The camera turned slightly, shifting to the unconscious Nezuko.
Others were puzzled, and even Tanjiro, who was watching the video, showed a rather confused expression.
"Nezuko, Nezuko, wake up quickly, Nezuko."
At this time, a gentle female voice sounded.
This caused Tanjiro's pupils to shrink, and his body began to tremble. He looked at the woman appearing in the video and said in a voice that was also trembling, "Mom."
"What?!"
Agatsuma Zenitsu was stunned, and Inosuke on the side was also clearly dazed.
Because both of them knew that in Tanjiro's family, except for him and Nezuko who had turned into a demon, everyone else was already dead, including his mother.
Tanjiro was calling out "Mom."
In other words—the woman who had appeared before the unconscious Nezuko was the deceased mother of Tanjiro and Nezuko?!
"Mother's spirit?"
Tears streamed down Tanjiro's face as he gazed at his mother in the video, sincerely grateful to whoever had posted it.
Thank you for letting me know that Mother is still with me in spirit.
Tanjiro's mother, Kie Kamado, looked at the sleeping Nezuko and whispered, "Help your brother. You can do it now, Nezuko—hang in there."
But Nezuko gave no reply; her eyes stayed shut.
Watching this, Kie Kamado wept. "Please, Nezuko," she sobbed, "or your brother will die too."
Whether it was her mother's plea or the knowledge that her brother would soon die protecting her,
in the next instant Nezuko's eyes snapped open. She stretched a hand toward Tanjiro and Rui, then clenched her fist.
"Blood Demon Art! Exploding Blood!"
The blood spilling from her body ignited, turning into roaring flames that surged toward Tanjiro.
BOOM—!!
The blaze instantly burned away the crimson threads about to kill Tanjiro.
And as the flames destroyed those threads, Tanjiro—completely unharmed—leapt through the fire and swung his broken blade into Rui's neck.
CLANG—!!!
The flame-wreathed blade struck true, biting deep into the neck of Rui, a member of the Twelve Moons.
"This boy truly burns with passion."
Flame Hashira Rengoku Kyojuro, watching, felt the stirrings of admiration. He wondered whether he should ask the Insect Hashira to take Tanjiro as a Tsuguko.
Though the thought crossed his mind, for now he simply wanted to keep watching.
In the video—
"The bond between Nezuko and me!" Tanjiro shouted at Rui. "No one can sever it!!!"
The moment the words left his mouth, he swung the broken blade.
At that instant the blade shifted from black to red!
"Hm?"
A tiny detail most would miss—yet one certain "demon" noticed.
SWISH—!!!
A circle of flame spun, and Rui's head flew.
The image froze on Tanjiro's resolute face, then faded to black.
The tenth most epic scene had ended.
"So cool, Tanjiro!!!"
When the screen went dark, Agatsuma Zenitsu writhed like a worm, gazing at Tanjiro in pure awe. "You actually killed a Twelve Moons! You're amazing!!"
Inosuke, hidden behind his boar mask, stood motionless—clearly shaken.
On Natagumo Mountain he hadn't even defeated a "common" demon and had nearly died himself.
Tanjiro had fought with everything and brought down a Twelve Moons—incredible!
"No, no—I didn't kill Rui." Tanjiro waved his hands frantically.
That final shot had been misleading; anyone would think he'd landed the killing blow.
Had the blade truly connected, Rui might have died,
but at the last second Rui severed his own head with a thread.
If Kyojuro hadn't arrived moments later, Tanjiro would have been the one to die.
While Tanjiro explained himself, the Infinity Castle was anything but calm.
BOOM—!!!
Kibutsuji Muzan casually grabbed a few "lucky" demons and killed them, blood bursting around her.
"Lady Muzan!!! Spare us!!!"
"Don't kill me—please, Lady Muzan!!"
"What's happening?!"
Those were their last words; Muzan cared nothing for their pleas.
She exhaled, her expression calming—though the scene had enraged her.
As the Ultimate Life Form she rarely lost composure over something so small,
yet it infuriated her: one instant longer and Rui would have slain the Sun Breathing brat.
Instead, a Blood Demon Art shattered Rui's threads, the detestable boy survived—and killed Rui.
"Too weak. The Lower Ranks shouldn't exist."
After the video, Muzan deemed the Lower Ranks worthless.
She had heard Rui died at the hands of a Hashira;
now she saw he'd been killed by a mere boy.
Even if the kid wielded Sun Breathing, he was still a brat—no match for a Hashira.
The ladylike Muzan's eyes flashed coldly: if the Lower Ranks could not prove themselves, she would disband them.
That was her decision.
In the Infinity Castle, Kokushibo rose, strange fire blazing in his eyes. He would seek out this "Tanjiro."
That final strike had been beautiful;
it seemed a waste for such a human to die. He would turn him into a demon.
After all, his sister had become one—why not the brother as well?
At the thought, Kokushibo smiled; he wondered what expression Yoriichi would wear if he knew his own successor had become a demon.
PS: "First scene wrapped—anyone still reading? Say something, even if it's just tossing a few power stone my way."
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