Demon Slayer: Tanjiro becomes a ghost, Nezuko becomes a pillar!

Chapter 24 The Talent of a Swordsman

Looking at Mizuko, who was sitting around the stove eating heartily, Urokodaki didn't know where to begin asking her any questions.

He set up countless traps along the way, including traps designed to kill ghosts.

Even Sabito, who was the most talented at the time, took a whole night and suffered some minor injuries before reaching the top of the mountain.

And now, the little girl sitting opposite him, wolfing down her food, could almost be considered to have arrived at the mountaintop around the same time as him.

How did she manage that? I knew the location of the traps; avoiding them was the only way to make my way easily. How...did she do it? Did she take a detour? No, that's unlikely; taking a detour would only take longer.

Urokodaki considered the possibilities in his mind, but the more he thought about it, the more something felt off.

Midouzi was already starving. The fierce battle and the arduous journey through the mountains had completely exhausted her strength.

She kept her head down, her chopsticks moving rapidly through the food in her bowl, her mouth stuffed full, her cheeks slightly puffed out from eating, looking exceptionally focused.

Tanjiro, standing beside her, smiled as he watched Nezuko eat heartily, patting her back to make sure she wouldn't choke.

"Mmm—brother, do you want some?"

Nezuko also looked at Tanjiro and handed him the bowl.

"Um--"

Tanjiro gently shook his head and pushed the bowl of Nezuko back.

Looking at the brother and sister, Urokodaki could no longer contain himself and asked.

"Nie Douzi, how many traps did you avoid along the way?"

Midouzi, who was eating rice in her bowl, heard Linlong's question and quickly put down her bowl, sitting obediently. She swallowed the food that was bulging in her mouth.

"Yes, Mr. Urokodaki!"

"So you didn't get hurt at all along the way? You avoided everything?"

"Yes, Mr. Urokodaki!"

Looking at her composed expression, Urokodaki finally asked the question that had been nagging at him.

"How did you do that? Those traps are extremely well hidden; even experienced swordsmen would find it difficult to pass through them quickly and unscathed."

Upon hearing this, Ni Douzi tilted his head slightly, seemingly pondering how to explain.

"I can't explain exactly what's going on, it's just... I can sense danger in advance."

She paused, trying to organize her thoughts.

"Whether it's the sound of a trap being triggered or the direction from which a hidden weapon is flying, my body seems to be able to sense it in advance and then subconsciously dodge it. It's like... the rustling of the wind and the movement of the grass around me can tell me where the danger is."

Urokodaki looked at Nezuko with some shock, his eyes wide open beneath the Nengu mask.

[An extraordinary sensory talent?]

"What did your family do before? Have you ever trained?" Urokodaki pressed.

Upon hearing this, Ni Douzi smiled and shook his head.

"My family makes a living selling charcoal; I've never had any training!"

After finishing speaking, Nezuko glanced at Tanjiro, who was standing quietly beside her.

Upon hearing this, Urokodaki nodded slowly, but the doubts in his heart did not completely disappear.

But what Nidouzi said next instantly made him understand the origin of this talent.

"However, when I was a child, I always helped my mother take care of my younger siblings. There were many younger siblings in the family, and they were all still young. I was always afraid that they would run out and encounter danger, so no matter what I did, I would pay extra attention to my surroundings."

A look of reminiscence gradually appeared on Midouzi's face, and her tone softened.

"And back then they always clung to me. I often carried them up the mountain to collect firewood and down the mountain to run errands. As time went on, I seemed to become more and more aware of the subtle movements around me."

After hearing what Mizuko said, Urokodaki understood completely.

[I see. To protect his younger siblings, he maintained a high level of vigilance towards his surroundings for a long time. Coupled with years of carrying children while working, this honed not only his senses to an extreme level, but also his leg strength and physical agility far surpassed those of his peers. This child was born with the talent to be a swordsman.]

He looked at the pure expression on Midouzi's face, and his gaze behind the mask gradually softened.

This talent did not come out of thin air, but stemmed from day after day of protection and responsibility. This pure original intention is more precious than any ability that is deliberately trained.

"Mr. Urokodaki, Mr. Giyuu said that I can get the answer I want from you. May I ask... may I know now?"

Seeing that Rin-taki was staring at her, Mizuko said somewhat shyly.

Urokodaki glanced at Tanjiro, then began to tell Nezuko about the origins of demons.

He also knew why Mizuko had brought her brother, who had become a ghost, all this way.

"Kibutsuji Muzan?"

Nezuko repeated the name; she had heard it from Giyu Tomioka.

After Urokodaki learned the full origins of the demon, he firmly remembered the name.

"Yes, Muzan Kibutsuji, the progenitor of all demons. If he is the only one in this world who knows how to turn demons back into humans, then he is perhaps the only one who can turn humans into demons!"

Urokodaki patiently explained.

"Oni-mai-tsuji-no-miserable"

However, just as Nezuko was about to continue asking questions, Tanjiro, who was standing to the side, became extremely angry.

Those originally blood-red pupils now looked incredibly fierce, and fangs had grown out of their mouths.

"elder brother?"

Nezuko was the first to react, immediately reaching out to tightly grasp Tanjiro's hand, softening her voice and trying to soothe him.

"Brother, what's wrong? Calm down, I'm here!"

"Tanjiro?"

Urokodaki immediately became alert, leaning forward slightly, ready to deal with any unexpected situation.

When Tanjiro roared out that name in anger, the image of Muzan appeared in his mind.

"Huh? Who are you again? How dare you call me by my name!"

Muzan's cold, contemptuous voice suddenly rang in Tanjiro's mind.

The moment the words fell, the cells belonging to Muzan, which were dormant within Tanjiro, seemed to be summoned.

It began to stir wildly, surging and colliding within his meridians and flesh, as if trying to break through his body and tear his flesh apart completely.

"snort……!"

Intense pain swept through his body, and Tanjiro groaned as his legs could no longer support his weight.

He fell to his knees with a "thud".

He clenched his teeth so tightly that blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.

Veins bulged on his forehead, and his body trembled violently from extreme endurance.

The image of Muzan Kibutsuji in his mind became clearer and clearer: the culprit who killed his family and turned him into this.

This deep-seated hatred transformed into a powerful force.

Those wildly restless cells, trying to devour his consciousness.

Faced with this extreme obsession, Tanjiro managed to suppress it steadily through his own will.

"What?!"

In his mind, Muzan's image gradually blurred, leaving only a question tinged with surprise and astonishment.

With Muzan's image disappearing from his mind, Tanjiro completely lost his strength and collapsed to the ground.

Seeing this, Nezuko rushed forward to check on him anxiously, but Tanjiro only glanced at Nezuko before completely fainting.

"elder brother……!"