— Tanjiro... - her gentle voice permeates the cold and cozy air, the sound of rustling grass leaves blends with the sweet tone of her words, and her warm fingers briefly smooth the pale skin of his face. — Before you go, you must remember one thing.
A little before crossing the gate of reincarnation, Tanjiro nods silently, savoring the gentle touch on his face.
— When the crimson of your blade becomes as vivid as a ruby illuminated by sunlight, it will be a sign that there are others like me near you. - the goddess reveals her small prophecy, but noticing Tanjiro's confusion in understanding her words, she adds one more sentence. — Others with divine power, or who have received power from a deity.
Tanjiro finally grasps the purpose of the message and understands that he should prepare for when that day comes....Finally, the day 'prophesied' by the goddess had arrived. Understanding the situation, Tanjiro could only sigh with a certain disappointment.
— And to think that this day would come so quickly... - he whispered to himself, once again observing the fortified gleam of his crimson blade before turning his gaze to the shadows on the rooftops. — Demons with a portion of divine power? It's almost ridiculous.
Throughout Tokyo, demonic shadows had spread across the roofs of every house and building in the city. Their overwhelming presence suffocated every civilian and hunter, pressing on their lungs and inhibiting most of their movements.
The only ones unaffected were the Hashiras.
— Tanjiro, these things, they're like~ - Shinobu approached Tanjiro to address her doubts, but all her words died before the air from her lungs could pass her throat.
Even after becoming stronger through the rigorous training of the Hashiras, Shinobu was unable to fully withstand the overwhelming presence of each of those shadows. And of course, her terrible near-death experience with one of those shadows wasn't helping to maintain courage in her already fragile heart.
— Yes, they are. - Tanjiro replied quickly, knowing that Shinobu was referring to the demonic shadow that nearly killed her on Mount Natagumo.
And just as he was about to turn to comfort her, he witnessed the unthinkable — an event that briefly paralyzed not only him but also all the Hashiras and hunters who witnessed it. Giyuu, famous for being reclusive and emotionless, approached from behind the pillar and gently embraced Shinobu, as if she were the most precious person in the world to him. His sudden gesture surprised Tanjiro, who smiled at the scene before turning back to the shadows.
Shinobu, though confused, had thankfully accepted the embrace that time.
— Can I entrust her to you, Giyuu-san? - Without looking back, Tanjiro grips the hilt of his nichirin sword tightly, causing the leather wrapped around the handle to creak under the force of his grip.
— Yes. - Quick and straightforward, Giyuu responds without even glancing at Tanjiro, continuing his work of calming the pillar.
— Excellent. Two slayers stay behind to provide support; the rest come with me. - Without further words, Tanjiro takes a few more steps to approach one of the shadows, which was slightly closer than the others. — You! What do you want coming here? Has that coward Kibutsuji decided to leave his lair, by any chance?
As if Giyuu Tomioka being considerate wasn't surprising enough for the night, Tanjiro Kamado went further by acting boldly and insulting the great demon king, feared by all hunters.
Naturally, the Hashiras were taken aback. After all, they had never seen him behave in such a manner.
YOU ARE READING
The Legend of the Sun Pillar
FanfictionIn the final battle against Muzan Kibutsuji, many of the Pillars lost their lives along the way, and few of those who survived up to that point made it to the end. With Tanjiro Kamado's sacrifice, Muzan Kibutsuji was forced to keep fighting until th...
