"Hello, I am Uchiha Nagi," Uchiha Nagi introduced himself.
"This is Uchiha Nagi-nii. He's not a demon; he's human, just like us," Tanjiro hurriedly explained, afraid a misunderstanding might lead to a fight.
"Giyu Tomioka..." The Water Hashira, Giyu Tomioka, was his usual self, a man of few words.
"Moshi moshi~ I am Shinobu Kocho. This Mr. Uchiha Nagi is indeed human, but little brother, the girl by your side is not," Shinobu Kocho said with a sweet smile.
Then, under Tanjiro's horrified gaze, she drew her Nichirin blade, intending to eliminate Nezuko.
"Wait! Nezuko isn't a bad person! She's never harmed anyone!" Tanjiro quickly spread his arms, shielding his sister.
"That's not for you to decide~" Shinobu's voice came from beside his ear. Tanjiro realized with a shock that Shinobu, who had been in front of him just a moment ago, had already appeared behind him.
Clang!
A sharp sound of metal striking metal rang out. Giyu Tomioka had blocked the sword Shinobu aimed at Nezuko.
"My, my~ Why are you interfering, Tomioka-san?" Shinobu asked, puzzled. "Didn't you say that humans and demons can't get along? Why are you helping him then?"
"Tanjiro, take her and go, now~" The Water Hashira, Giyu Tomioka, was still as taciturn as ever.
So fast...
Uchiha Nagi narrowed his eyes. His three-tomoe Sharingan could barely keep up with their speed; only the Mangekyo could track them clearly. So this was the peak fighting power of this world, the Hashira? No flashy ninjutsu or secret techniques, just speed, power, and swordsmanship combined with Breathing Styles. And this speed was no slower than the Body Flicker Technique. It was hard to imagine this was speed generated purely by the human body.
No, that wasn't quite right. Uchiha Nagi observed them carefully with his Mangekyo. Both of them were constantly employing their Breathing Styles, having integrated them into their daily lives. Even when not fighting, they were using their Breathing Styles.
In his previous life, Uchiha Nagi had practiced yoga. He knew that consciously controlling one's breathing during exercise wasn't difficult, but maintaining that breathing method in daily life was incredibly hard...
Clang!
Sparks flew again. Shinobu's strength wasn't on par with the male Hashira, but her speed was not lacking in the slightest; she was agile and light. A fragrant scent wafted over, and Giyu Tomioka felt a moment of dizziness.
Carelessly, Giyu Tomioka was bypassed by her. She instantly caught up to Tanjiro, who, still injured from using the Hinokami Kagura, couldn't run far.
"Nezuko, run! Run forward~" Tanjiro pushed his sister and shouted.
Just as Shinobu was about to catch Nezuko, a voice came from behind.
"Water Style: Water Prison Jutsu~"
A sphere of water firmly trapped Nezuko, blocking Shinobu's sword. Sometimes, ninjutsu could be used not only to trap people but also to save them.
"Ma'am, Nezuko is not a bad person. Although she is a demon, she possesses human-like intelligence and has never harmed a human," Uchiha Nagi said, appearing atop the water prison using the Body Flicker Technique.
"Oh, is that so? How pitiful. Then I shall use the gentlest poison to let her die without any pain~" Shinobu said with a gentle smile.
"Not while I'm here, you won't~" Uchiha Nagi replied with a confident grin.
In the distance, Tanjiro struggled to run over, with Inosuke also following.
"Nagi-nii~" "Red-Eyes-nii~"
Needless to say, the latter was shouted by the little boar, Inosuke.
"Bastard! If you want to kill Nezuko, you'll have to defeat me first!" Inosuke yelled, raising his broken dual blades in the next second and charging forward.
Thump!
His coolness lasted less than a second. Shinobu instantly appeared behind him and struck him on the neck. Inosuke's eyes rolled back, and he was knocked unconscious to the ground by Shinobu. Although Shinobu, due to her lesser physical strength as a woman, couldn't decapitate demons, that depended on the opponent. She had no trouble cutting down anyone below the rank of a Twelve Kizuki, let alone the lowest-ranked Inosuke.
Uchiha Nagi: "......" Giyu Tomioka: "......."
Interrupted by Uchiha Nagi, Giyu Tomioka, who had been further away, also caught up. The cool-headed but warm-hearted Water Hashira silently walked over to Nezuko's side, standing with Uchiha Nagi.
Seeing this, Uchiha Nagi smiled at Tanjiro. "You called me 'nii-chan.' How could I not protect my little brother's sister? Otherwise, how could I live up to the title?"
Giyu Tomioka looked at Tanjiro and uttered a sentence that made everyone's jaws drop: "Tanjiro, from now on, call me Tomioka-nii."
"......."
Shinobu couldn't help but cover her face. "At a time like this, you're siding with an outsider, Tomioka-san. You really are disliked, aren't you~"
Giyu Tomioka, with a deadpan expression, forced out a sentence: "I, Giyu Tomioka, am not disliked—"
Pfft~
Shinobu and Tanjiro, standing nearby, were petrified by this statement. Uchiha Nagi almost burst out laughing. Was this the legendary pinnacle of dad jokes? Amusing people without even trying?
Shinobu also couldn't help but cover her face, feeling embarrassed by his terrible joke. "My apologies~ It seems you're not even aware that you're disliked~ I've said something unnecessary, my bad."
At that moment, behind Uchiha Nagi's group, a figure leaped down from the sky. It was another girl with a butterfly ornament in her hair, just like Shinobu. She thrust her Nichirin blade silently towards Nezuko, like an assassin from the shadows.
Uchiha Nagi narrowed his eyes, then suddenly turned his head to face her, activating his Mangekyo Sharingan.
Genjutsu—
The girl with the butterfly hair ornament accidentally looked into those blood-red eyes in the darkness, felt a wave of dizziness, and fell into a genjutsu world. She then stood rooted to the spot, dazed.
"Oh my~ Kanao isn't moving. Your eyes are very special, aren't they? As special as Shinazugawa-san's blood. It seems I must not look into your eyes if I were to fight you," Shinobu said, surprised.
Uchiha Nagi sighed inwardly. Good analytical skills. Not only is she observant, but her observations are also meticulous. She figured out the special nature of the Sharingan right away.
Just then, a Kasugai Crow flew quickly from the sky, cawing loudly as it flew~
"Caw caw~ Orders as follows: Bring Tanjiro and Nezuko back to headquarters." "Caw caw~ Orders as follows: Bring Tanjiro and Nezuko back to headquarters."
Giyu Tomioka silently sheathed his sword.
"Oh dear, it seems we don't have to fight after all~" Shinobu, hearing the crow's orders, also sighed in relief and sheathed her blade. As fellow Hashira, eighty percent of her skills lay in poisons. Unless it was a life-or-death battle against the Water Hashira, Giyu Tomioka, she really held no advantage. Not to mention, there was also Uchiha Nagi nearby, whose true abilities were unknown. His mysterious eyes also made her feel apprehensive.