"Nezuko, are you okay?" Hearing Nezuko's voice, Tanjiro hurried over again, looking at his sister with concern. Slowly, Nezuko opened her eyes, revealing her beautiful pink pupils. Seeing this, Tanjiro smiled in relief.
"Great, you're awake."
But before anyone could celebrate, Nezuko, who had just woken up and looked confused, suddenly became ferocious! With a bang, the quilt was thrown aside, and Nezuko, now turned into a demon, suddenly lunged at Tanjiro!
"Nezuko!" Tanjiro cried out in shock, caught completely off guard by the sudden change. Nezuko, now trying to bite him, forced Tanjiro to quickly grab the axe hanging from his waist and use the handle to block her sharp teeth.
"Nezuko!" The family cried out in panic as they witnessed the scene. Anxiety filled their faces, and they stood frozen in confusion and fear. "Has Nezuko turned into a demon?" they whispered, horrified.
Tanjiro, struggling to support Nezuko's body, looked at his once-gentle sister, now sporting a monstrous expression. The teeth clamped onto the axe handle were no longer those of a human, but the fangs of a demon. It was all so sudden, so unreal. Tanjiro's heart filled with distress as he witnessed his sister's transformation.
"Grandpa Saburo was right... there are really demons in this world," Tanjiro thought, his mind racing. "But Nezuko... no! Nezuko is human! She's been human since birth! But the smell... this isn't the Nezuko I know!"
Tanjiro's hands trembled as he gripped the ends of the axe handle, his mind spinning as he tried to figure out what to do next. Suddenly, an idea hit him—Tom! His mother had just said that Tom had driven away the demon that attacked their family. But now, Nezuko had also turned into a demon...!
"Master Tom! Please!" Tanjiro pleaded desperately. "Nezuko has no ill intentions! Please don't hurt her!"
Tanjiro was terrified that Tom, the powerful cat who had fought the demon earlier, might now kill Nezuko. Although he had little hope of persuading him, Tanjiro couldn't help but beg for his sister's life.
Kamado Aoi and the others, too, quickly realized the same. Unlike Tanjiro, they had witnessed Tom's battle with the demon King and knew how strong he was. If Tom truly decided to kill Nezuko, there would be nothing they could do to stop him.
Seeing the earnest looks from the Kamado family, Tom spread his cat paws. "I'm just a harmless cat, I won't hurt her. However, you'd better help this little sister Nezuko regain her sanity as soon as possible."
"Thank... thank you," Tanjiro breathed a sigh of relief. But just as he began to relax, he suddenly felt the pressure from Nezuko's grip increase! His expression, which had just eased, instantly became tense again. Nezuko's body had begun to grow, and her strength increased along with it! If this continued, Tanjiro knew he wouldn't be able to hold on much longer.
"Nezuko! Come on! You must not turn into a demon!" Tanjiro's voice trembled with emotion, tears welling up in his eyes. He stared into the face of his sister, now hideously transformed, and cried out with a sobbing plea. "Nezuko!"
"Sister! Sister!" Aoi Kamado and Nezuko's younger siblings also rushed over, crying uncontrollably. Despite the danger posed by Nezuko's demonic form, they clung to her, their tears streaming down their faces.
"Come on! Please!"
"Nezuko!"
As her family surrounded her, calling her name, Nezuko's ferocious attempts to bite Tanjiro began to slow. A single tear fell from her eye, landing on Tanjiro's face.
"Nezuko..." Tanjiro, his voice hoarse with emotion, gazed at his sister's tear-streaked face. He could feel the immense sadness and pain in her heart.
"It seems everything will be alright. Nezuko is indeed special," Tom thought to himself, standing aside as he watched Nezuko's actions come to a halt. He exhaled quietly, relieved that his presence hadn't drastically altered the storyline, causing Nezuko to become a man-eating demon. It seemed her special physique would remain intact, no matter the plot changes he might introduce.
Suddenly, the sound of faint footsteps echoed from outside the house.
As a cat, Tom's hearing was exceptionally sharp, and he immediately detected someone approaching at a rapid pace.
"Tap, tap..."
The quiet steps grew louder, and before anyone could react, a figure flashed through the door! Instinctively, Tom drew his sword in an instant, meeting the strike of the incoming person head-on with a loud clang!
"Pah!" "Dang!"
Their swords collided violently, sparks flying as the two stood in a tense standoff.
After a brief struggle, both sides separated and stood at a distance. It was only then that Tom got a good look at the person outside the house—a handsome man with long black hair, a cold expression, and feathers of different colors adorning his shoulders.
"Tomioka Giyu."
Tomioka, the Water Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps, held his nichirin blade firmly, staring at Tom with a hint of surprise. "The cat raised by the Butterfly Estate? What are you doing here?" he asked, his gaze shifting to Nezuko, who was standing behind Tanjiro. A moment earlier, he had been about to attack her, but Tom had blocked his strike.
Until this moment, Tomioka had believed Tom was just an unusually intelligent cat. However, after their brief clash, he realized Tom was far from ordinary.
Before Tom could respond, Tomioka continued, "Move aside. That girl has turned into a demon."
Tom shook his head, standing his ground in front of Tomioka. "Nezuko is not an ordinary demon. She harbors no malice toward humans. You can't kill her." His voice was calm but firm. "You've slain many demons—have you ever seen one like her, one that has just transformed yet retains its humanity?"
Tomioka frowned, silently watching Nezuko. Her feral demeanor had subsided, and her body was slowly shrinking back to normal. She peeked out from behind Tanjiro, her expression a mix of fear and confusion.
Tanjiro and the Kamado family stood tense, their anxiety evident. Though they knew Tomioka was a fellow demon slayer, they feared he might attack Nezuko at any moment. However, seeing Tom engaging in negotiations, they remained silent, trusting him to speak on their behalf.
After a moment of silence, Tomioka said, "But she is a demon. We can't just let her roam freely." His voice was measured, but his words reflected the unyielding duty of the Demon Slayer Corps. Tomioka was not one to express emotion easily, often coming across as stoic and distant, and even now, his focus was solely on Nezuko.
Tom, however, remained resolute. "Nezuko was transformed into a demon by Muzan Kibutsuji, but she retains her rationality and her compassion toward humans. She is not like other demons, and should not be treated as such." He paused, his eyes briefly flickering toward Tanjiro. "Her brother, Tanjiro, also shows great potential. Perhaps we could recruit both of them into the Demon Slayer Corps, to keep a watch on her."
With that, Tom slowly sheathed his nichirin sword, his feline face gazing up at Tomioka. Though it had been two years since Tom had turned into a cat, moments like these still required him to communicate clearly and directly.
Tomioka stood silent for a moment, considering Tom's words. Though he was bound by duty to eliminate demons, something about Nezuko—and perhaps Tom's intervention—gave him pause.
Tomioka Giyu looked at Tom, then at the Kamado family, and silently observed the aftermath of the battle around them. After a brief pause, he slowly sheathed his sword and turned his gaze to Tanjiro, his blue eyes steady.
"Go to the foot of Sagiri Mountain and find an old man named Sakonji Urokodaki," he said. "Tell him that Tomioka Giyu sent you. It doesn't matter if it's nighttime, but don't let your sister be exposed to sunlight, or she will die."
"Thank you very much for your help," Tanjiro and the Kamado family said in unison, bowing deeply to Tomioka in gratitude. Seeing this, Tomioka shifted slightly, his face betraying a hint of awkwardness at their overwhelming thanks.
Just then, Tom decided to break the tension. "You're a good person, Tomioka," he said with a cheeky grin. "I'll let you touch my paw pad as a reward."
Without waiting for a response, Tom strolled over to Tomioka, lifting one of his cat paws to reveal the soft, pink pad underneath.
"This is the supreme honor I bestow upon you," Tom added with a sly smile, showing his sharp teeth in a playful expression.
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