"Kill it? Hakuya-san, you're joking, right? How can I possibly do that?" Tanjiro looked at Hakuya in surprise, clearly confused.
Shouldn't Hakuya handle this himself? How could he possibly be expected to do it?
"If you can't even do this, how will you protect your sister? How will you avenge your family? Or have you already given up on your hatred and decided to live a meaningless life?" Hakuya demanded.
Tanjiro shook his head vigorously, denying it. "No!"
"Then kill the creature in front of you! The road ahead will be far more treacherous than this!" Hakuya's tone held an irresistible authority.
Tanjiro didn't dare say anything more. Hesitantly, he reached for the small blade at his waist with trembling hands, holding it before the demon's head.
At that moment, a hand reached out from behind Tanjiro and rested on his shoulder.
"That blade won't work," a slightly aged voice said.
Both Hakuya and Tanjiro were startled, looking toward the voice's source. It belonged to a man wearing a red tengu mask, a dark blue and white patterned headscarf, and a sky-blue haori decorated with wave-like cloud patterns.
Judging from the elderly voice, he was at least fifty years old. Despite his age, his posture was remarkably upright, and he exuded vibrant energy.
Hakuya was surprised he hadn't even noticed the old man's approach.
If the man had intended harm, Hakuya would have been struck down already.
However, it was also possible the old man had no hostile intent, allowing him to approach so silently.
As Hakuya marveled at this, he suddenly realized the old man's identity—this was the person Tanjiro had been seeking: Sakonji Urokodaki.
[Sakonji Urokodaki: Master of Water Breathing and cultivator of new demon slayers for the Demon Slayer Corps; Giyu Tomioka was one of his disciples.]
"Then how do I kill it?" Tanjiro asked, stunned.
"Don't ask others. Can't you use your own head to think for a while?" Urokodaki replied.
After saying that, Urokodaki glanced at Hakuya. Hakuya offered a faint smile to show his respect.
Tanjiro began to think. Finally, he found a large stone and picked it up, but when it came time to actually strike, Tanjiro still hesitated.
This boy won't do—too considerate of others and unable to make decisions. Even when facing a demon, his gentle scent hasn't dissipated. He even has sympathy for the demon. Giyu, is this really the child you recommended?
Urokodaki observed Tanjiro's performance and thought to himself.
Hakuya also watched quietly from the side without saying anything more. Now that Tanjiro's true mentor had appeared, Hakuya no longer needed to play that role.
Time passed minute by minute, and the unconscious demon head gradually regained consciousness.
"You bastard! I'm going to kill you! I'm going to devour you whole! Come closer! Hey! I can't reach you—come here!" The demon head, nailed to the tree trunk by the axe, waved its two arms frantically and shouted at the hesitant Tanjiro.
At that moment, the sun gradually rose, and sunlight quickly reached them.
The demon caught in the sunlight began to burn and disintegrate, howling in agony. Finally, the demon head completely vanished before Tanjiro's eyes.
When Tanjiro witnessed this scene, he was so shocked that he snapped back to his senses. The large stone slipped from his trembling hands and thudded to the ground.
"It turned to ash as soon as sunlight touched it?! No wonder Nezuko avoids the sun!" Tanjiro felt a chill run through him.
In his panic, Tanjiro looked around frantically, searching for his sister and Hakuya.
"Nezuko! Hakuya-san!" Tanjiro suddenly shouted. Where had they gone while he'd been hesitating?
With that thought, Tanjiro ran back to the temple entrance and peered inside. Finally, in a dark corner, he spotted Nezuko curled up inside her bamboo basket, with Hakuya sleeping beside it.
Seeing them both safe, Tanjiro finally relaxed. He decided not to wake Hakuya.
When Tanjiro turned to look at an open area outside the temple, he saw Sakonji Urokodaki paying respects to those killed by the demon. Several small mounds marked the graves Urokodaki had dug to bury the dead.
"Um—"
Tanjiro walked over, trying to start a conversation.
Before he could continue, Urokodaki stood up and said, "I am Sakonji Urokodaki. The people Giyu Tomioka mentioned—that would be you and that young man, correct?"
"Yes! My name is Tanjiro Kamado. That young man is Hakuya-san, and my sister is Nezuko!" Once Tanjiro realized this was the person he'd been seeking, he eagerly introduced himself.
Urokodaki didn't pay much attention to Tanjiro's introduction. Instead, he suddenly turned to face Tanjiro directly and asked, "Tanjiro, what would you do if your sister devoured a human?"
Tanjiro was stumped by Urokodaki's question. He truly didn't know how to answer.
Seeing Tanjiro at a loss for words, Urokodaki walked toward him and delivered a sharp slap across his face.
"As long as I'm around, there's no possibility of his sister eating people. But if she does, there's no need to trouble yourself, old man—I'll end Nezuko's life with my own hands." At that moment, Hakuya suddenly appeared before them, leaning casually against the temple wall with a calm expression.
After speaking, Hakuya yawned and stretched.
Urokodaki turned his head to regard Hakuya. He found himself impressed—Hakuya was sensible, calm, and decisive, never hesitating. These were the psychological qualities a true warrior should possess.
"Hakuya is correct. Tanjiro, you're far too slow to make judgments! Until dawn, you still couldn't deliver the final blow to that demon. Why couldn't you answer my question just now? It's because your resolve isn't firm enough! If your sister ever devours a human, there are only two things you must do."
"Kill your sister, then kill yourself."
"Taking care of your sister who has become a demon means you must bear the consequences! Therefore, you must never let this happen!"
"Do you understand what I'm saying?"
Urokodaki instructed Tanjiro in a grave tone.
"Yes! I understand!"
Tanjiro responded with complete sincerity.
"Very well. Now let me test whether you're suitable to become a demon slayer in the Demon Slayer Corps!"
After Urokodaki finished speaking, he turned his gaze back to Hakuya and continued, "Your name is Hakuya, correct? Come along as well! I heard from Giyu that you're also quite exceptional."
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P@atreon/Soulforger (45+ advanced chapters)