The northern sunset dropped fast. Just as the orange-red light swept across the western valley, darkness settled in.
Snow still hadn't stopped. Fine flakes whipped by the cold wind hit their uniforms with a soft rustling sound.
Kamado Tanjiro and Shinazugawa Sanemi were patrolling together along the mountain path west of Hakusan Village. Their boots crunched against the snow-covered stone path, leaving uneven footprints behind.
"This damn demon's hiding real deep," Sanemi muttered, gripping his Nichirin Sword. Faint green wind aura flickered around him as his sharp eyes swept through the roadside bushes. "It's getting dark, Kamado—stay sharp."
Tanjiro nodded slightly, nostrils twitching.
Aside from the chill of the snow and the pine scent, there was a faint trace of demon scent in the air—rotten, almost imperceptible, like it was being masked on purpose.
"He's trying to avoid us," Tanjiro murmured, stopping in his tracks. His Nichirin Sword slid half an inch out of its sheath, the orange-red blade gleaming cold under the twilight.
"The scent's really faint. He's cunning—been circling around us this whole time."
Just then, beneath an old pine tree up ahead, a hunched figure suddenly flinched.
Wrapped in a tattered gray cloak, holding a crooked cane, his head buried deep in the collar, only a pair of timid eyes were visible—Upper Moon Four, Hantengu.
He had planned to quietly observe them under cover of dusk, but Tanjiro's nose locked onto him. He didn't even dare breathe hard. His fingers clenched around his cane until his knuckles turned white.
"Come out!" Sanemi suddenly shouted, his voice sharp and loud. The aura of Wind Breathing surged around him.
"!" Hantengu jolted in fright. His body shook, and his cane fell with a thud into the snow.
He had no choice. Slowly, he stepped out from behind the tree, head still lowered, voice barely above a whisper. "I... I'm innocent... I didn't do anything..."
As he spoke, he hunched forward and stumbled toward them. Sanemi sidestepped with ease.
"Innocent?" Sanemi sneered, stepping closer.
Hantengu's head dipped even lower. His shoulders trembled, like he'd been terribly wronged. "Really... I'm innocent... I didn't cause any trouble... please don't come any closer...!"
He kept mumbling as he backed away, feet crunching against the snow. There was none of the menace an Upper Moon demon should have—he looked more like a child scared of being bullied.
But Tanjiro didn't let his guard down.
He had seen Gyokko's power. He had seen Giyu when he'd lost his memory. He knew Upper Moons weren't that simple.
An Upper Moon, huh...
As that thought crossed his mind, Tanjiro fully drew his Nichirin Sword.
Exposed, Hantengu stiffened for a moment. Then he suddenly raised his head. A flash of hatred flickered in his eyes—but it was quickly replaced by fear. "I... I was just following orders... Muzan-sama sent me to monitor the north... I didn't hurt anyone... why are you pushing me like this..."
"Pushing you?" Sanemi lunged forward, Wind Breathing swirling with a cutting shriek.
"Like hell anyone believes a demon!" he shouted.
Tanjiro moved at the same time—he knew how fast Upper Moons could regenerate. They needed to take his head first.
"Hinokami Kagura: Sun Halo Dragon Head Dance!"
A flash of orange-red light streaked out like a falling star, slashing straight for Hantengu's neck.
His pupils shrank in panic—he tried to dodge, but it was too late.
With a splatter, his head flew off and thumped into the snow. Black blood sprayed out, melting little pits into the snow wherever it landed.
"That it?" Sanemi stopped, frowning at the body.
Normally, demons began to disintegrate once beheaded. But Hantengu's body stayed whole. Instead, a thick black mist began to rise from it.
"Something's wrong!" Tanjiro raised his sword defensively. "He has clones!"
As he spoke, the black mist exploded outward and formed a new figure.
This one was taller than Hantengu, still wearing a gray cloak, but his eyes were full of rage. He gripped a scepter tightly in his hand.
"You went too far!" he roared. "I didn't even hurt anyone and you cut off my head! I'll kill you!"
"A clone? Blood Demon Art?" Sanemi's eyes narrowed as the aura of Wind Breathing surged again.
"Then we'll just chop up every damn clone!" he snarled.
He charged, blade spinning with raw power.
"Wind Breathing, Sixth Form: Black Wind Mountain Mist!"
The slash landed hard on the clone's shoulder. Black blood burst out.
Tanjiro took the chance to circle behind the clone, blade slashing again.
"Hinokami Kagura: Fire Wheel!"
The blade fanned out like a curtain of flame, slicing clean across the clone's neck.
With another thud, the clone's head dropped, black mist swirling once again.
This time, two new figures emerged—one with sad eyes holding a long spear, the other grinning with a fan in hand. The moment they appeared, they charged straight at Tanjiro and Sanemi.
"Cut one and it splits into two? What a pain in the ass," Sanemi growled, dodging the spear-wielder's thrust. Wind Breathing surged again, sweeping his blade toward the fan-wielding clone to push him back.
"Tanjiro! You focus on the main body—I'll take care of these two!"
"Got it!" Tanjiro nodded, locking his eyes onto Hantengu's real body.
The body was still trembling slightly, like it could keep spawning more clones.
"Hinokami Kagura: Setting Sun Transformation!"
Tanjiro spun mid-air, blade slicing through a gust clone, then kicked away the charging Sorrow clone.
Just then, two Kasugai crows suddenly dove from the sky and landed on nearby branches.
One of them cawed at Tanjiro and spread its wings—a signal for "Other Hashira notified, reinforcements on the way."
"Thank goodness!" Tanjiro felt a bit of relief, though his hands never stopped moving. "Sanemi-san! Backup's almost here! We just have to hold on!"
But Sanemi didn't respond—he was locked in a fierce fight with the spear-wielding clone. That clone was absurdly strong, each blow slamming into the ground hard enough to throw up clouds of snow. Even Wind Breathing's strikes could hit, but it was tough to land a lethal blow.
"This damn clone's skin is thick as hell!" Sanemi growled, then suddenly sped up. "Wind Breathing, Ninth Form: Idaten Typhoon!"
He poured his full strength into the slash, bringing it down from above.
The blade crushed the spear and cleaved into the clone's chest.
The clone let out a screech, black mist pouring from its body, but it still didn't vanish. Instead, another small figure crawled out from the smoke.
That figure muttered nonstop, "You're bullies... I'll make you pay... How many times have you cut me... I'll make sure you remember..."
"Still splitting?!" Veins bulged on Sanemi's forehead. Just as he charged again, the spear-wielding clone blocked his path once more.
Tanjiro dashed in to assist, orange-red Nichirin blade forcing the spear clone back. "Sanemi-san! Don't fight head-on! The more we fight, the more clones he makes—we need to find the main body's weak point first!"
Hantengu's original body was still in place. Black smoke kept seeping out of its wounds, like it was brewing more clones.
Tanjiro stared at the body and suddenly remembered how Daki and Gyutaro had to be killed at the same time.
'Could it be the same with this Upper Moon? Do we have to cut off all the clones' heads too?'
"Sanemi-san! The real body's over there!" Tanjiro pointed at Hantengu. "We have to hit it together—if we don't destroy the main body, the clones will just keep multiplying!"
Sanemi caught on right away, broke free from the two clones, and charged toward the body.
The main body screeched and lunged at them. "Don't touch me! You're all horrible!"
Tanjiro blocked him with his blade, the orange glow pushing him back. "Now, Sanemi-san!"
Sanemi nodded. The aura of Wind Breathing surged to its peak. His blade whipped forward like a green storm.
"Wind Breathing, Third Form: Clear Storm Wind Tree!"
The slash landed clean on the body, spraying black blood everywhere. The trembling grew worse, and the smoke from the wounds started thinning.
But right then, the fan-wielding clone struck from the side. One sweep of the fan shredded Sanemi's arm with cuts.
"Shit!" Sanemi grunted. Burning pain shot up his wrist, but he didn't let go of his sword. Instead, he gripped tighter and slashed again at the main body.
Tanjiro seized the chance and charged. His Nichirin Sword burned with the power of Sun Breathing and slashed down once more.
"Hinokami Kagura: Sun Halo Dragon Head Dance!"
Two blades struck the body at once—but still didn't take its head.
"You think you're running? Dream on, bastard!" Sanemi ignored the pain in his wrist and stormed toward Hantengu again, blade raised for a killing blow.
Tanjiro didn't let up either. His blade followed closely behind, eyes scanning for sudden moves—he knew this demon wouldn't go down easy. He feared Hantengu might unleash a fast Blood Demon Art at any moment.
And based on what happened with Daki and Gyutaro, Tanjiro suspected that if even one clone remained alive, Hantengu could still regenerate.
From the mountain road in the distance, the sound of urgent footsteps and Breathing Technique auras echoed—it was Tō, Kanae-san, Shinobu-san, and Tengen-san arriving.
Kasugai crows circled overhead, cawing clearly as if guiding them in.
"Reinforcements are here!" Tanjiro's heart lifted, but he didn't slow down. His blade slashed at another clone's neck—but failed to take it off.
"Sanemi-san! Just a little more! We're almost there!"
Sanemi gave a tight nod. Wind aura surged around him again. His blade whipped through the air like a typhoon, forcing the remaining clones to stagger back.
In the snow, black blood mixed with white powder, creating a jarring, grotesque contrast.
Hantengu's shrieks, blades cutting wind, and crow cries twisted together in the cold northern dusk—an all-out hunt filled the sky.
And far off, deep within the western valley, a faint blue figure stood quietly at the cliff's edge.
Mushiki.
He stared silently in their direction. He could sense Hantengu's demonic aura weakening... and the auras of Tanjiro and the others growing stronger.
His brow furrowed ever so slightly. A flicker of something unreadable passed through his dark blue slit pupils. His grip tightened slightly on his Nichirin Sword... but in the end, he didn't move.
He simply stood there, watching, until the night fully swallowed the valley.