The path ahead wound through dark forests and distant mountains, where rumors of demon attacks had begun to spread again. Tanjiro received his next assignment: a mountain where young girls were disappearing without trace. As he traveled, a companion was assigned to him.
A boy with yellow hair and jittery nerves.
Zenitsu Agatsuma.
From the moment they met, Zenitsu clung to Tanjiro's haori like a terrified child, begging for reassurance, mumbling about dying any day now. His voice trembled even in daylight. And yet—Tanjiro sensed something beneath all that fear. A flicker of strength buried deep.
They reached a house near the mountain's edge.
It was massive, old, and drenched in an eerie stillness.
Inside, a demon's presence lingered thick in the air. But something else caught Tanjiro's ear—a distant drumming sound, deep and constant, as if the house itself had a heartbeat.
That's when they met him.
Inosuke Hashibira.
Half-naked, muscular, and with a boar's head mask hiding his face. He burst through a paper wall, dual Nichirin blades drawn, his wild eyes burning with excitement. Without hesitation, he attacked—mistaking everyone for enemies.
Tanjiro deflected him, stunned by his aggressive unpredictability. Zenitsu screamed and ducked behind furniture. But soon, the house began to shift—literally.
The walls rotated. Rooms vanished. The entire layout changed with each beat of the invisible drum.
A demon with a tsuzumi drum embedded in his body roamed the mansion—Kyogai, a former member of the Twelve Kizuki. Each beat of his drums twisted reality itself, moving walls and hurling enemies with force.
The group was separated.
Tanjiro ended up alone with a young boy named Shoichi, trembling in fear. Meanwhile, Zenitsu was left to protect Shoichi's sister from another demon that lurked in the house.
That's when it happened.
As the demon lunged for the girl, Zenitsu's body froze in fear—but then relaxed.
His breathing slowed.
His stance shifted.
And in a single instant—
"Thunder Breathing, First Form: Thunderclap and Flash!"
A flash of lightning.
A clean, perfect cut.
Zenitsu returned to his trembling state, unaware of his own brilliance.
Shoichi stared in awe. "You… you protected us…"
Zenitsu blinked in confusion, tears already forming. "Did I do something right?!"
Elsewhere, Tanjiro navigated the rotating maze, searching for the drum demon and preparing for the battle to come.
His mission wasn't just about slaying demons anymore—it was about protecting hope, no matter how small.
And about finding the courage within.