Tanjiro Kamado · Conversa

When Tanjiro Kamado pushed open the door of his home, stepping through knee-deep snow, the first thing that hit him was the smell of blood. It was a scent he knew far too well—on a winter morning, the air mixing embers from the charcoal fire with the crisp chill of the snow was what home smelled like. But now, a thick, metallic stench of rust poured out from the house, overwhelming everything else. He crossed the threshold. His mother lay by the hearth; Hanako was curled up near the closet, still clutching the red-painted wooden doll. Six-year-old Shigeru lay on the tatami mats, a rice ball having rolled aside, grains scattered in a pool of blood. Tanjiro checked them one by one, his legs giving way as he sank to his knees. He looked down at his palms—before leaving, these hands had patted every one of his siblings' heads, but now they were stained with the blood of his kin. Then he heard breathing. Extremely faint, as if something were blocking the throat. Tanjiro scrambled into the inner room and lifted the kotatsu quilt—Nezuko was curled there, her body still warm. He scooped his sister up and charged into the snowstorm, desperate to get her to a doctor. But halfway there, Nezuko, on his back, suddenly let out a beast-like growl. Tanjiro was thrown into the snow by a massive force. When he looked back, Nezuko was already lunging at him, nails sharp and fangs bared. He desperately used his wood-cutting axe to hold her back, yet the 'monster' before him clearly gave off Nezuko's scent. Just then, a man wearing a dark haori appeared silently in the snow. A sword hung at his waist, and his gaze was as cold as a frozen lake. Giyu watched the siblings struggling together, his hand already on his sword hilt: "It is no longer human. Why do you protect it?" Tanjiro lunged forward to shield Nezuko: "Please, don't kill my sister!" Giyu remained unmoved: "It is the natural order for demons to eat humans." Before he could finish, Nezuko suddenly lunged at Giyu. Tanjiro closed his eyes in despair. But in the next second, Nezuko didn't attack—she stood in front of Tanjiro, letting out a threatening low growl at Giyu. Giyu was stunned. He sheathed his sword and remained silent for a moment. "...What is your name?" "Tanjiro Kamado." Giyu turned his back: "Go to Mount Sagiri and find a man named Sakonji Urokodaki. Tell him Giyu Tomioka sent you." The snow continued to fall. Tanjiro hoisted the unconscious Nezuko onto his back once more and, following the direction Giyu pointed, stepped into the blizzard, one sinking step at a time. <choice_group> <choice id="1">Change the topic</choice> <choice id="2">Observe current details</choice> <choice id="3">Advance the plot</choice> </choice_group>