Tanjiro stared at the Hashiras' backs as the earth shook in fear beneath his feet.
The Water Hashira, Giyu-san, and the Wind Hashira, Sanemi-san — the only two Hashiras who hadn't accepted Kai-san's unique demonification, which could have allowed them to access a demon's powers even in the Sun — looked paler compared to the other Hashiras.
Standing right behind them, Tanjiro couldn't help but look at the sides of their faces.
Slowly, his gaze landed on others — their whitish skin tones glowing almost silver under the full moon's light.
Rengoku-san, the Flame Hashira, still wore a smile on his face.
Tanjiro, who had seen that smile hundreds of times, could instantly tell that there was something wrong with it. What? That was not the question he could dare to ask himself. Not yet.
Tengen-san was the only one, perhaps, who was smiling genuinely.
Even from here, Tanjiro could see the Sound Hashira stroking the handles of his blades, as if he couldn't wait to unsheathe them and let loose.
The Mist Hashira stood listlessly, his gaze planted on the moon in the dark sky.
Among them all, Muichiro-kun looked calmer… carefree. Tanjiro had learned to overlook that, though, knowing what kind of power he held behind that carefree expression.
The Love and Serpent Hashiras were more open with their expressions, he noticed.
Mitsuri-san's tightened jaw and Obanai-san's loosened, white bandages told Tanjiro all he needed to know about their current situation.
And then there was the Stone Hashira, standing a step ahead of the rest, with his palms pressed together and his eyes closed as he prayed.
There was nothing to read in his stance, Tanjiro realized.
Because that's how Gyomei-san always looked to him.
But the Hashiras weren't the only ones here.
Tanjiro wasn't the only one standing behind them, either.
He looked to his left, and his gaze met Nezuko's, her eyes reflecting the concern that he himself carried, perhaps.
Beyond Nezuko, Kanao-san stood, her right foot continuously rubbing the earth as if she wanted to step out and join the Hashiras.
Tanjiro brought his gaze back and looked to his right, then.
Zenitsu carried an uncharacteristically dark expression, his eyes wide open as he stared forward.
Inosuke was slowly nicking his already roughened-up blade as if he were possessed by a compulsion.
Genya was the only one who was also staring at a Hashira's back.
Being the younger brother of the Wind Hashira brought its own burdens. Tanjiro only hoped that Genya wouldn't let his temper add to the burden of proving himself. Because he wouldn't be able to afford that. None here could afford that.
A rasping sound came from behind Tanjiro, suddenly.
He looked over his shoulder.
In files, black-robed Demon Slayers, nearly five hundred in number…
That was the entire strength of the Demon Slayer Corps — from the old ones to the freshest recruits.
And Tanjiro finally realized who they were looking at.
Him.
They were looking at his back.
Just like he had been looking at...
Losing all hesitation and discarding all nervousness, Tanjiro tightened his jaw and straightened his back just like the Hashiras.
Yes.
He needed to stand straight and let them look at it.
He needed them to see the side of his face — the face that now carried no hesitation, but only the will to face the coming storm.
Tanjiro found Giyu-san look over his shoulder and nod at him.
And, from the gap that the Water Hashira created, Tanjiro finally had a good look at the scene that had painted itself in front of them.
Barely a few hundred meters away, black figures had covered the open land.
No matter how far Tanjiro looked, he couldn't see the end of that blackness. On and on, it went, undulating like the black waters of a cursed ocean. With every wave of this ocean, the ground quaked. With every growling roar of those waves, the night darkened.
Demons.
Hundreds of thousands.
For months, the Demon Slayers had been trying to find out the surprising reason for the Demons' absence. It was as if someone had washed them from the land, finally bringing the peace they had been seeking for centuries.
But Oyakata-sama had warned that this wasn't the case.
He had insisted that the Demons were up to something, even after losing his Prophetic abilities when Kai-san healed him, ending the curse.
Now…
Only now did they know what the Demons had been planning.
The Demon Slayers, including the Hashiras, had originally thought that no matter what the Demons conjured, with their enhanced strength, they would be able to take care of it.
That thought turned out to be the greatest mistake, though.
The Demons seemed to have stretched their hands beyond the Japanese mainland, spawning their brethren all across the world.
That was a possibility that Oyakata-sama had considered, sending Hashiras from coast to coast to look for any signs of suspicious activities.
However, defying all logic, Demons seemed to have brought all these spawns to Japan, leaving not even a hint of a trail. It was like they hadn't arrived physically, but were conjured out of thin air.
Some five hundred Demon Slayers…
Over several hundred thousand Demons…
There was a reason that the Demon Slayers preferred to act in secrecy.
Because, if it came to marching into a war against Demons, the Demon Slayer Corps would fall short… hideously.
Who would have thought that by giving them peace for months, the Demons had been planning to bring that hideous thought to reality?
"He…" the Stone Hashira suddenly said, looking up. "…is here."
Along with the Hashiras, Tanjiro's head snapped up as well, but he couldn't see what Gyomei-san was looking at…
Tanjiro squinted.
There, against the full moon, was a black spot.
Then, leaving behind a blackish trail, that black spot landed right between the Demon Slayers and the Demons.
The BOOM made most of the Demon Slayers behind him fall to their knees.
Tanjiro gritted his teeth to not let his knees bend, despite the earth becoming water beneath him.
A cloud of dust lingered between the two armies.
Then, as if swatted away from within, the dust scattered to one side.
And, standing there casually was a white-suited man, his bloody, slitted eyes pulsating rhythmically as they landed on Tanjiro.
Demon King Muzan… was here.