The night wind swirled the ashes on the ground, and as the last trace of the Swamp Demon vanished, silence returning to the alley.
Tanjiro stood rooted to the spot, his brows furrowed deeply. His hand, gripping the nichirin blade, now seemed to have lost all strength, slowly dropping to his side.
Just now, the Swamp Demon had felt extreme terror before his death. Merely hearing the name "Kibutsuji Muzan" was enough to make him crumble.
He even triggered a self-destructive backlash, preventing him from revealing even a shred of information.
This deep-seated, blood-engraved horror far exceeded Tanjiro's imagination.
"This time... I still couldn't find out anything..."
Tanjiro's voice was low and hoarse, almost inaudible in the silent alley, yet every word was steeped in frustration and unwillingness.
His clenched fists trembled uncontrollably. "Every time... every single time it's like this... it's still not working..."
From Sakonji, Tanjiro learned that only Muzan could turn humans into demons with his blood.
Muzan might have a way to turn Nezuko back into a human, which gave Tanjiro a clear goal.
However, if just a name brought such terrifying backlash, how difficult would it be to gather information about Muzan himself?
The consecutive encounters, the cutoff of information, and the pervasive sadness before him weighed on his heart like heavy lead, making him visibly dejected.
"Tanjiro."
Ryoma's voice was calm as usual as he walked up to Tanjiro.
"Muzan has placed some kind of mechanism on them. Once they try to reveal related information, they'll suffer a backlash."
"Don't be too eager, Tanjiro. This is by no means an overnight task. Be patient, there will always be a way."
Tanjiro took a deep breath, the cold air seeming to clear his muddled thoughts slightly. Then he slowly sheathed his blade, and the rise and fall of his chest gradually calmed.
He looked up. Though there was still disappointment in his eyes, his resolve to fight for his sister had not wavered in the slightest.
"Yes, I understand, Ryoma." He nodded vigorously, his voice regaining its strength.
"For Nezuko, I will never give up."
Then both of their gazes turned simultaneously to a corner of the alley.
There, the young man named Kazumi was kneeling on the ground in a daze, the unconscious girl having been placed against the wall.
He himself seemed to have had all his strength drained, staring blankly into nothingness.
The words he had heard from the Swamp Demon earlier made him realize that his fiancée, Satoko, had no chance of survival.
Tanjiro's heart clenched suddenly.
The overwhelming scent of Kazumi's despair and sorrow was so intense it almost suffocated him.
He couldn't ignore it, so he quickly stepped forward, knelt down, and asked with a hint of concern, "Kazumi-san, are you alright?"
This question seemed to trigger a breaking point.
Kazumi's previously vacant eyes instantly filled with surging tears, and large drops rolled down uncontrollably, hitting the cold ground.
"Having lost my fiancée, do you think I'd be alright?"
He suddenly looked up, his voice hoarse, with a sharp, on-the-verge-of-breaking accusation.
Tanjiro looked at Kazumi's pain-twisted face, his expression incredibly solemn. He had experienced the same heartbreaking agony and understood that abyss-like despair.
"Kazumi-san,"
His voice was clear and firm, carrying a weight beyond his years,
"Even if one must constantly lose... people, they can only choose to live on. There is no other way. No matter how great the pain, how heavy the blow... one must live on."
However, Kazumi, currently consumed by extreme sorrow, could not hear this almost cruel "truth." Especially since these words came from a young man who looked much younger than himself.
Kazumi, blinded by pain, suddenly stood up and fiercely grabbed the collar of Tanjiro's dark Demon Slayer Corps uniform, roaring hoarsely, "What do you know..."
"What does a child like you know..."
Tanjiro did not blame him for this, but gently held the trembling hand, comforting him with a slight smile. He did not struggle, nor did he show any hint of blame.
He could even clearly "smell" the intensely trembling aura of immense sorrow emanating from Kazumi.
He simply extended both hands, gently covering the trembling hand that was gripping his collar, warm and firm.
There was no anger on his face, only deep compassion and a gentle attempt to convey a calming strength.
"..."
The silent comfort seemed more powerful than words.
Feeling the warmth from those hands, Kazumi's frantic emotions seemed to be put on pause. The surging tears still flowed, but the hand gripping the collar gradually lost strength, finally releasing it dejectedly.
Tanjiro slowly stood up and then spoke, "We need to leave."
He then turned to walk towards the alley exit.
At this moment, Ryoma, who had been silently observing, stepped forward. He said nothing extra. He simply took out a small cloth-wrapped package, and handed it to Kazumi.
"This was found on the Swamp Demon." Ryoma's voice was low and direct.
"They are all mementos of the girls he harmed. Inside, there should also be Satoko-san's things. Please accept them on their behalf."
Kazumi trembled as he took the cloth package, his fingers fumbling to untie it.
The moment the familiar, vibrant red ribbon came into view, immense grief once again engulfed him like a tsunami. He clutched the ribbon tightly, collapsing to his knees, sobbing uncontrollably.
At this moment, looking at the steady back of the young man before him, Kazumi finally understood something.
The pain that this young man named Tanjiro carried might be even heavier than his own. Great remorse surged in his heart.
Knowing how harsh his words had been, he apologized to Tanjiro, "I... I'm sorry, I said too much. Please forgive me. I'm truly sorry."
Ryoma stopped, turned slightly, and shook his head at Kazumi, who was kneeling on the ground, his tone carrying a barely perceptible sigh. "Don't worry. Tanjiro... he's a very gentle guy. He won't blame you."
His gaze fell on the unconscious girl by the wall,
"Kazumi-san, please take care of this young lady."
Ryoma waved his hand and walked out of the alley with Tanjiro.
"First mission, completed." Tanjiro let out a long breath.
"Not bad." Ryoma offered a rare praise.
Tanjiro scratched his head a little sheepishly. "It was thanks to you, otherwise it would have been very troublesome if I were alone."
"You've mastered your Water Breathing quite well."
Ryoma paused. "But sometimes you are still too impatient."
"Tanjiro, your keen sense of smell is your advantage, but I hope you don't rely on it completely. In any situation, the final judgment must come from your own mind and heart."
Tanjiro's expression tightened, and he nodded heavily. "Yes. I'll remember that."
Falling into the encirclement of three Swamp Demons was precisely because he overly relied on his sense of smell for tracking and ignored potential dangers, coupled with a momentary impulse.
Kazumi's sorrow made him realize with absolute clarity that the pain created and exacerbated by Muzan permeated every corner of this world, not just his own. This realization was like pouring a ladle of boiling oil onto a burning fire, deepening his hatred and anger towards that source of all evil.
It was still early, so the two decided to find a place to rest and calm their minds after the intense battle.