Demon Slayer: I am a Demon.

This was the first time I had hunted a demon since becoming a Demon Slayer, but it was not the demon hunt I had imagined. There was no life-or-death struggle, no near-death experiences. I easily and simply beheaded a demon.

But my mood wasn't as happy or cheerful as I had imagined.

At this moment, Tanjiro thought of the family's pain and sorrow before the demon died, and a look of bewilderment even appeared in his eyes.

"I regret it."

A sudden voice reached his ears, snapping Tanjiro out of his daze. He realized that the adult had stopped and was quietly watching him.

"I have no regrets."

Tanjiro shook his head, showing no regret for slaying the demon.

No matter how much the ghost loves its family or how good it is to them, what the ghost did should not be forgiven and cannot be forgiven.

"In that case, you should be happy, but you don't seem to be in a good mood, even though you have killed the evil spirits."

He smiled.

Tanjiro lowered his eyes slightly: "I just think about that child, that woman. I wonder, having lost their father and their husband, how will they live their lives from now on?"

"Is that right?"

Su Mu looked at Tanjiro and then exclaimed, "Tanjiro, you really can empathize with others, even demons."

"If you were to embark on the path of slaying demons, you would likely find yourself immersed in the sorrow of each demon you kill... To be constantly immersed in sorrow like this requires a very strong mental state."

Tanjiro tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword slightly, then raised his head and looked at Su Mu: "I know, and now I understand, that slaying demons is not so simple."

Su Mu didn't say anything more, but stepped forward and patted Tanjiro on the shoulder: "There's no need to care about the dead, even demons. There's no need to add burdens to yourself."

Tanjiro pursed his lips, disagreeing with the adult's idea, but did not refute it.

He did not regret slaying the demon. If he encountered such a demon again, he would still cut off its head without hesitation. But once the demon was killed, everything was over. The sins of the past had been judged and everything was over. When he saw the demon's sorrow again, he would go forward and gently smooth the demon's eyes that could not be closed. He would also try to share the sorrow with it.

Only by experiencing this sorrow could Tanjiro feel that he should not let it continue, and he would understand better what he was doing. Only then, when he held the Nichirin Blade, would he understand what the so-called sorrow he was ending was.

After Su Mu patted Tanjiro on the shoulder, he turned to leave, but Tanjiro suddenly spoke up:

"grown ups."

Su Mu turned around and looked at Tanjiro with a puzzled expression.

"My lord, how do you feel after seeing this ghost today?"

How do I feel?

Su Mu recalled the appearance of the demon, then looked up at the bright moon in the sky: "My feeling is that I cannot become such a pitiful demon, I cannot become such a demon who hands over the power of life and death to others, I cannot become such a weakling who entrusts what I cherish to the so-called strong. Fortunately, I met a swordsman from the Demon Slayer Corps. If not, I would not only kill the demon, but I probably wouldn't even spare his wife and children."

This is something similar to what Giyu Tomioka said when he first met Tanjiro: "Don't hand over the power of life and death to someone else."

Now, seeing this ghost kneeling and begging for mercy, he has a deeper understanding and takes this as a warning, so that he will not become such a pitiful ghost.

They have lost their original human nature and failed to protect the happiness they cherish.

After saying that, she patted Tanjiro on the shoulder, then took Kanao's hand and walked ahead.

Tanjiro stood still, watching the adult's back. At this moment, he couldn't help but think that the adult was also a demon, but it seemed that apart from the first time he met the adult, he rarely saw the adult's violent side.

I've never seen adults act like those cruel ghosts, wantonly robbing ordinary people of their happiness amidst the smell of blood.

He was gentle, learned, and powerful, yet humble and polite. If Tanjiro hadn't truly known that the adult was a demon, he would never have believed that the adult was a demon. But even knowing that the adult was a demon, he still couldn't regard the adult as a demon.

But why are adults different from those ghosts?

Why are adults able to overcome their desires for ghosts?

How did the adults manage to do all this?

…………

On the third day, Su Mu and his three companions, carrying large and small bags, finally arrived at Mount Xiawu.

At the foot of Mount Sagiri, Urokodaki Sakonji, wearing a tengu mask, was already waiting.

This old man, who waits for every Fujikasane Mountain assessment, watches his students set off with full confidence each year, and what he receives each year is a short letter delivered by a kasugata crow.

Time and again they waited, only to receive devastating news written in brief letters to familiar names.

Each time I wait, it feels like my heart is being ripped out, leaving me utterly devastated.

now.

Finally, news arrived that the disciple had successfully returned.

He thought he would be happy. In fact, Sakonji Urokodaki was happy that Makomo passed the test, but he felt more guilty.

He had received a reply from Makomo and knew why his disciples had died all these years.

It was all because of one thing: the Hand Demon that I hadn't killed back then because I was too soft-hearted.

These days, he has been thinking about why he didn't just cut off the Hand Demon's head with a single stroke back then. If he hadn't had a sliver of pity in his heart, he probably would have cut off the other's head on the spot.

Why did I feel a pang of pity at that time?

Is it because you know that before becoming a demon, the Hand Demon was just an ordinary person, and that he had a loving older brother and a happy family?

Then, after becoming a demon, he ate his brother who loved him very much. Even when he was eating him, the brother begged him not to hurt his younger brother.

Did you soften your heart after seeing this scene?

Seeing the hand demon's pain and regretful sorrow, he suddenly couldn't bring himself to cut off its neck.

Ultimately, it was because he himself was not firm in his heart and could not bring himself to be ruthless that he sent the other party to Fujikashiyama.

Actually, I should have considered this myself.

The hand demon, now a demon, will not be grateful for his soft heart; instead, he will hate him for locking him up in the Fujikasake Mountain, where a prepared swordsman will sooner or later sever his head.

He kept this hand demon that clearly hated him, and then repeatedly sent his disciples into the mouth of this hand demon that hated him.

This is the stupidest, most idiotic thing you've ever done in your life.

Those disciples loved him so much that even though they knew the truth, they still didn't blame him or think it was their fault.

but

It was definitely my fault!

Ultimately, I still felt pity for the demon. Even though I knew that upon becoming a demon, everything about my former human self would vanish, seeing the demon's suffering and sensing its inner sorrow softened my resolve to slay it.

Is Urokodaki-senpai still blaming himself?

Beside her, a girl in a pretty pink kimono looked up and asked with concern.

The girl's jet-black hair was well-groomed, and her long eyelashes trembled slightly as the breeze blew by. Her whole being exuded an irresistible cuteness.

Nezuko's developing figure and youthful, adorable face exude a captivating charm.

Urokodaki Sakonji turned around, looked at the amazing girl, and looked up at the sky: "No matter what, it's all my fault!"

"Everyone makes mistakes. Who can guarantee that they won't make mistakes? How could Urokodaki-senpai have imagined that his momentary soft-heartedness in placing the demon on Fujikasane-yama would cause such a terrible result?"

"But if I hadn't been so soft-hearted back then, hadn't had so much pity for the ghosts..."

Urokodaki Sakonji clenched his fist slightly: "I know perfectly well that all demons are beyond redemption, I know perfectly well that all demons deserve to die..."

"Obviously..."

Nezuko suddenly interrupted Sakonji Urokodaki, somewhat annoyed: "What do you mean 'obviously'? Who knew that the demon Urokodaki-senpai put into Fujikazeyama would hate Urokodaki-senpai? Who knew that the demon was like this? Even though most demons are hateful, and perhaps almost all demons are beyond redemption, Urokodaki-senpai, can't there be other demons? Can't there be other demons who are different?"

"No, it's different if there are no ghosts. All ghosts, the moment they become ghosts, will slowly lose everything they had as a human being."

Urokodaki Sakonji gritted his teeth: "There will never be an exception."

"Is it because Urokodaki-senpai never saw one that you think no demon could be an exception?" Nezuko clenched her fist, her tone firm: "If I were a demon, I would never do anything to hurt others, nor would I wantonly destroy other people's happiness like other demons do..."

The girl clenched her fists, her tone resolute.

When Urokodaki Sakon saw this, he found it somewhat amusing and looked up at the sky, saying, "It was because of my naivety that I ruined my most beloved disciple."

Seeing Urokodaki-senpai lost in grief and self-blame, Nezuko couldn't help but turn her head away, deeply disagreeing with his thoughts.

Perhaps most ghosts are beyond redemption, but ghosts are different after all.

For example, Mr. Ghost is a very good one.

Perhaps all ghosts are cruel, but sir, this ghost must be an exception.

Thinking of her teacher, Nezuko couldn't help but stand on tiptoe and look into the distance, hoping to see a familiar figure there.

Nezuko wasn't disappointed for long; she spotted the approaching figure in the distance.

"Yes, sir, the sir has arrived."

Nezuko almost jumped up with joy, cheering like a child.

Urokodaki Sakonji actually saw Makomo returning much earlier than Nezuko. His inner guilt was somewhat suppressed by the joy of his disciple Makomo's safe return, and he couldn't help but smile when he saw Nezuko cheering.

As Su Mu and his group walked along the road, the closer they got to Mount Kyogoku, the faster Makomo and Tanjiro quickened their pace, frequently looking up ahead.

When they saw the familiar figures waiting on the mountain, they all smiled with excitement.

Then, upon seeing the person, they all cheered and ran over.

Su Mu held Kanao's hand and watched this scene quietly.

"Nezuko... I'm back."

Tanjiro practically ran towards his sister.

Nezuko was also running, waving her hand from time to time, her happiness and joy almost written on her face.

"Brother, you're back."

Soon, they met on the road, and Tanjiro and Nezuko stopped in their tracks, both very happy.

"Nezuko, do you know what I've been through on this journey? You must really want to know..."

Tanjiro was almost too eager to share his experiences along the way with his sister.

But soon, he paused, then his younger sister Nezuko walked past him and ran towards the adult who had stopped behind him.

The girl quickly ran to the man, stopped a few steps away, and stood there gracefully.

A gentle breeze blew, and a few strands of black hair swayed in the wind, falling on the girl's tender face, making her look both cute and beautiful.

"Sir, how was your journey?"