In the end, news of Kanae's loss of control spread only among the Hashira.
The ordinary members of the Demon Slayer Corps remained completely unaware.
As for the girls living within the Butterfly Mansion, although they had been terrified by the incident, none of them believed Kanae had attacked intentionally.
Because of that, they unanimously chose to keep the matter secret.
After all, if word spread that a demon lived inside the Butterfly Mansion, wounded swordsmen would probably never dare seek treatment there again.
Since her last collapse, Kanae had yet to awaken.
She remained trapped in a deep sleep.
Fortunately, despite the poison's effects, her wounds were still healing little by little. As a demon, her vitality far exceeded that of ordinary humans.
She would not die so easily.
Still, Shinobu Kocho's expression grew increasingly troubled as she reviewed her research notes.
"This is strange…"
She adjusted her glasses slightly while staring at the report in her hands.
Unlike ordinary demons, Kanae did not react violently to wisteria flowers.
The wisteria surrounding the Butterfly Mansion merely caused her discomfort and mild suppression. It did not completely prevent her from approaching.
Every time Kanae entered or left the mansion, she simply endured the irritation and rushed through quickly.
That abnormality alone was enough to make Shinobu suspicious.
"…Could it be because of Upper Rank One's blood?"
Although she possessed no concrete evidence yet, Shinobu quietly formed a hypothesis.
Kokushibo's blood was clearly different from Muzan's ordinary demon blood.
If that were true
Then perhaps the key to restoring Kanae's humanity also lay within Kokushibo himself.
At the same time, the other Hashira were equally shaken after learning what had happened.
Gyomei Himejima clasped his hands together solemnly while tears streamed down his face.
"That poor child…"
His voice trembled heavily.
"She nearly descended into hell."
Mitsuri Kanroji's face turned pale with disbelief.
Even the sweets in her hands slipped unnoticed onto the floor.
"Kanae-oneesan almost died…"
Her eyes watered immediately.
"That's so terrible…"
Beside her, Obanai Iguro remained silent.
Deep down, he believed this outcome had been inevitable from the beginning.
After all, Kanae was still a demon.
But seeing Mitsuri so distressed, he suppressed those thoughts entirely and merely lowered his gaze quietly.
Giyu Tomioka said nothing at all.
Muichiro Tokito, meanwhile, simply looked confused.
"She was stable before," he muttered absentmindedly. "So why did she suddenly lose control now?"
Kyojuro Rengoku remained unusually quiet as well.
However, within his heart, he firmly believed Kanae would never willingly hurt innocent people.
Tengen Uzui crossed his arms thoughtfully.
Though he said little, his expression clearly revealed concern for his former comrade.
Then he suddenly turned toward his three wives.
"Hinatsuru. Makio. Suma."
The three immediately looked at him.
"You're no longer going out on nighttime demon extermination missions."
Makio frowned instantly.
"Tengen-sama "
"No arguments."
His tone became serious.
"These creatures are evolving."
Originally, the monstrous insects known as Monjushiro had been weaker than demons overall.
But recently, they had begun displaying intelligence.
Adaptability.
Hunting instincts.
That made them even more troublesome than ordinary demons.
Tengen looked directly at his wives.
"I won't allow anything dangerous to happen to my magnificent women."
Hinatsuru seemed about to respond calmly.
But before she could speak, Suma suddenly burst into tears and clung tightly to Tengen's arm.
"But Tengen-sama still has to fight!"
She sniffled loudly.
"We can't help you at all… we're completely useless…"
Tengen immediately softened.
He gently wiped away her tears with surprising tenderness.
"It's fine."
A confident grin appeared on his face.
"I'm the flashy Sound Hashira, Tengen Uzui."
Then he patted her head lightly.
"I'll come back alive."
Meanwhile
Far away on Sagiri Mountain.
A full year and a half had already passed since Tanjiro began training under Sakonji Urokodaki.
Standing before the enormous boulder blocking the mountain path, Tanjiro nearly wanted to cry.
No matter how hard he trained
No matter how many times he swung his blade
He still could not cut through the stone.
His entire body trembled from exhaustion.
"What kind of man cries over something like that?"
A voice suddenly echoed nearby.
Tanjiro froze instantly.
The rock… had spoken?!
Startled, he hurriedly looked upward.
Sitting atop the boulder was a boy wearing a fox mask.
Tanjiro blinked in confusion.
He had not heard any footsteps whatsoever.
Before Tanjiro could react properly, the masked boy leapt down from the boulder and swung a wooden sword directly at him.
Caught off guard, Tanjiro instinctively raised his blade to defend.
Bang!!
The impact instantly sent him crashing backward onto the ground.
His sword flew from his hands entirely.
"Pick up your sword."
The masked boy sounded irritated.
A swordsman losing his blade so easily was shameful.
Tanjiro quickly scrambled upright and grabbed his sword again.
He wanted to ask who these people were
But at that exact moment, another figure appeared beside him.
This time, it was a girl wearing a fox mask.
"Tanjiro!"
Her voice sounded urgent.
"Move!"
Before Tanjiro even understood what was happening, both masked figures vanished simultaneously.
His instincts screamed danger.
Without hesitation, Tanjiro bent backward sharply.
Whoosh!!
Several barbed tentacles pierced directly into the ground where his head had been moments earlier.
A gigantic insect-like creature emerged from the forest shadows.
The moment Tanjiro saw it, his pupils contracted violently.
Monjushiro.
The same species of monster responsible for slaughtering his family.
Hatred erupted within him instantly.
If not for these creatures
His mother and siblings might still have been alive.
Perhaps, like Nezuko, there could have been some way to save them.
But these monsters had destroyed everything.
"They…"
Tanjiro gritted his teeth.
"They're the real monsters…"
Blinded by fury, he rushed forward and swung his blade.
After a year and a half of brutal training, he was no longer the weak charcoal seller from before.
Slash!!
One of the creature's forelegs was severed instantly.
"HISSSSSSS!!"
The wounded Monjushiro shrieked furiously.
Its whip-like tentacles lashed toward Tanjiro in retaliation.
Crack!!
One strike tore through Tanjiro's arm, ripping flesh apart instantly.
The scent of blood excited the creature further.
It lunged directly toward Tanjiro with snapping mandibles.
Tanjiro barely rolled away in time.
But the creature continued attacking relentlessly.
"Calm down…"
Tanjiro forced himself to focus while dodging another strike.
"Remember Urokodaki-sensei's teachings…"
"Breathe!"
He inhaled deeply.
His muscles tightened instantly.
Then
Water Breathing, Second Form:
Water Wheel!!
Tanjiro flipped forward through the air while unleashing a circular slash.
The flowing arc of his blade severed the creature's remaining foreleg cleanly.
The Monjushiro screamed miserably.
However, realizing it was losing, the creature immediately retreated deeper into the forest.
Tanjiro landed heavily while clutching his chest.
Using Breathing Techniques still placed tremendous strain on his body.
He gasped desperately for air.
Then suddenly, he remembered something.
"The two masked people!"
Tanjiro hurriedly looked around anxiously.
"Are they alright?"
Even after everything, Tanjiro remained incredibly kindhearted.
Meanwhile, the wounded Monjushiro had already fled deep into the forest.
That area was filled with hidden traps and unstable terrain.
Tanjiro could avoid the traps themselves
But fighting simultaneously while navigating them remained beyond his current abilities.
After struggling internally for some time, Tanjiro finally admitted defeat.
He had no choice but to descend the mountain earlier than usual.
Back at Urokodaki's residence, Sakonji found Tanjiro's early return rather strange.
Normally, the boy stubbornly remained on the mountain until nightfall before finally dragging himself home.
Had he given up?
Then Urokodaki noticed the injury on Tanjiro's arm.
His expression immediately changed.
"Tanjiro!"
He rushed forward instantly.
"What happened?! Did you injure yourself during training?!"
There should not have been demons anywhere near this mountain, so Urokodaki naturally did not suspect otherwise.
Tanjiro's breathing trembled weakly.
The poison from the Monjushiro was already spreading.
"No…"
His vision blurred.
"It was… Monjushiro…"
The moment he finished speaking, Tanjiro collapsed unconscious.
Fortunately, Urokodaki reacted quickly and caught him before his forehead could smash directly into the ground.
Somewhere deep within the earth itself
The ground silently thanked Urokodaki for saving its life.
After carrying Tanjiro inside, Urokodaki immediately examined the wound.
The flesh around the injury had already turned black.
His expression darkened heavily beneath the tengu mask.
"So even these creatures possess venom now…"
He looked toward the forest outside.
"Those monsters may become even more dangerous than demons."
Advanced Chapters Now Available on Patreon!
We are currently at Chapter 85 on Patreon!
Join now:
Patreon.com/HACKDWORLD