Anime/Manga: Bankai Starting with Demon Slayer

If the girl in Tanjiro's arms were killed, she probably wouldn't be in the mood to tell him about swordsmanship for a while.

Even if it's a ghost, please wait until I finish asking the questions before you execute it.

Shinobu Kocho gracefully stepped back, her voice still sweet but tinged with anger: "You can't do that, you'll be hated by everyone just like Mr. Tomioka."

The Mr. Tomioka she mentioned is none other than Giyu Tomioka, one of the current Nine Pillars, the "Water Pillar," who is standing in front of Asuka.

Yoshiyuki Tomioka remained silent, meeting the other person's gaze.

Shinobu Kocho, who had expected him to explain his actions, was patiently listening to his murderous intent towards the demon, but instead heard him speak:

“I am not disliked.”

The jackals in the tree fell silent.

"...I'm sorry, Mr. Tomioka, it seems you don't realize you're disliked...I've said something unnecessary, I'm really sorry."

...At this point, even the usually sociable Asuka fell silent.

It seems that Mr. Tomioka and Shinobu Kocho are not very familiar with each other.

"Can you still move?"

Giyu Tomioka didn't seem to care much. He suddenly spoke to Tanjiro behind him, who, though not yet understanding what was happening, immediately replied:

"can!"

"Take your sister and run!" Giyu Tomioka's demeanor turned serious as he warily eyed Shinobu Kocho, who was poised to pounce. He then turned to Asuka and said:

"Can I ask you for a favor?"

"Okay, I also need to talk to him."

Driven by the instinct to survive and his deep concern for his sister, Tanjiro, who was severely injured behind them, suddenly mustered the last of his strength, hugged Nezuko tightly, and rushed headlong into the dense forest below the mountain!

Asuka followed closely behind Tanjiro, intending to ask him more about the Fire Sword Form once they were far away from the area.

"Ara?" Shinobu's attention was instantly drawn, and she moved slightly, her haori swaying as she was about to chase after them. "That's against the team rules, isn't it?"

Clang!

Sparks flew as Giyu Tomioka once again blocked Shinobu Kocho's sword strike with his Nichirin Blade.

Even Shinobu Kocho, who had been smiling the whole time, couldn't help but lower her upturned lips and look calmly at Giyu Tomioka:

"It seems you're serious, Mr. Tomioka."

"I never expected that a Pillar would protect a demon..."

Chapter 40 The Girl's Pursuit

Tanjiro, carrying the still dazed demon girl Nezuko, ran desperately down the mountain.

Asuka, who was following behind, could tell that the boy was covered in injuries and his breathing was heavy and disordered, indicating that he was enduring great pain.

But in order to survive, these are all necessary.

"Hey!"

Asuka was very fast, and in just a few steps she was right next to the nervous and uneasy Tanjiro.

"How did you achieve that pose?"

Tanjiro was struggling to breathe. Sweat mixed with dust and blood blurred his vision, but he dared not close his eyes or stop. His eyes were fixed on the front, almost bleeding from staring.

Upon hearing the sound of birds, he instinctively became slightly more alert, but quickly lowered his guard again.

It was the swordsman who stood between him and the Lower Moon demon, and who also shielded him from attacks by others!

What is he going to do? Type? Is he talking about Hinokami Kagura?

With his mind in disarray, Tanjiro, having overexerted himself, stumbled and fell heavily to the ground!

And his precious younger sister, Midouzi, whom he cherished more than his own life, was thrown away because of this fall.

"Nian Douzi—!"

Before the bean could land, the bird leaped out and gently lifted the ghost girl who was drifting down.

So light.

This was Asuka's first time holding a ghost, and the girl seemed much lighter than she appeared.

Tanjiro struggled to his feet, his body trembling as he ran towards the fallen Asuka, his eyes filled with concern and complex emotions.

"That attack just now," Asuka spoke again, her gaze meeting Tanjiro's, "was that the Breath of Fire? I could feel your aura burning."

"Please...please!"

However, Tanjiro had no mind to talk about this at the moment. He was panting heavily, and his bones were aching all over. He felt like his lungs were about to explode.

Looking at Mizuko, who had just woken up in Asuka's arms and looked completely bewildered, he clung to Asuka's feathers like a wounded little animal, pleading earnestly:

"Please, save Midouzi! Please!"

"Nie Douzi... she's not a bad person, she... she's a ghost that doesn't eat people! If this continues, she'll be killed!"

With all his might, he took the wooden box off his back and placed it in front of him: "I'm here to stop my Demon Slayer Corps comrades. Please take the Nezuko and leave this place quickly!"

Asuka's pupils contracted, and for some reason, her heart trembled slightly.

He seemed to have vaguely seen this scene before...

The woman, weeping and pleading, knelt humbly on the ground, placing an infant into the arms of a stranger...

Who is she....?

"Whether it's Hinokami Kagura or anything else, I'm begging you, swordsman!"

"....good."

As if by some strange twist of fate, Asuka agreed to Tanjiro's request, but the mongoose that had transformed back into its Nichirin Blade form emitted a disgruntled buzzing sound.

“But you don’t need me to take her away. You should protect your family yourself.”

"Huh?"

"Hide well!"

Asuka tossed the bean to Tanjiro and then stood in front of him as a shield.

From the moment she started following behind Tanjiro, Asuka's spiritual pressure had already invisibly expanded, searching for any potential dangers and obstacles.

And now, it has indeed arrived.

A swift and light breath, moving almost silently along an eerie, butterfly-like trajectory, was traversing the forest at an astonishing speed, heading towards the two of them.

Is it Shinobu Kocho? The aura doesn't seem right.

Whoosh—!

A pinkish-purple figure slashed out like a ghost!

A deep purple school uniform skirt, a pink Nichirin Blade, a white cloak, and the character "殅" (destroy) on her back.

It's Demon Slayer Corps.

The Demon Slayer Corps girl lightly touched a tree branch, her body turning gracefully like a petal blown by the wind, swiftly passing through the shadows of the forest, heading straight for Nezuko!

Tanjiro recognized the other person as a classmate from the Fujisayama Trials, but didn't know his name, so he quickly shouted to try to stop him.

Asuka, who joined the team as a special talent, doesn't know her, but even if he did, he would still take action if she was on his side!

"Wind entangles."

His left leg suddenly swung up, blocking the girl with a powerful upper-level kick imbued with the breath of wind.

The teacher had said that Demon Slayer Corps members cannot attack each other without a reason, so he did not rashly draw his sword, but only chose to subdue the opponent with his fists and feet.

call! !

Faced with the kick, a very subtle change in expression appeared on the girl's doll-like, exquisite face.

This person is not a pillar, but he is very strong.

She displayed astonishing flexibility and control in the air, folding her waist at an incredible angle, like a puppet being pulled by invisible threads, deftly dodging the bird's attack.

What kind of movement technique is this? Asuka was slightly taken aback.

During his practice, although he knew that there were five main schools of breathing techniques in the world, he had only been exposed to the fierce and intense nature of wind breathing and knew very little about the other schools.

It seems that they are all worth learning.

The sharp wind pressure grazed the girl's temples, severing several strands of her flowing hair.

She landed lightly on a thick, horizontal branch, crouching low like a kitten poised to pounce.

Her right hand had already silently gripped the hilt of the Nichirin Blade, and her pinkish-purple eyes gazed calmly at Asuka.

Although she didn't speak, Asuka could sense the meaning in her eyes:

Move aside.

Feiniao slowly retracted her leg, raised her fists to her chest with a loose clench, one in front of the other, assuming a stance that combined offense and defense.

"Sorry, not right now."

Without a word, the girl's figure vanished from the tree branch in an instant.

In an instant, the bird only felt a blur before its eyes.

A phantom flower seemed to appear in the air in an instant; several indistinguishable pink afterimages, like petals swirling in the wind, flew towards the birds from different angles.

Clang!

He pulled the weapon out of Douzi's face as fast as he could, and sparks flew everywhere!

The girl was somewhat surprised, clearly not expecting that the bird could see through her figure so quickly.

It's very simple; you don't see birds with your eyes, but with your spiritual pressure.

When her first attack failed, the girl swayed and spun around, unleashing another horizontal strike! Yet Asuka blocked it steadily, which made her look at Asuka with a cold gaze.

"Hurry up and leave." Asuka looked at the girl and reminded Tanjiro behind her.

Tanjiro snapped out of his daze, loudly thanking her as he continued his escape into the depths of the dense forest, clutching Nezuko.

The girl wanted to give chase, but the sword was held firmly in place by the flying bird, unable to move.

“If you’re serious, I’ll go all out,” he said coldly.

There was no deep-seated hatred between the members of the Demon Slayer Corps.

Since Asuka had said so, the girl retreated and sheathed her Nichirin Blade, then tried to use her agile footwork to shake off Asuka's obstruction.

Her steps accelerated with each breath, and in a flash, she almost caught up with Tanjiro!

Fortunately, Asuka reacted quickly, unleashing a fierce slash in front of her like a storm, creating a chaotic and violent vortex of wind!

The scattered sand and stones disrupted the girl's steps, preventing her sword from hitting the bean.

Seeing how annoying the bird was, the girl simply kept chopping off the thick branches behind her, trying to use the bowl-sized branches to block the slow-moving bird's tail, but unfortunately, they were easily chopped off by the bird.

The two then engaged in a chase along Tanjiro's escape route, but only the flowers and plants suffered.

Finally, after turning a corner, Tanjiro's stamina gave out, and he began to sluggish noticeably.

The girl didn't let the opportunity slip by. She used all her breathing techniques and transformed into a pink streak of light as she charged towards Nidouzi.

Asuka prepared to unleash her fastest sword technique, wondering if she should just shatter the girl's Nichirin Blade...

quack--!!!

"The Lord has decreed! The Lord has decreed!"

A series of cawing cries abruptly interrupted the murderous intent under the cover of night!

At this moment, everyone's attention was drawn to the sound, whether it was the girl whose blade had almost pierced through Nezuko, the bird in front of Suzukaku's Nichirin Blade, or Shinobu Kocho, who was wrestling with Giyu Tomioka in the distance.

The kasuna scurried through the forest, loudly relaying a message to every Demon Slayer Corps member still inside Spider Mountain:

"Capture Demon Slayer Corps member Tanjiro and demon girl Nezuko alive! Bring her back to Headquarters! Bring her back to Headquarters!"

"Tanjiro, wearing a haori with a checkered pattern, has a wound on his forehead! Nezuko, a demon girl biting a bamboo tube! That's all!!"

Gaaaaaah!

"Repeating: My Lord..."