The moment Tanjiro stepped deeper into the airport shelter, surrounded by survivors and the ruins of an old world, he felt something unsettling. A faint scent drifted under the human smell and metal.
A demon's scent.
But it was not coming from the survivors.
Not from the hallways.
Not from the shadows.
It was coming from Giyu.
Tanjiro paused. His eyes softened, yet the weight of the truth made his heart sink.
"Giyu-san," he said quietly. "Your scent… you smell like a demon."
Giyu did not flinch. He did not even seem surprised. Instead, he turned toward Tanjiro with tired eyes that held more years than any human should carry.
"I was waiting for you to notice," Giyu said.
"Did something happen? Did Muzan…?"
Giyu nodded once, slowly.
"Muzan turned me into this. He did not give me strength. He did not give me anything useful. He said he wanted to keep me alive and watch my suffering. He wanted to see how long it would take before I broke."
Tanjiro felt the bitterness behind Giyu's calm voice. It felt wrong. Giyu had always been steady like a frozen river. Hearing this pain from him made Tanjiro's chest tighten.
"So that is how you lived all these centuries," Tanjiro whispered. "Giyu-san…"
"I saw generations rise and fall," Giyu continued. "I saw cities collapse. I watched families disappear. Humans kept dying in front of me. And I could not do anything. Not against Muzan. Not against this world he shaped."
His fingers curled slightly, as if they remembered a sword that had failed to protect too many people.
Giyu looked at Tanjiro again.
"But you. How did you stay yourself? If Muzan's blood was inside you… how did you keep him from taking over your body?"
Tanjiro stayed silent for a moment, then placed his hand on his own chest.
"Because this body is not the one Muzan tried to corrupt."
Giyu looked confused.
Tanjiro continued, "The Tanjiro you knew died. The body that Muzan took still exists somewhere. But the one standing before you is the real me. My spirit. My soul. I came back… because there were people I still needed to protect. I could not let this world end while I was gone."
Giyu stared at him for a long second. Then he gave a small sigh.
"I see. I do not understand everything… but I do not need to."
He stepped forward and asked one simple question.
"Tanjiro. Are you strong?"
Tanjiro faced him fully.
"Yes," he said. "I am stronger than I have ever been. Stronger than any Demon Slayer before me. If Muzan appears again, I will not hesitate. I will cut him into a million pieces if I must. I will not let him hurt anyone again."
Giyu stared at him, then a faint smile appeared. It was small, almost invisible, yet it carried two thousand years of sorrow and rare hope.
"Good. That is enough."
He turned toward the large windows overlooking the ruined runway.
"Tanjiro. Muzan no longer hides in shadows. He treats humans like cattle. He controls the entire world. And he created demons far stronger than any we faced in our time. To reach Muzan, you must defeat them first."
Tanjiro nodded.
"And you know where they are."
"I do. Muzan's blood moves inside me. It pulls me toward his creations. Toward his servants. Toward the Lower Moons."
Giyu looked over his shoulder.
"If you are ready, I will lead you to them."
Tanjiro closed his eyes. He felt the weight of the world on his shoulders, yet it did not crush him. It hardened his resolve.
But before he could speak, a small voice called from behind him.
"Tanjiro."
Sakura stood at the entrance, her hands holding tightly onto the rail, her eyes full of worry. The survivors whispered among themselves. Some feared Giyu. Others feared Tanjiro. Yet Sakura stepped forward anyway.
Tanjiro smiled softly.
"I am leaving for a while," he said.
Sakura nodded weakly. "I know. You will fight demons… right?"
"Yes."
"Then promise me something."
She looked directly into his eyes.
Her voice was small, but steady.
"Promise me you will make the world alive again."
Tanjiro placed his hand on her head like a protective older brother.
"I promise. I will bring life back to this world. I will stop every demon. You will not have to live in fear."
Sakura blinked quickly, trying not to cry. "Then… come back. You should come back to meet me again. Okay?"
"I will," Tanjiro answered. "I promise I will return."
Giyu stood at the main gate, waiting.
The airport wind howled outside. The world smelled of dust and danger.
Tanjiro took a deep breath.
"Let's go, Giyu-san."
Giyu nodded. "Our first target is a Lower Moon demon. He has nested in the southern ruins. He is strong enough to destroy armies. You must stay focused."
Tanjiro followed him.
Sakura watched from behind the gate.
"Good luck, Tanjiro!" she called out.
Tanjiro raised a hand and waved once before disappearing into the sunlight.
The hunt had begun.
The first steps toward ending Muzan's dark reign.
Side by side, Tanjiro and Giyu left the Narita Airport. The path ahead was shadowed with danger. The Lower Moons waited. Muzan waited.
But Tanjiro's resolve shined brighter than ever.
This time, he would not fail.