeatedly.

Yoshiyuki Tomioka stared blankly at the scene, as if he could hear Mizuko's resolute words again.

"Absolutely not, my brother would never hurt me, and he would never hurt anyone."

He slowly stood up, his gaze falling on the brother and sister who were protecting each other with a complex expression.

The image of Tanjiro after he turned into a demon flashed through my mind. He would rather endure the pain than harm the remains of his family members, and he would risk his life to come back and protect his sister even when he was being chased.

Perhaps you are right.

He thought to himself, "This boy is really different from the other evil spirits."

Before Giyu Tomioka could speak, Tanjiro's body suddenly went limp, and he collapsed weakly to the ground. The eerie demonic features around him rapidly faded away, and his body gradually shrank back to the size of his human form.

"elder brother!"

Nizuko exclaimed in surprise and immediately rushed to Tanjiro's side.

This time, she held her unconscious brother tightly behind her, spread her arms in front of her, and glared at Tomioka Yoshiyuki warily, her voice full of angry questioning.

"What did you do to my brother?!"

Yoshiyuki Tomioka calmly observed her tense expression, his tone completely unwavering.

"He didn't eat people to replenish his strength. He was seriously injured before and struggled all the way, so he was overexerted and just fainted."

Upon hearing this, Midouzi's tense body relaxed slightly, and her anxious heart finally settled down.

But she remained on guard, her eyes fixed on the swordsman before her.

Her intuition told her that the man in the unusually colored haori might not be a bad person, but the knife in his hand could take her brother's life at any moment, so she dared not be careless in the slightest.

Ignoring Nezuko's wariness, Tomioka Giyuu turned and walked towards the tree trunk, raising his hand to pull the axe embedded in it out.

Mi Douzi's heart jumped into her throat instantly, her vigilance was heightened, and she was both anxious and panicked.

This was her only weapon, and now that it was in the enemy's hands, she was almost losing even the last bit of confidence to protect her brother.

Giyu Tomioka gripped the simple axe, his fingertips tracing the rough wooden handle, his gaze fixed on it for a long time, as if looking through the axe at a distant past.

He then turned around, his gaze fixed on Midouzi, his tone calm yet carrying a heavy weight.

"You say you can cure your brother, how? You say you want to find the murderer who killed your family, how? With your frail body, or this axe that can barely chop wood?"

He paused, then spoke words that hit the nail on the head.

"Even if I let him go, how long do you think he can survive outside in his current state? Other demon hunters will only draw their swords without hesitation when they see him. Do you think simply protecting him behind you will be enough to find the killer, heal him, and keep him safe?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he took a deep breath, and the self-blame and anger that had been building up in his heart suddenly erupted. He roared at Midouzi.

"What a joke! You can't do anything like this! Even if there really was a way to turn a ghost back into a human, you couldn't protect him, let alone take revenge! If you don't want tragedy to happen again, then grip this axe tightly and swing it fiercely at everyone who wants to harm you, at all the evil spirits! Don't just stand there stupidly, waiting for someone to give you a chance to live!"

After shouting, he threw the axe back to Midouzi's feet. The metal blade struck the snow with a crisp sound, causing the snowflakes to tremble slightly.

Little sister, I'm sorry.

Giyu Tomioka's gaze fell into the depths of the snow, his eyes churning with pain and self-reproach that went unnoticed by anyone.

If I had arrived sooner, you wouldn't have gone through all this, your family wouldn't have died, and your brother wouldn't have become a ghost. If I had arrived sooner, you would all be warming yourselves by the fire, living a life of working at sunrise and resting at sunset... It's all my fault.

He was both angry and remorseful for being late, and also resentful of his past self.

If he had been a little stronger and braver like this young girl back then, wouldn't many regrets have been avoided?

Nizuko was stunned into place by Giyu Tomioka's angry questions, her mind going blank.

She looked down at the axe at her feet, and the image of her brother holding it and chopping wood flashed uncontrollably through her mind.

The sun was shining brightly then, the woodshed was piled high with dry firewood, and the air was filled with the warmth of smoke.

But now, their warm home has become a hellish place, with their loved ones dying tragically inside, and their beloved brother turning into a demon.

Self-blame and remorse overwhelmed her like a tidal wave, causing her to tremble slightly.

Giyu Tomioka slowly raised his head, his gaze falling on Nezuko's pale face. He slowly raised the light blue Nichirin Blade in his hand, the tip of the blade pointing precisely at Tanjiro, who had fallen unconscious to the ground.

"This is reality."

His voice was calm to the point of being indifferent, yet it carried an undeniable power.

"If you want to protect your brother, pick up the axe and stop standing there."

As soon as he finished speaking, he slowly assumed an attack stance, the blade gleaming with a chilling light.

I know this is very difficult for you as a girl.

A faint hint of reluctance flashed across Giyu Tomioka's eyes as he silently said to himself.

But don't despair, don't give up. Within the Demon Slayer Corps, countless outstanding girls are giving their all to protect others; you can too.

The next second, he gripped his Nichirin Blade and charged straight at Tanjiro, who was lying on the ground!

Mizuko's pupils contracted sharply. Tomioka Giyuu's words were like a thunderclap, shattering the confusion and cowardice in her heart.

Her protective instincts for her brother instantly overwhelmed all other emotions, transforming her into an unwavering resolve.

She snapped back to her senses, quickly bent down to pick up the axe at her feet, her knuckles turning white from the force.

This time, she gripped the axe handle exceptionally tightly, even feeling the pain of splinters piercing her skin, but she was completely unaware.