2. Tomioka Giyuu

"You be careful now." Mr. Saburo warned, his voice low and serious as he looked at the siblings.

"Okay!" Tanjiro nodded quickly, giving him a grateful smile. "We will be careful, Mr. Saburo. Thank you for letting us stay here. We really appreciate your kindness."

The old man sighed, his stern expression softening slightly as he looked at them. "Just make sure you get straight home. Don't stop anywhere on the way."

Hana bowed politely, her heart already racing with excitement to return. "We understand. Thank you again, Mr. Saburo."

After saying their goodbyes, the siblings began their journey back up the familiar mountain path.

The morning air was painfully cold, the sharp wind biting against their cheeks as thick snow crunched loudly beneath their feet. The winter storm had left a massive layer of snow that made every single step harder, but neither of them complained because their hearts were filled with absolute joy.

They were finally going to see their family again after spending the entire night away to sell charcoal in the town below.

Hana held onto the small bag she had bought from the market. Inside were candies she had carefully picked out for her siblings. She couldn't wait to see her little sister's face when she gave the sweet candies to her.

"Tanjiro," she said with a small, bright smile. "I wonder if Hanako will like the strawberry candies I bought for her. She was talking about them last week."

Tanjiro laughed softly. "Of course she will like them, Hana. You always know exactly what everyone likes."

Hana smiled happily, but the warmth in her chest disappeared suddenly as a strange shift in the wind hit her face. She froze mid-step, her eyes narrowing as her entire body went rigid.

"Hana?" Tanjiro turned back completely, confused by her sudden silence and the pale look washing over her face. "What happened? Why did you stop?"

Hana didn't answer him. Her nose twitched as she took another deep breath, trying to deny the horrific scent. Her brow furrowed deeply, her breath hitching in her throat as a terrible fear began to coil in her stomach.

"Tanjiro..I... I smell blood." She said, her voice dropping to a terrified whisper.

Tanjiro's expression changed instantly from confusion to pure shock. "What?"

"I smell it too," he whispered a second later, his own face turning completely pale as the scent reached his.

The closer they got to their home, the more the smell of blood assaulted their senses.

Snow crunched loudly under their feet as they broke into a frantic, desperate run, their breath coming in ragged gasps that tore at their throats. Hana's heart hammered wildly against her ribs, a terrible, dark dread taking deep root in her chest as she prayed with every step that they were wrong

Finally, they reached their home. Hana's heart froze.

Blood. Everywhere. It splattered across the threshold, soaked into the snow, and seeped into the wooden walls. Their mother and siblings lay still, their bodies eerily pale in the cold morning light.

Tanjiro dropped his basket, letting out a strangled cry. "No... no, no no!"

"Mother!" His voice exploded into a painful scream that echoed through the empty mountain. "Shigeru! Hanako! Takeo!" He rushed from one body to another, his hands instantly becoming covered in their blood as he desperately searched for any sign of life.

Hana stood frozen on the path, the small bag of candies slipping from her numb fingers and falling into the snow. Her hands shook violently as she stared at the scene. Her knees trembled, but she forced herself forward. She fell to her knees beside her youngest brother, her hands shaking as she touched his cold cheek.

"Mother.....everyone..." Her voice broke, tears streaming down her face. "Please wake up. Shigeru, please." Her voice cracked completely as tears flooded her eyes. "Takeo... Hanako... Mother... please answer me. Someone please say something.

Then they heard a sound.

Hana snapped her head up. Nezuko. She was alive.

Tanjiro turned instantly, scrambling over to his sister. "Nezuko!" He rushed forward and lifted her into his arms, pulling her away from the threshold. "She's alive!" His voice filled with a desperate, frantic hope that broke through his tears. "Hana, she's still breathing! She's warm! We can save her!

Relief washed over Hana, but it was fleeting. "Yes... yes, we'll take her to town. Tanjiro quick!"

They stumbled down the mountain, snow crunching beneath frantic feet. But as Nezuko stirred, Hana noticed something was off. Her sister's nails were unnaturally long, her eyes glowed red in the night, and her teeth sharpened into small fangs.

"Tanjiro, wait!" Hana's shouted but the warning came too late.

Nezuko lunged, snarling, her mouth opening with unnatural hunger.

Hana shoved Tanjiro aside just in time, locking her arms around Nezuko to restrain her. "Nezuko! It's me it's Hana! Fight it! Please, Nezuko Snap out of it. Nezuko!"

Nezuko writhed violently, claws slashing through the air.

"Hana!" Tanjiro cried, scrambling to help.

Before either could act further, a blade cut through the night air.

A man tall man appeared, he wore mismatched haori. His sword gleamed, pointed directly at Nezuko.

Hana's breath caught. She stepped in front of Nezuko, shielding both her and Tanjiro.

"Stay back, Why are you protecting it" he ordered, his voice flat and cold.

"Wait! She's not like the others! She's our sister!" She exclaimed her voice trembling with desperation.

The man's expression remained unreadable. "She's a demon."

Tanjiro stumbled forward desperately. "She hasn't hurt anyone! Please...there has to be another way!"

"Back at our house, there was another scent that I have never smelled before. That's probably the one who killed our family! It wasn't Nezuko! I don't know why she turned into something like this, but...." Hana yelled desperately.

"It's quite simple. Because her wounds were exposed to demon blood, she was turned into a demon. That's how man-eating demons multiply." He explained.

"Nezuko would never eat humans! There has to be a way. We will turn her back into human." Tanjiro stepped forward.

Snow swirled around them, silence broken only by Nezuko's dangerous growls.

"There is no way. Demons cannot become human again. Do not waste your breath on foolish delusions."

Snow fell silently around them, the tension thick enough to cut. But Hana refused to move. "If you want to hurt her... you will have to go through me first. I mean it.

The man stared Hana for a moment. Something flickered in his deep blue eyes before his expression turned cold again.

"You're reckless," he said coldly. "Neither of you understand the danger you're in."

Before Hana could even respond or blink, Nezuko disappeared from her arms in a blur of movement. Her heart dropped into her stomach. The swordsman was already standing several feet away, holding Nezuko pinning her arms behind her back with absolute ease. His sword rested dangerously close to her neck. "Stay back."

Hana's eyes widened, fear twisting in her chest. "No!" she shouted, picking up rocks from the ground and hurling them at him. He deflected them easily.

Tanjiro, realizing rocks wouldn't work, grabbed the hatchet from his belt and rushed forward, hiding his hands behind his back as he ran. He threw a rock first to distract the man, then lunged. But the swordsman simply tilted his head, dodging the flying hatchet effortlessly before striking Tanjiro down hard with the butt of his sword.

Tanjiro fell heavily into the snow, his vision blurring instantly as he fell unconscious from the massive blow. Hana rushed to his side. "Tanjiro! Stay with me!"

Nezuko snarled seeing this, The veins on her forehead bulged as she managed to kick the man, breaking free from his grip.

The swordsman instantly raised his blade, his eyes widened expecting her to attack her unconscious brother or sister to feed on them. But Nezuko did not attack them. Instead, she leaped forward and shoved Hana and Tanjiro behind her, placing her own body firmly between her siblings and the slayer. She bared her fangs at the man, growling fiercely to protect them.

The man froze completely, his deep blue eyes widening in genuine shock. He lowered his sword by a fraction, staring at the sight.  "A demon...protecting humans?"

Hana's chest heaved as she clutched Tanjiro's limp hand, looking up at the swordsman with a desperate, crying plea. "Do you see? She's still Nezuko! She's still our family! She loves us, and she wants to protect us! Please, I am begging you to see that she is different!"

Nezuko charged at the man once more, driven by her instinct to protect her family, the swordsman easily stepped aside and struck her neck with a swift, precise blow. She collapsed into the snow, completely still.

"Nezuko!" Hana yelled, dragging herself over to her sister's body.

She looked up at the tall man standing before her. Until now, she had forced herself to keep moving, but the horror of the morning finally caught up with her.

"Please, don't hurt them! I beg you. Please. They're the only family I have left. Please. Please don't take them away from me" Hana says breathing heavily standing protectively infront of her siblings, tears rolling down her face.

The swordsman stood perfectly still, watching the girl weep at his feet. His gaze held a strange, heavy intensity as he looked down at her. He had seen many people lose everything to demons, but something about this girl was entirely different. Even after her world was completely destroyed, she was still using her last bit of strength to protect her family.

"Please" she says as her knees finally gives up and she falls to the ground.

"I'm sorry to leave you behind, Hana. But please.... take care of your siblings for me, all right? Be their guardian angel."

"Nezuko, Tanjiro!" Hana shouts as her eyes shot open to see Tanjiro next to her. Nezuko was still passed out with a bamboo muzzle in her mouth, she sighed in relief as she sat up and pulled Nezuko and Tanjiro towards her protectively.

"You awake?" A voice said Hana looked up quickly, her body tensing. The swordsman was leaning against a large tree a few paces away. His arms were crossed over his chest, and his dark sword was back in its sheath.

"Take her to Urokodaki Sakonji who lives at the foot of Mt. Sagiri tell him that Giyuu Tomioka sent you both, He will know how to help you. She seems to be all right since it's cloudy now, but never let her be exposed to the sunlight."

He took a few slow steps closer to them, his boots crunching softly in the snow, before stopping just a couple of feet away from Hana. He looked down at her, his gaze lingering on her face with an intensity that made her heart skip a beat. "If you survive the mountain, perhaps your words mean something."

He knelt down slightly, bringing himself closer to her level so their eyes were locked."Do not let your sister's display of restraint go to waste. But remember this if she ever harms a human, I will return to end her life, and yours."

Hana met his gaze without looking away. Fear still gripped her chest, but beneath it was gratitude. He had spared Nezuko's life.

"Thank you, Giyuu Tomioka," she said quietly. "I won't forget your kindness. I'll never let Nezuko harm anyone. I promise you that."

For a long moment, neither of them spoke Giyuu's eyes remained fixed on hers. His face gave nothing away.

After a long silence, he spoke. "We'll see."

Then he turned away, his mismatched haori catching the wind as he leaped into the air, disappearing into the falling snow

Hana exhaled shakingly. She looked at Tanjiro, who still clutched Nezuko slightly trembling.

"We'll save her," Hana whispered, brushing Nezuko's hair from her face. "No matter what it takes... we'll save her. I won't let anything happen to you both"

And in the shadows of the trees, though unseen, Giyuu cast one last glance back at the siblings his eyes resting on the girl.