"Muzan Kibutsuji"
"Where's Tanjiro?" Aoki asked the crow perched on his shoulder. As a Hashira, he wasn't bound by constant crow-delivered missions and could act independently, usually only summoned in the event of a Twelve Kizuki appearance.
"Tanjiro completed his mission in the northwestern town yesterday and is heading to Asakusa, Tokyo Prefecture, as instructed," the crow replied.
"Asakusa, Tokyo Prefecture. Take me there."
That evening, Tanjiro arrived in Tokyo, awestruck by the unfamiliar cityscape.
"Has the city developed this much?" he murmured, observing the bustling streets.
He carried a wooden box on his back, Nezuko beside him, her eyes closed, her head bobbing gently as she slept.
"The buildings are so tall! What are all these things?" Tanjiro wondered, holding Nezuko's hand as he walked, marveling at the towering buildings. "Big city… big city."
"Nezuko, let's go here," Tanjiro said, leading Nezuko into a small alleyway, only to stumble upon a couple kissing passionately.
"I'm sorry!" Tanjiro bowed deeply before hurrying away.
He took Nezuko to the city outskirts and found a food stall.
"One bowl of yam udon, please," Tanjiro said to the owner.
"Coming right up," the owner replied, taking a drag from his cigarette and glancing at Tanjiro.
After a short wait, a steaming bowl of udon was placed before him.
Tanjiro took a sip of the broth, then sighed. Just as he was about to eat, a familiar scent reached his nose.
His bowl of udon slipped from his hands, shattering on the ground.
Tanjiro grabbed his Nichirin Sword and ran towards the source of the scent, leaving Nezuko asleep.
"Why is this scent here?" Cold sweat trickled down his face as he ran. He recalled the horrific scene from two years ago—his family slaughtered, only Nezuko surviving.
"It's the scent from home," he realized, pushing past pedestrians, his heart pounding with fear and urgency.
"Muzan Kibutsuji!"
Two years ago, Tanjiro had stayed overnight at a neighbor's house. Returning home the next day, he found his family dead, except for Nezuko, who had inexplicably become a demon. Besides the scent of his family, there was another unfamiliar odor. He'd been too focused on saving Nezuko to notice.
Later, Urokodaki Sakonji revealed the killer: Muzan Kibutsuji!
As the world's first demon, Muzan Kibutsuji possessed the power to transform humans into demons.
Now, the man Tanjiro hated most, the man he longed to kill, was here. He had to avenge his family.
"That's him!" Tanjiro saw a thin man in a suit and hat. The scent emanated from him.
As he approached, a hand landed on his shoulder. He turned, seeing a familiar face.
"Senior Aoki?"
It was Aoki.
"What's wrong? You seem very agitated," Aoki asked, noticing Tanjiro's urgency.
Relieved, Tanjiro pointed at the man. "Senior Aoki, that's Muzan Kibutsuji! I recognize his scent!"
Aoki frowned and looked at the man. He knew about Tanjiro's family tragedy. If Tanjiro recognized the scent, he was right.
"Let's go," Aoki said, charging towards the man with Tanjiro.
Aoki placed a hand on the man's shoulder. The man turned, revealing a pale face and blood-red eyes.
"That's him!" Tanjiro, enraged, drew his Nichirin Sword.
Aoki stopped him, forcing the sword back into its sheath.
A child's voice interrupted. "Papa."
Muzan Kibutsuji was holding a little girl with large eyes, who looked at them curiously.
Tanjiro's mind went blank. Muzan Kibutsuji, the demon king, a cold-blooded killer, was holding a little girl? It was utterly bizarre.
Tanjiro's keen sense of smell identified the girl as human, and Muzan Kibutsuji as a demon.
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