To be honest, Shiro didn’t really want Nezuko getting involved in his future fights with Muzan Kibutsuji.
In all likelihood, the cowardly Demon King would just try to run away, and Shiro would have to figure out a way to hunt him down anyway.
With a father who was easily as strong as the future Stone Hashira who mastered the Transparent World, and an older brother with limitless potential, Nezuko’s future was already bound to be much happier than in the original story.
Forcing her into the world of demons wouldn’t do her any good, and Shiro couldn’t get any special powers from her anyway.
The only alternative would be to get some of Muzan’s blood to turn her into a demon like in the original timeline.
But Shiro wasn’t a monster; he could never do something so terrible to his cute older sister.
“Alright, I’ll promise you.
But if you can’t keep up with Tanjiro’s pace, I won’t go easy on you,” Shiro relented.
Facing a cute girl like Nezuko, he just couldn’t bring himself to say no.
“Shiro, you’re the best!”
Nezuko’s face flushed a little as she gave Shiro a quick peck on the cheek, then turned around to jump off the rock.
However, she had come up here wearing a kimono; getting up was easy, but getting down was a different story.
In the end, Shiro had to pick her up and carry her as he hopped down to the ground.
Once her feet touched the dirt, Nezuko felt the tips of her ears burning.
It was incredibly embarrassing.
“The training will officially start once I get back, and let me tell you, it’s going to hurt,” Shiro said immediately, changing the subject to save Nezuko from her awkwardness.
“Mmh…” Nezuko answered softly before turning around and running back home.
Deep down, Shiro was actually pretty skeptical about whether Nezuko could even learn Sun Breathing.
If just anyone could learn it, the style wouldn’t have gone extinct within the Demon Slayer Corps, leaving the Kamado family as its only users.
He had already thought of a backup plan: if Nezuko couldn’t learn Sun Breathing, he would go to Mt.
Fujikasane, find a user of a standard breathing style, and take an easier elemental style from them.
When it came to his sister joining the fight against demons, Tanjiro’s first instinct was to refuse.
He was training like his life depended on it specifically so his family wouldn’t get hurt.
Now, Nezuko was trying to jump straight into danger.
“But I feel exactly the same way you do, big brother!
I want to protect our family too.
I don’t want you and Shiro facing all the danger alone.”
Tanjiro took a deep breath, a warm smile spreading across his face.
“In that case, let’s work as hard as we can together.
We absolutely can’t let Shiro down.”
“Right!”
Leaning against the wall outside, Shiro listened to the siblings’ conversation.
Turning to the person next to him, he asked with a slight grin, “Nezuko wants to learn a breathing style now.
Aren’t you worried, Father?”
Standing right beside him was Tanjuro.
Hearing Shiro’s question, he smiled and replied calmly, “Aside from Tanjiro and Nezuko, you are also my child, Shiro.
I worry about your safety just as much.”
“But it doesn’t matter.
When the time comes, I will step in!”
Tanjuro’s smiling face suddenly changed.
A massive, suffocating wave of killing intent erupted from him.
It wasn’t aimed at Shiro, but rather at Muzan Kibutsuji and any demon that threatened his family.
Sensing the sudden burst of pressure from Tanjuro, Shiro adjusted his breathing and said lightly, “That’s good to hear.
While I’m away, make sure Tanjiro gets plenty of rest.
Without my Kaidō to heal him, his body will break down really fast if he keeps training like this.”
Tanjuro nodded, reining in his murderous aura until he looked like a frail, gentle charcoal burner once again.
“I’ll probably be gone for about ten days…”
After promising the younger kids that he would bring back souvenirs, Shiro officially left the mountain town where he had spent the last two months.
Because running around during the day using Shunpo would look incredibly suspicious to ordinary people, and he couldn’t just leave his body behind to travel as a soul, Shiro stuck to the dirt paths.
Holding a map he bought in town, he headed toward Mt.
Natagumo.
Only at night–the time when demons came out–would he speed up and use Shunpo to cover long distances.
*I just hope Rui has already set up his home on Mt.
Natagumo.
I’d hate for this to be a wasted trip,* Shiro thought, reaching into his massive, human-sized backpack to pull out a rice ball that was literally the size of half his head.
Before he left, Nezuko and Kie were worried he would starve on the road, so they packed a huge amount of these giant rice balls.
Because of that, he didn’t have to worry about food at all.
*Wait a second…
is this forest even on the map?
Did I take a wrong turn?*
Even without using his special footwork, Shiro walked much faster than a normal person.
Yet, as he looked at the map from every angle, he couldn’t find this specific forest anywhere.
*Let’s fly up and check.
A higher view means I can see further; maybe I can find the way back to the main highway.*
Shiro launched himself into the air, looking down to survey the massive forest below.
*Just how deep into the woods did I walk?
I can’t even see the end of it.*
Shiro dropped back down to the ground, rubbing his temples as a headache started coming on.
He began to suspect he had accidentally walked into an illusion–something like Kyōka Suigetsu.
Otherwise, how could someone with his tracking skills get completely lost?
To test his theory, Shiro closed his eyes and let out a massive wave of his spiritual pressure.
*Crack!*
The surrounding scenery instantly shattered like a mosaic, twisting and changing right before his eyes.
“As expected, there really was a little rat hiding in the shadows.
Living a peaceful life has made me a bit sloppy,” Shiro muttered.
“Come forth, Death March!”
Shiro slowly drew his Zanpakutō, a thick aura of killing intent bursting from him.
Infused with his spiritual energy, which had multiplied after his Shikai release, the heavy pressure bore down directly on the source of the distortion.
*Shatter!*
The sound of breaking glass echoed in Shiro’s ears.
Immediately, the environment changed.
It was still a forest, but the colors were incredibly dark and gloomy.
Aside from midday when the sun was directly overhead, this place was locked in a perpetual twilight–the perfect environment for creatures that burned in the sunlight.
“You…
what on earth are you?
Not only can you fly, but you forcefully broke my Blood Demon Art with just your pressure!”
A trembling, terrified female voice came from deep within the trees.
Crushed by Shiro’s massive spiritual pressure, the speaker sounded incredibly weak and out of breath.
Shiro locked his gaze onto the source of the sound.
A female demon wearing a purple, fur-lined kimono was huddled against a tree trunk, two small horns growing from her forehead.
Her hands were curled into fists in front of her chest as she stared at Shiro with intense caution and absolute terror.
Etched clearly into her right eye was a distinct kanji: Lower Four.
Shiro stared at Mukago for a moment, a sharp, lethal glint flashing in his eyes.
Managing to catch Lower Four and Lower Five in one go–what else could you call this?
Talk about protagonist luck.
Terrified by the sudden spike in Shiro’s killing intent, Mukago let out a sharp shriek, her legs stepping backward completely on their own.
[Total Bonus Chapters Achieved: 0]
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