……

After going away without misery,

Soon.

Inside the house at the foot of the mountain.

It's pitch black.

Tanjiro was lying on the bed, and he slowly opened his eyes:

"Poof... Ha...... Hah..."

The constricted pupils trembled violently.

The cold sweat on his forehead had wet the hair on both sides of him.

Like a drowning fish, Tanjiro opened his mouth and breathed heavily.

Even the rhythm of breathing trembled slightly.

His eyes were full of horror.

- The one just now.

- What is it?

Just now.

Tanjiro was slowly falling asleep when he suddenly smelled a powerful hatred and anger.

Immediately afterward, an overwhelming pressure came in through the door, choking the rhythm of Tanjiro's breathing.

With the strong smell of blood, it blocked his nasal passages!

It wasn't until the smell was completely away that Tanjiro was able to breathe in again.

Creak......

Tanjiro sat up slowly, staring at the door in shock, panting and breathing, sweat already soaking his futon.

- Bear? Or something else?

- No, that strong emotion...

Tanjiro couldn't tell for a moment what it was.

He looked to the side.

Grandpa Saburo was already asleep and was snoring lightly.

It seems that the abnormal movement just now did not seem to wake up Grandpa Saburo.

- Saburo, the one who invited Tanjiro to his house to spend the night.

Trample.

Tanjiro got up lightly, put on his clothes, folded his hands towards Grandpa Saburo, and bent down slightly.

Then, he walked to the window.

Instead of pushing the window open, he leaned over it, closed his eyes, and sniffed carefully.

The faint smell was carried by the cold wind from the direction of the mountain.

That thing went up the hill!

Mother, they're still in the mountains!

Tanjiro's heart tightened suddenly!

His breathing rhythm became rapid, and he quickly looked back at Grandpa San Lang, who was sleeping.

Then, Tanjiro quickly picked up a heavy cold-proof coat from the ground and wrapped it around his body in a hurry.

Just as he walked to the door, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and prepared to push the door.

Creak......

A crack just appeared in the door.

Then.

"Tanjiro." The old hoarse voice came from behind Tanjiro, who was about to push open the door.

Immediately after, there was the sound of Suo Suo's dressing, and the sound of getting up.

"Don't go."

Tanjiro turned around, and Grandpa Saburo was already standing behind him, quietly watching him.

Saburo looked at Tanjiro.

He had just woken up.

I'm just pretending to be asleep.

He stared at Tanjiro, his cloudy eyes a little difficult to see in the dark, and he could only vaguely see a rough idea.

When he first called Tanjiro at night, Saburo was thinking.

If his grandson hadn't died at the hands of the demons, he would have been so old by now.

"Don't go." Saburo shook his head slightly, his expression was serious, and he just repeated the sentence.

Tanjiro and Saburo looked at each other, he opened his mouth slightly, gasped, choked for a moment, and then hurriedly said:

"Grandpa Saburo!"

"That! Heading up the mountain! ”

Saburo closed his eyes and shook his head slowly:

"I know."

"That thing, that's the ghost I told you about."

He opened his eyes, and his old eyelids, which had been pulled down, trembled slightly:

"Devils who eat people come out at night."

"Don't go."

Tanjiro listened to Saburo's words, his pupils trembled, he looked back in the direction of the mountain, and then turned to look at Saburo.

Subsequently.

He shook his head at Saburo.

“… Sorry, Grandpa Saburo! ”

"My family, they're still in the mountains!"

Tanjiro's hand trembled slightly, the impact of the strong smell of blood was too great for him.

But he still said with a trembling voice:

"I have to go!"

He turned and staggered to the door.

He tried to push the door open, but for a moment his arms were a little sore, and his trembling legs almost caused him to fall to the ground.

Tanjiro held on to the door, panting and trying to get up.

The residual smell of blood continued to irritate Tanjiro's nerves in his nasal passages.

- What the hell is this... How many people were killed...!

Scared.

Afraid.

Tanjiro is very scared now.

But.

Can't hold back!

Father once said this to him.

"Tanjiro."

"After I'm gone, take care of everyone."

"Don't be timid."

"You're the firstborn."

Yes, I'm Tanjiro Kamado.

Tanjiro clenched his fists, and he opened his eyes firmly.

The eldest son in the family!

Mother, Mizuko, Takeo, Shigeru, Hanako, Rokuta...

The smiles of the family come to mind.

Move it!

With this in mind, Tanjiro stabilized the fear in his heart, and he recalled the scene when his father beheaded the giant bear with his axe when he was young.

The trembling hands gradually stabilized.

Trample!

Then slam the door open!

Syllable!

Braving the wind and snow, he rushed out.

He sniffed the residual smell of blood in the air, and panted as he pulled out his legs and ran hard in the snow.

The white mist kept exhaling in his air.

"Mom!!" He shouted into the dark forest in the distance, hoping to attract the attention of the "ghost".

Behind him.

Inside the house.

Look at the remerged doors.

“… Tanjiro. ”

Saburo's serious expression did not change.

But it was as if all the strength had been suddenly drained.

He slowly bent down, then fell to his knees.

His hands were on the ground, and his eyes, blurred by age, seemed to be moistened with tears.

He didn't have the courage to stop Tanjiro at the end.

In Tanjiro, he saw something he didn't have.

More than ten years ago.

When encountering the ghost, he hesitated for a moment due to fear and timidity, and failed to save his grandson, who could have been rescued.

watched his grandson die in front of him.

If it weren't for dawn, he would have died at the hands of the ghosts.

In the end, the originally happy family of four only survived him, an old man.

Since then, Saburo has lived alone at the foot of the mountain, regretting himself.

Saburo!

He shouted inwardly.

If...... I was like this back then, and I was able to run to my family desperately...

If that's the case...!

Bang!

He pounded the ground hard, gritted his teeth hard, tried not to let himself cry, and squeezed a few syllables from the bottom of his throat:

"Well done..."

……

In a trance, there seemed to be three illusory figures appearing around Saburo.

Squatted down and hugged him.

They are a man and a woman, as well as a young child.

……

Soon.

Creak......

The door was opened again.

Saburo with an axe appeared outside the door, and he turned to close the door, tightening his clothes.

The expression is serious, and the breathing is steady.

Look up at the mountain.

“… Kid, grandpa is here. ”

At this moment, he wants to save.

It's not just a stove house on the mountain.

……

……

Mountainside.

“… Mom? ”

The oni dance Tsuji no miserable, who was strolling, seemed to hear someone's shouting.

He turned his head suspiciously, smacked his lips, and frowned slightly.

Then he turned around and continued his walk towards the mountain.

The house, already able to see.