"We won... but at the cost of Nezuko."
Tanjiro's tears splashed onto his Nichirin Sword, mingling with the drying blood on the blade to form dark, crimson smears.
"I'm so sorry..." Tanjiro's voice was fractured, barely a whisper. "The only reason I've fought this long, the only reason I kept going, was to turn Nezuko back into a human..."
"Kamado-dono... Kamado-dono..."
The three villagers he had saved patted him gently on the shoulder. "Look. Over there."
Tanjiro turned his head, his gaze landing on a figure standing amidst the morning light.
It was Nezuko.
It was really Nezuko!
Tanjiro's pupils constricted, and his breath hitched in his throat. He didn't dare blink, terrified that the scene before him was nothing more than a fragile hallucination.
Trembling, he reached out a hand, his fingers pointing toward her from a distance. His lips quivered, unable to form a coherent syllable for a long moment.
"Ne... Nezuko?"
The morning light fell across the tips of Nezuko's hair, gilding them in a soft, ethereal gold. The burns on her body had vanished. She tilted her head, watching her tear-stricken brother, her small hand clutching a white daisy. Crystals of morning dew still clung to its petals.
"G—Good... morning."
Her voice was clear and soft, like a breeze carrying the scent of dawn, drifting gently into Tanjiro's ears.
Tanjiro froze, tears still hanging from his lashes. He was utterly stunned. He couldn't believe his own ears; his reddened eyes remained locked on her as his lips trembled, speechless.
Nezuko's speech was still a bit stiff and unpracticed, but it was incredibly clear. "G—Good morning!"
This was the first time Nezuko had spoken since she had been turned into a demon. It was also the most beautiful sound Tanjiro had ever heard in his life.
He stood rooted to the spot as tears began to pour down his face in an uncontrollable surge.
Supported by the villagers, Tanjiro stumbled toward her. He reached out with shaking fingers, gently touching Nezuko's warm cheek to ensure this wasn't just a dream destined to shatter.
"Nezuko... you're okay? You're really okay?"
"I'm fine. I'm okay..." Nezuko looked at his tearful eyes and held the daisy out toward him, her own eyes curving into beautiful crescents. "Bro... Brother. Flower. For you."
"It's a miracle, isn't it?"
Overwhelmed with emotion, Tanjiro pulled her into a fierce embrace. "Yes! Thank goodness! I thought I'd lost you!"
The sunlight poured down, enveloping the two siblings in its warmth.
The Aftermath
Nezuko carried Tanjiro on her back while Genya carried Aoi, and the group made their way back toward the Swordsmith Village. Aoi watched Nezuko's silhouette walking freely in the sun and couldn't help but let her lips curl into a smile.
This is truly the best possible outcome.
At the entrance of the village, Kotetsu was waiting with Muichiro Tokito. Muichiro looked at Tanjiro and asked, "Are you alright?"
Tanjiro straightened up to thank him. "Thanks to the sword you gave me, I was able to slay the demon."
Muichiro smiled and shook his head. "It's thanks to you that I was able to regain something very important."
Aoi stared at Muichiro's smile in total shock. Having known him for a while, she was used to his cold, detached demeanor. Those eyes, usually as stagnant as a still pond, rarely reflected such soft light, let alone a genuine smile like this.
Tanjiro, meanwhile, looked completely confused. "But I didn't really do anything?"
"It doesn't matter. Thank you, truly."
Suddenly, Aoi felt a wave of murderous intent washing over them. She snapped her head up and saw Hotaru Haganezuka standing atop the stone steps at the village entrance.
"Where is my sword?"
"Did you break it?! Did you break my masterpiece?!" Haganezuka's eyes were bloodshot as he began chasing Tanjiro all over the village.
Mitsuri Kanroji's voice called out from the distance. "Everyone! Is everyone okay?!"
She threw herself toward the group, weeping openly. "Thank goodness! We won! We actually won!"
She was crying and laughing at the same time, her voice thick with the relief of a survivor. "I thought... I thought we were going to lose! I'm so glad everyone is safe. And Nezuko-chan can stand in the sun! It's wonderful!"
Aoi scanned the area but didn't see Giyu Tomioka anywhere. "Mitsuri, did Giyu-san not come back with you?"
Mitsuri shook her head. "Tomioka-san and Shinazugawa-san have already headed back. They said they needed to bring the news of the Upper Moons' defeat back to the Butterfly Mansion and report to Oyakata-sama immediately."
"My brother was here too?" Genya's head snapped up, a hint of nervous tension in his voice.
Mitsuri nodded. "Yes, but he's already left."
Genya's brow furrowed slightly before he relaxed, letting out a muffled, "Oh."
Aoi looked at the disappointed Genya and sighed inwardly. She understood that awkward feeling—wanting to be close to someone but being too prideful or stunted to make the move. She patted his shoulder gently. "It's okay. You'll see him again next time."
Genya nodded silently.
After resting in the village for a few days to recover, the group prepared to depart.
As the early morning sun crested the rooftops of the village, their packs were already lined up on the flagstone road.
After Tanjiro and Aoi said their goodbyes to the Village Chief, Aoi spotted Hotaru Haganezuka hiding nearby. She smiled and shouted at the top of her lungs, "Haganezuka-san! Why are you hiding? Since you're here, come out and see us off!"
Haganezuka walked over awkwardly. "I'll keep forging your sword. Just wait for me at the Butterfly Mansion!"
"You're willing to fix it for me? Thank you!" Tanjiro beamed.
"Hmph... hmph..." Haganezuka's voice was as low as a mosquito's buzz, but his ears were turning a deep shade of red. He looked away stubbornly, his hand tightening around the smithing hammer at his waist. "I'm not 'helping' you fix it! It's just that my blade cannot be left broken in the hands of some useless brat!"
"Oh look, Haganezuka-san is being shy again!" Aoi teased.
Haganezuka's face turned beet-red instantly. He glared at Aoi but couldn't find a single word to fire back. Finally, he turned his embarrassment into rage and roared at Tanjiro, "What are you standing there for?! Get moving already!"
Aoi leaned in and whispered softly into his ear, "Haganezuka-san, you're actually really handsome, you know!"
Before he could react, she and Tanjiro sprinted off toward the village exit.
"You brat!" Haganezuka's furious roar exploded behind them, thick with exasperated embarrassment.
The Infinity Castle
At that very moment, Muzan Kibutsuji was viewing the world through Hantengu's final memories, and he saw Nezuko.
"A demon who can walk in the sun... I've finally found it..." he murmured to himself.
Hundreds of years of obsession, centuries of searching—all the blood shed and effort spent trying to conquer the sun had finally found its target.
"Finally, I can escape this cursed darkness!" A nearly manic ecstasy swirled within his crimson pupils. Centuries of patience and plotting condensed into a single, predatory fixation the moment he saw Nezuko bathed in the sunlight.
"I will have you, Nezuko!"