The night after parting ways with Tanjiro, the snow fell heavier than ever.
In the rear hall of the Eternal Paradise Faith, the windows were thrown wide open, allowing snowflakes to pour freely into the room.
Doma was in an excellent mood.
He sat leisurely upon the cult master's throne, holding a goblet filled with a dark crimson liquid—
the blood of some unlucky rare-blood human.
He gently swirled the cup, then turned his gaze toward Inosuke, who was sitting in a corner polishing his twin blades.
"Inosuke, did you know?"
Doma's voice carried barely restrained excitement.
"Lord Muzan went out personally tonight."
Inosuke's hand paused mid-wipe.
So it's finally here.
As someone who knew the original story inside and out, he had waited thirteen long years for this moment.
"Went out?"
Inosuke didn't look back, his tone calm, as if he didn't care at all.
"Didn't that thousand-year shut-in always hide away?
What—moon too round tonight, so he felt like sunbathing?"
"Hahahaha! Sunbathing in moonlight?"
Doma laughed until he nearly doubled over.
"That's a good one!
"But it's because there's a lead on the Blue Spider Lily.
I hear that on Mount Kumotori, there's a family who sells charcoal—
they seem to possess some kind of ancient inheritance.
So that lord decided to personally go confirm it."
"Mount Kumotori.
A charcoal-selling family.
Blue Spider Lily."
For anyone else, those words together would have sounded like idle gossip.
But for Inosuke—
They were the signal flare announcing the start of the plot.
He sighed inwardly.
So this really is the convergence of the timeline.
Even after giving Tanjiro so much money, even warning him not to go home after dark, the gears of fate still turned mercilessly to this point.
Muzan didn't go to the Kamado household for any Blue Spider Lily at all—that was just an excuse.
That scumbag boss had simply grown impatient after centuries of fruitless searching and decided to create some demons on a whim, hoping one might turn out useful.
And the Kamado family was the unlucky tragedy chosen by fate.
"Oh?"
Doma tilted his head, watching his son with curiosity.
"Inosuke, what's wrong?
Your heartbeat sped up just now.
Do you know that family?"
"Know them? Not really."
Inosuke took a deep breath, stood up, and slid the freshly polished twin blades back into his belt.
"It's just… that charcoal seller owes me money.
If his whole family dies, my money goes straight down the drain."
He grabbed the green iron fans—Devouring Clouds and Exhaling Mist—and tucked them into his chest.
"Dad, I'm heading out.
Time to collect a debt."
"Collect a debt?"
Doma blinked, then grinned like someone watching a good show.
"Go on, go on.
But be careful—Lord Muzan's movements are hard to predict.
If you accidentally run into him, remember to say hello for Daddy, okay?"
"Relax."
Inosuke waved without turning around and stepped out of the hall.
The moment he left the building, the casual expression vanished from his face.
He looked up at the pitch-black sky, his gaze turning razor-sharp.
According to the original timeline, Muzan should already be done and gone by now.
Tanjiro was probably on his way home—or already at the doorstep.
If he hurried, he might not be able to save the entire Kamado family…
…but at least he could catch that iconic scene of sibling bonds.
And more importantly—
This was the best chance to make contact with the core combat power of the Demon Slayer Corps.
The Water Hashira: Giyu Tomioka.
"Sato!"
Inosuke called out.
"Yes, Young Master?"
Steward Sato appeared from the shadows.
"Prepare a horse—
No, forget it.
Too slow."
Inosuke kicked off the ground.
His body became a white afterimage, vanishing into the storm of snow.
...
The mountain paths were treacherous.
But for Inosuke—who possessed extraordinary tactile senses and enhanced agility—
this kind of weather was practically his home turf.
Like a snow leopard, he bounded through the treetops, moving at terrifying speed.
Faster.
Even faster!
Even though he knew the story, he couldn't truly rest until he saw it with his own eyes.
And there was something else he needed to confirm—
Whether this butterfly that had deviated from the original timeline
had managed to change this world, even just a little.
When Inosuke reached the mid-slope of Mount Kumotori, a thick stench of blood surged into his nostrils on the freezing wind.
He stopped atop a tree branch and looked down.
A small wooden house stood below, doors and windows flung open.
Blood had dyed the snow in front of it crimson.
Inside, several bodies lay scattered—long since lifeless.
"So I'm still too late…"
Inosuke clenched his serrated blade, an unnamed fury welling up inside him.
He had known the outcome all along, but seeing the massacre with his own eyes—
It made him feel a visceral, instinctive revulsion toward the creature called Kibutsuji Muzan.
What Demon King?
Just a coward who preyed on women and children.
Suddenly—
His heightened tactile sense caught something strange in the wind.
On the path down the mountain, two presences were moving rapidly.
One was weak, but stubbornly familiar.
The other was chaotic—yet carried a strangely familiar aura.
A demon's presence.
But not like an ordinary demon.
"Nezuko!"
Inosuke's eyes sharpened.
He kicked off, snow exploding beneath his feet, and shot downhill.
The next part of the script was burned into his memory:
Nezuko turns into a demon and attacks Tanjiro.
Giyu Tomioka appears and tries to kill her.
Brotherly bonds move him, and he sends them to Urokodaki Sakonji.
As a transmigrator, Inosuke had two choices:
A: Hide nearby, watch the show, and come out afterward to act cool.
B: Forcefully intervene, make an impression in front of the Water Hashira, and firmly bind Tanjiro—and Zenitsu—for the future.
Inosuke chose B without hesitation.
What kind of joke was this?
He hadn't trained Ice Breathing and fan techniques for over a decade just to crouch like a turtle during the newbie arc!
If he was still going to hide at this stage, he might as well go back to the cult and keep being Doma's son!
...
At the mountain's base
"ROAR!!!"
A feral howl ripped through the night.
Newly transformed into a demon, Kamado Nezuko had grown larger and was pinning Tanjiro to the ground.
Her mouth gaped wide, fangs dripping with thick saliva, about to bite through her brother's neck.
Tanjiro desperately jammed the axe handle between her jaws, tears streaming down his face.
"Nezuko! I'm your brother!"
But those words meant nothing to a starving Nezuko.
Her strength grew greater by the second, Tanjiro's arms trembling violently.
At that critical moment—
"Hey, charcoal seller."
A teasing voice sounded from above them.
"I distinctly remember telling you—if you smell blood, you run.
Did my words just go in one ear and out the other?"
Tanjiro looked up in shock.
On a nearby tree branch crouched a familiar figure.
His extravagant clothes fluttered in the wind, and that beautiful face wore a cold, exasperated smirk.
"I–Inosuke-kun?!"
To Tanjiro, it was like seeing a savior.
"Please! Save Nezuko!
She—she turned into a demon!
But she hasn't eaten anyone! She's still my sister!"
"Sister?"
Inosuke glanced at the struggling Nezuko.
As a transmigrator, he knew Nezuko was special.
But right now, she was just a freshly turned, ravenous monster.
If she didn't calm down, Tanjiro wouldn't just be hurt—he'd be eaten down to the bone.
"That thing only sees you as an all-you-can-eat buffet right now.
If you can't do it, then let me help her calm down."
Before the words even finished—
Inosuke vanished.
The next instant, he appeared behind Nezuko.
He didn't draw his blades.
For a good demon who hadn't eaten anyone yet—killing was out of the question.
Instead, his hands smoothly drew the iron fans from his chest.
Ice Breathing – Fifth Form: Ice Prison!
Using his inhuman flexibility, Inosuke wrapped around Nezuko's back like a snake.
The fan ribs locked tightly into her joints. Using leverage and brute force—
He slammed the raging Nezuko into the snow.
"Stay down!"
Inosuke barked, activating his Ice Spirit physique.
A torrent of freezing energy surged through the fans and into Nezuko's body.
Cold alone didn't harm demons.
But this cold was different—
It was refined from the Blood Demon Art energy of Upper Rank Two, Doma.
Such high-grade freezing energy naturally suppressed newly transformed lower demons.
Nezuko stiffened, her berserk movements halting for a brief moment.
"Hah…"
Holding her down, Inosuke glanced at Tanjiro.
"What are you standing there for?
Stuff something in her mouth!"
Tanjiro snapped out of it, hurriedly grabbing a handful of snow and shoving it into Nezuko's mouth, then fumbling around for something to tie her up.
Then—
Inosuke's hair stood on end.
He was here.
His innate tactile sense screamed in his mind.
Maximum alert.
A pure killing intent descended from above.
The killing intent of a Hashira.
The Water Hashira—Giyu Tomioka.
"Tch. Fast."
Inosuke spat.
That slash was aimed straight at Nezuko.
If he dodged, her head would fly.
But he was Hashibira Inosuke.
"Tanjiro! Get down!"
Inosuke roared, shoving Tanjiro aside with one hand while kicking Nezuko away with his left foot, sending her rolling several meters.
At the same time—
His left-hand fan snapped open to guard above his head.
His right hand yanked out the serrated Nichirin blade.
CLANG!!!
The deafening crash shook snow from the trees.
Inosuke dropped to one knee, the ground beneath him cracking and sinking half a foot.
His right hand gripped the serrated blade, his left fan braced against its spine, veins bulging in both arms.
He had blocked—
A descending blue Nichirin sword engraved with the words "Destroy Evil".
Opposite him stood a black-haired young man with an expressionless face, looking at him with faint surprise.
Demon Slayer Corps.
Water Hashira.
Giyu Tomioka.
"Human?"
Giyu frowned slightly.
"Do you have a death wish?
Why didn't you dodge?"
The boy's reaction speed was incredible.
His strength even more so.
And most importantly—
That mangled, serrated sword in his hand was unmistakably a Demon Slayer Nichirin blade.
Judging by its color, its previous owner had likely been a Water Breathing user.
Giyu's voice was cold.
"Are you protecting her?
Move aside. Don't interfere."
Inosuke gritted his teeth, feeling the terrifying force transmitted through the blade.
So this was a Hashira's power.
Even a casual strike felt like a mountain pressing down.
If not for years of training under his father, his wrists would have shattered already.
But he wasn't afraid.
On the contrary—
His blood was boiling.
To cross blades with the legendary Water Hashira?
This was a dream scenario!
"Protecting?"
Inosuke grinned, sharp little fangs flashing.
He didn't bother explaining things like she hasn't eaten anyone—he knew Giyu wouldn't listen right now.
Against this kind of stoic powerhouse, only one language mattered.
Strength.
"Don't flatter yourself, Half-and-Half Haori."
Inosuke sucked in a deep breath, his chest swelling as he let out a thunderous growl.
"They all owe me money!"
SCREECH!
The serrations on his blade bit into Giyu's sword, sparks screaming.
"Until they pay me back—
No one gets to lay a finger on them!"
"Even if you're a Hashira, you line up like everyone else!"
And then—
Inosuke did something utterly insane.
Instead of pushing Giyu's blade away, he leaned back with the pressure, falling backward while his legs shot up like springs—kicking straight at Giyu's abdomen.
A street-fighting move.
No form. No elegance.
Pure surprise.
A flicker of surprise crossed Giyu's eyes.
He hadn't expected the boy to counterattack mid-clash.
With a twist of his wrist, the once-forceful blade turned soft and fluid.
Water Breathing – Fourth Form: Striking Tide!
Giyu slid back like flowing water, easily evading the kick.
At the same time, his sword traced a graceful arc, once again aiming for Nezuko's neck.
"So fast!"
Inosuke's pupils shrank.
This was proper breathing technique—
Completely different from Blood Demon Arts!
I want it.
But he wasn't helpless either.
"Speed? I've never lost at that!"
Agility Enhancement—Full Burst!
Inosuke rolled across the ground, whipping his left-hand fan forward.
Ice Breathing – First Form: Windmill Fan!
Violent air currents swept up the snow, forming a white barrier that blocked Giyu's vision.
Using that instant of cover, Inosuke sprang up and retreated to stand before Tanjiro and Nezuko.
"Hey, charcoal seller!"
He shouted without turning around.
"Grab your sister and get out of here!
That poker face is strong—I can probably only hold him for a bit!"
Tanjiro hugged Nezuko tightly, staring at Inosuke's back as tears spilled over.
"Inosuke-kun…"
"Go! Don't get in the way!"
Inosuke snapped, eyes locked on Giyu.
Giyu stood in the snow, blade lowered slightly, his gaze now carrying confusion—and seriousness.
A strange breathing style.
Not the softness of water, but the hardness of ice.
"What's your name?"
"I didn't scream!"
Inosuke crossed his serrated blades over his chest, flashing a wild grin.
"Oh, that's what you're asking?
"Hear it well, Poker Face.
"I am the Young Master of the Eternal Paradise Faith—
Hashibira Inosuke!"
"Remember it.
One day, my name will be something you'll never forget for the rest of your life!"
Giyu fell silent.
Paradise cult?
A pig?
What nonsense.
He slowly raised his sword.
In the snowy night, two completely different auras collided once more.
Inosuke knew—
He couldn't win this fight.
But he had to fight it.
For Tanjiro.
For the story.
And to prove that his very first choice had been right.
He deserved to stand at the center of this world's stage.
⭐ Want more? Read chapters early on Patreon →https://www.patreon.com/CanonBreaker ⭐
Advance chapters are finished—all that's left is to unlock them.
BONUS CHAPTER SYSTEM
• 10 reviews → Bonus Chapter
• 100 Power Stones → Bonus Chapter
🔥 The stronger your support, the faster the story moves.