Tanjiro hugged the still-dazed Nezuko, desperately running down the mountain.
Taka, following behind, could see that this boy was covered in wounds, his breathing heavy and disordered. He must be enduring immense pain.
But to survive, this was necessary.
"Hey!"
Taka was very fast. In a few steps, he caught up to the tense and anxious Tanjiro.
"That form from before, how did you do it?"
Tanjiro could barely breathe at this moment. Sweat mixed with dust and blood blurred his vision, but he didn't dare close his eyes, let alone stop. His eyes stared fixedly ahead, nearly bleeding from the strain.
Hearing Taka's voice, he instinctively tensed with vigilance, but quickly relaxed his guard.
This was the swordsman who had stood between him and the Lower Moon demon, and who had also blocked the attacks of others for him!
'What did he want? Form? Was he talking about Hinokami Kagura?'
His thoughts scattered. His overtaxed body stumbled, and he crashed heavily to the ground!
And his sister, Nezuko, whom he treasured more than his own life, was thrown from his arms by the fall.
"Nezuko—!"
Before Nezuko hit the ground, Taka had already flashed forward, gently catching the drifting demon girl.
'So light.'
This was Taka's first time holding a demon. The girl felt much lighter than she looked.
Tanjiro struggled to his feet, his body trembling as he ran towards Taka, his gaze both concerned and complicated.
"That attack just now." Taka spoke again, his gaze meeting Tanjiro's. "Was that Flame Breathing? I could feel your aura burning."
"Please... I beg you!"
But Tanjiro was in no state to discuss this now. He gasped heavily, every bone in his body aching. He felt his lungs were about to burst.
Looking at Nezuko, who had just awakened in Taka's arms with a confused expression, he grabbed Taka's haori like a wounded animal and pleaded earnestly:
"Please, save Nezuko! I beg you!"
"Nezuko... she's not a bad person. She's a demon that doesn't eat people! At this rate, she'll be killed!"
Using all his remaining strength, he took the wooden box off his back and placed it before him: "I'll stop the comrades from Demon Slayer Corps. Please, take Nezuko and leave this place quickly!"
Taka's pupils contracted slightly. For some reason, his heart trembled a little.
He seemed to have hazily seen a scene like this before....
'That woman, crying, begging, kneeling humble on the ground, pressing an infant into the arms of a stranger....'
'Who was she....'
"Whether it's Hinokami Kagura or anything else, I beg you, swordsman-sama!"
"....Alright."
As if compelled by some force, Taka agreed to Tanjiro's request. The Tonan at his waist, which had returned to its Nichirin Sword form, sent out a dissatisfied hum.
"But you don't need me to take her away. Protect your own family yourself."
"Eh?"
"Hide!"
Taka tossed Nezuko back to Tanjiro and positioned himself in front of him.
Ever since following Tanjiro, Taka's Reiatsu had been invisibly expanded, searching for any potential danger or obstruction.
And now, one had indeed arrived.
A swift, light aura, following a nearly silent, butterfly-like eerie trajectory, was weaving through the forest at astonishing speed, heading straight for the two of them.
'Was it Kocho Shinobu? The aura didn't match.'
Whoosh—!!
A pink-purple figure cut through like a phantom!
A dark purple uniform skirt, a pink Nichirin Sword, a draped white cloak, and the character [Exterminate] on her back.
It was a Demon Slayer Corps' member.
The girl of the Demon Slayer Corps lightly touched a tree branch. Her body gracefully twisted, like a petal blown by the wind, rapidly sweeping through the shadows of the forest, aiming straight for Nezuko!
Tanjiro recognized her. She was a contemporary from the Final Selection trial, though he didn't know her name. He quickly shouted, trying to stop her.
Taka, who had joined the Corps on a special exception, didn't know her. But even if he did, as long as she was on the opposite side, he would still act!
"Wind Wrap."
His left leg abruptly swung up, using a sharp high kick infused with Wind Breathing to block the girl's path.
Sensei said that Demon Slayer Corps' members cannot attack each other without reason, so he didn't rashly draw his sword, merely choosing to subdue her with hand-to-hand techniques.
Whoosh!!
Facing the kick, an extremely faint expression flickered across the girl's doll-like delicate face.
'This person wasn't a Hashira, but he was very strong.'
She displayed astonishing flexibility and control in mid-air, bending her waist at an unimaginable angle, like a puppet pulled by invisible strings, deftly dodging Taka's attack.
'What kind of body technique was this?' Taka was slightly taken aback.
During his training, although he knew there were mainly five schools of Breathing Styles in this world, he had only encountered the fierce and violent nature of Wind Breathing and knew little about the others.
'It seemed they were all worth learning.'
The sharp wind pressure grazed the girl's temple, cutting off a few strands of floating hair.
She lightly landed on a thick, outstretched branch, her body low like a cat poised to spring.
Her right hand had already silently gripped the hilt of her Nichirin Sword. Her pink-purple eyes, calm and waveless, looked towards Taka.
Although she didn't speak, Taka could feel the meaning in her gaze:
'Move aside.'
Taka slowly withdrew his leg, his fists clenched one in front of the other, raised to chest level, assuming a stance that balanced offense and defense.
"Sorry, not now."
No words were needed. The girl's figure instantly vanished from the branch.
In an instant, Taka's vision blurred.
It was as if a phantom flower had bloomed in the air. Several pink afterimages, hard to tell real from fake, approached Taka from different angles, like petals swept up by the wind!
Clang!!
He drew the Asauchi at top speed and blocked it in front of Nezuko's face. Sparks flew!
The girl was somewhat surprised, clearly not expecting Taka to see through her form so quickly.
It was simple. Taka didn't use his eyes, but his Reiatsu.
One strike unsuccessful, the girl's figure flickered, using the momentum to spin, and swung another horizontal slash! Again, Taka steadily blocked it. This made her look at Taka with a bit of coldness.
"Still not leaving?" Taka also looked at the girl, while reminding Tanjiro behind him.
Tanjiro, waking from his dream, hurriedly thanked him while clutching Nezuko and continuing to flee deeper into the dense forest.
The girl wanted to chase, but her blade was tightly locked by Taka, unable to move.
"If you're going to get serious, I'll go all out too," He said coldly.
After all, there was no deep-seated hatred between fellow Demon Slayer Corps' members.
Since Taka said this, the girl retreated and sheathed her Nichirin Sword, instead trying to use her agile footwork to shake off Taka's obstruction.
Her steps accelerated with her breathing. Her figure flashed, nearly catching Tanjiro!
Fortunately, Taka reacted quickly, wildly swinging his blade like a violent storm before him, creating a chaotic and violent wind vortex!
The scattered sand and rocks disrupted the girl's steps, preventing her blade from finally striking Nezuko.
Seeing Taka so annoying, the girl simply kept cutting down thick branches behind her, trying to use obstacles as thick as a bowl to slow Taka's pursuit. Unfortunately, he easily cleaved through them as well.
Thus, the two engaged in a chase along Tanjiro's escape route, though only the plants suffered.
Finally, after a turn, Tanjiro's stamina was nearly exhausted. His movements became noticeably sluggish.
The girl didn't miss this opportunity. She went all out with her Breathing Style, transforming into a pink blur as she charged towards Nezuko.
And Taka was also preparing to use his fastest sword form, thinking maybe he should just shatter the girl's Nichirin Sword...
Caw—!!! Caw—!!!
"Oyakata-sama's decree! Oyakata-sama's decree!"
Several consecutive shrieks from Kasugai Crows suddenly interrupted the killing intent under the night sky!
At this moment, whether it was the girl whose blade tip had nearly pierced Nezuko, or Taka whose Asauchi had stopped before the pink Nichirin Sword, or even Shinobu, further away, locked in combat with Giyu, all were drawn by the sound.
The Kasugai Crow flew through the forest, loudly transmitting the message to every Demon Slayer Corps' member still on Spider Mountain:
"Capture Demon Slayer Corps' member, Tanjiro and the demon girl, Nezuko alive! Bring them back to headquarters! Bring them back to headquarters!"
"Tanjiro, wears a haori with a checked pattern, has a scar on his forehead! Nezuko, the demon girl biting a bamboo cylinder! Over!!"
Caw—!!!
"Repeat: Oyakata-sama's..."
Listening to the crow's message echoing through the mountain forest, Taka and the girl exchanged a glance and silently sheathed their swords.
He looked at Tanjiro's still somewhat panicked gaze and said in a deep voice:
"My mission is complete. When do I get paid?"