In the distance, Tanjiro's voice faintly drifted, as he softly recounted old family stories to Nezuko.
Allen leaned against the rock wall, his thoughts drifting far away. His purpose in coming to this world was clear: to obtain Muzan Kibutsuji's abilities. His own defense was still too weak, shattered so easily.
He needed more life-saving abilities.
About an hour later, Tanjiro emerged from the cave, carrying Nezuko, who was now inside a bamboo basket.
The outside of the bamboo basket was wrapped in cloth, which was definitely enough to shield Nezuko from the sun.
"Mr. Allen, can we leave now?" Tanjiro asked, his voice much lighter than before.
Allen nodded, "Let's go to Mt. Sagiri."
The two walked along the mountain path. Tanjiro occasionally adjusted the position of the bamboo basket, ensuring Nezuko wouldn't be exposed to the sun.
Allen walked ahead, occasionally stopping to wait for Tanjiro to catch up.
"Mr. Allen, you said earlier that you wanted to eat Muzan?" Tanjiro asked hesitantly.
Allen didn't look back, "Mm."
"Why eat? Don't only Man-eating Demons eat people?" Tanjiro asked, confused.
Allen stopped, turned, and looked at Tanjiro, "Because his cells are very special, and they might be useful to me."
Tanjiro nodded, half-understanding. Although he didn't grasp Allen's specific goal, he knew that this mysterious young man was definitely on the side of humanity.
"Is Muzan very strong then?" Tanjiro asked again.
Allen thought for a moment, "In this world, he can indeed be considered a top-tier powerhouse."
Tanjiro clenched his fists, "Then I must become stronger!"
Allen looked at Tanjiro's determined eyes, as if seeing his past self – that relentless obsession with getting stronger, but with an added resolve to sacrifice everything to protect someone important.
"You will become stronger."
... The sun set, and night fell. Tanjiro released Nezuko from the bamboo basket, and the three, bathed in moonlight, arrived at a Buddhist temple.
"There's a Buddhist temple, and I can see lights; someone must be there," Tanjiro said, looking at Nezuko and Allen.
"Let's go," Allen nodded. If he remembered correctly, there was a Man-eating Demon inside, which could be a good practice for Tanjiro.
"Mm... there's the smell of blood," Tanjiro's nose twitched, and his expression suddenly became serious.
"The mountain path here is rugged; could someone have been injured?" His expression grew tense, and just as he was about to rush into the Buddhist temple, Allen pulled him back.
"Everyone inside is dead; only a Man-eating Demon remains. This is a very good opportunity for real combat."
"A Man-eating Demon!" Tanjiro immediately tensed up, instinctively shielding Nezuko behind him.
"Don't worry," Allen said calmly.
"I'll step in if there's danger. You and Nezuko can practice with peace of mind." He patted Tanjiro's shoulder.
Allen and the two arrived at the entrance of the Buddhist temple. Tanjiro took a deep breath, clutching the axe in his hand. Nezuko followed behind Tanjiro, ready to confront the Man-eating Demon with her brother, while Allen stood silently to the side with his arms crossed, the moonlight casting his long shadow.
A grotesque chewing sound came from inside the Buddhist temple. Tanjiro pushed open the door and saw a twisted Man-eating Demon hunched over several corpses, feasting. Smelling the scent of living people, the Man-eating Demon abruptly looked up, blood and flesh still clinging to the corners of his mouth.
"What the hell, hey, this is my territory!" The Man-eating Demon's veins bulged on his forehead.
"If you dare to ruin my meal, I won't let you off!"
Nezuko's eyes widened at the sight of the corpses scattered on the floor, and drool dripped from her mouth through the bamboo muzzle. She stood frozen in place, motionless.
"There's a strange feeling... are you humans?" The Man-eating Demon licked the blood remaining on his fingers and slowly stood up.
Tanjiro's hand, gripping the axe, trembled slightly, but his eyes were unusually firm: "W-why do you eat people!"
The Man-eating Demon revealed a grotesque smile: "Because humans are my food, little brat. Isn't it normal for a predator to eat his prey?"
Allen stood to the side, calmly observing the scene. He noticed that although Tanjiro was afraid, his steps remained steady as he shielded Nezuko.
As the candlelight in the Buddhist temple extinguished, the Man-eating Demon moved.
He lunged at Tanjiro with astonishing speed. Tanjiro instinctively raised his axe to block, but the immense impact sent him reeling backward.
"Bang!"
Just as the Man-eating Demon was about to plunge his demon claw into Tanjiro's neck, he forcefully swung his axe, aiming for the Man-eating Demon's head.
The Man-eating Demon was forced back by the blow. He flipped and leaped backward, but was still gashed, blood continuously gushing from his neck.
"An axe, huh? Pretty capable." He touched his wound.
"But a wound like this will heal immediately." As he spoke, the wound on his neck had already closed.
"See? The bleeding has stopped." The Man-eating Demon showed off his instantaneous healing ability to Tanjiro.
Meanwhile, Nezuko still stood blankly at the entrance of the Buddhist temple, drooling as she stared at the corpses in the room. This was a demon's instinct; humans were the best food for demons.
Tanjiro's pupils contracted violently. He saw Nezuko's fangs extend from the bamboo muzzle, drool constantly dripping. Her gaze was fixed on the corpses on the ground, her body leaning slightly forward.
"Nezuko! Don't look over there!" Tanjiro shouted, his voice filled with terror.
Just as he was momentarily distracted, the Man-eating Demon leaped up and tackled Tanjiro to the ground, his left hand pinning Tanjiro's axe-wielding hand, and his right hand gripping his neck.
"So fast! And so strong!" Tanjiro raised his left arm, wanting to pull away the hand gripping his neck, but found he couldn't budge the opponent even an inch.
"I won't fall for it a second time. Come on, let me break your neck."
Allen remained standing, not making a move. His gaze calmly observed their reactions. He could see Nezuko's fingernails digging deep into her flesh; she was using pain to resist her instincts.
Just as Tanjiro and the Man-eating Demon were in a stalemate, Nezuko moved. Her pupils changed into a cat-like shape, and she lunged at the Man-eating Demon, her slender body erupting with astonishing strength, kicking the opponent's head against a tree.
Allen raised an eyebrow slightly. Nezuko, even in an extremely hungry state, still chose to protect her brother rather than eat. The tug-of-war between humanity and demon-hood, witnessing it firsthand, truly felt different.
Even with his head kicked off, the Man-eating Demon could still control his body. His headless torso got up and lunged at the two.
"Time to end this." Allen, who had been watching the show, finally made his move. His figure flashed, appearing in front of the Man-eating Demon's headless body. With a flick of his finger, the headless body instantly burst into countless blood splatters, scattering into the air.
The Man-eating Demon, whose head had just sprouted two arms, also suffered a heavy blow, falling weakly to the ground.
"Go on, finish him." Allen patted Tanjiro's shoulder.
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