Chapter 63: The Anguish of Despair

Suddenly Tanjiro discovered Nezuko's figure was not among them. A faint glimmer of hope flashed in his heart.

"Nezuko! Nezuko!"

He stumbled to his feet and rushed into the rooms inside the house. Tanjiro's movements grew increasingly hurried, and the panic in his eyes deepened gradually.

Finally, he came to the door of the backyard. Tanjiro reached out and pulled open the door; the next moment, his body froze in place as if struck by lightning.

Under the moonlight, a pitch-black monster was holding Nezuko. The monster lowered its head, its fangs deeply sunk into Nezuko's shoulder, constantly gnawing at Nezuko's body.

Tanjiro's pupils suddenly contracted. He saw Nezuko's chest still rising and falling faintly; she was still alive, but her eyes had lost their former luster, becoming hollow and dim.

At this moment, Nezuko slowly turned her head, her gaze meeting Tanjiro's. Her lips moved slightly, silently uttering two words:

"Run."

At this moment, it seemed as if something inside Tanjiro snapped. Rage erupted in his chest like a volcano, and his reason was instantly devoured completely.

"Aaaaaah!!" Tanjiro let out a heart-rending roar.

He charged at the monster, bending down midway to grab a stone, and fiercely smashed it toward the monster's head.

"Bang!" A dull thud sounded as the stone heavily struck the back of the monster's head.

The monster's movement suddenly paused, stopping its gnawing. It slowly stood up and turned its head.

When the monster stood fully upright, an invisible pressure surged toward him; this monster was more than twice his height, its huge body almost filling the entire door frame.

"My appetite's been ruined, you rude little brat! Didn't your mother teach you not to disturb others while they're eating!!!"

As soon as the words fell, the monster suddenly raised one leg and fiercely kicked toward Tanjiro.

Tanjiro didn't even have time to react before feeling a tremendous force strike his chest. His body was instantly flung away, passing through the wooden wall like a fallen leaf, flying out of the house.

Tanjiro heavily fell onto the snow, rolling several times in the cold snow before stopping.

The monster strode to Tanjiro's front, its thick arm extending out, grabbing Tanjiro's chest in one grip and lifting him up, carefully sizing up his face.

"Come to think of it, you seem to look like this family; no way, could you be their family?"

Tanjiro painfully opened his eyes, seeing the monster's hideous face right before him.

The monster suddenly let out a bone-chilling laugh, bringing its mouth to Tanjiro's ear and saying:

"Haha, let me tell you, your sister really tastes good. I'm very satisfied!"

This sentence was like a sharp knife, instantly piercing Tanjiro's heart. He widened his eyes, and tears uncontrollably welled up.

"Ah!"

Tanjiro suddenly threw back his head and roared, using all his strength to slam into the monster's chin.

"Crack!"

A crisp sound rang out especially clearly in the silent night sky. The monster's chin was knocked to one side by this sudden impact.

"You damn brat!" the monster roared.

A flash of brutal light crossed its eyes, and it easily lifted Tanjiro over its head like waving a stalk of straw.

Tanjiro hadn't had time to react before feeling a tremendous force suddenly press him downward.

"Boom!"

Tanjiro's body heavily slammed onto the hard ground. Intense pain like an electric current instantly swept through his whole body; he felt his breath catch, as if all the air in his lungs had been squeezed out by this blow.

At this moment, the monster's shadow loomed over him. That claw covered with sharp nails was raised high, gleaming with cold light.

"Die!!" the monster cackled, its claw stabbing toward Tanjiro's chest like lightning.

In this moment of life and death, images of his family's smiling faces flashed through Tanjiro's mind. "Am I going to die?" A deep sorrow and guilt surged in Tanjiro's heart. "I'm sorry, Mom, Nezuko, I didn't protect you well."

He closed his eyes, waiting for death to arrive. However, the expected pain did not come.

The next second, Tanjiro felt warm liquid splash onto his face. He suddenly opened his eyes, and the scene before him instantly froze him in place.

Grandpa Saburo was blocking him in front; the monster's claw had deeply pierced the old man's chest.

"Old thing, you really are tired of living."

Hearing the monster's words, Tanjiro widened his eyes; another person died before him, because they saved him.

An unprecedented anger erupted in his heart. His chest heaved violently, his breathing became rapid. Blood surged within him like a flash flood.

Tanjiro's gaze suddenly fell on the hatchet beside Grandpa Saburo. The hatchet slid from the old man's powerless hand, lying in a pool of blood, the blade reflecting faint moonlight.

The next moment, his body seemed driven by an invisible force; he suddenly lunged toward the hatchet beside Grandpa Saburo.

His movement was astonishingly fast; even he himself hadn't reacted yet, his hand already tightly gripping the handle.

"What?!"

The monster watched in disbelief as the boy who had been on the verge of death just now suddenly erupted with such astonishing speed and strength.

Tanjiro swung the blade; the blade edge cut through the air, emitting a piercing whistle. The monster hastily raised its arm to block, but underestimated the force of this strike.

"Pfft!"

The next instant, the hatchet had penetrated the monster's arm. Fresh blood spurted out, instantly dyeing the surrounding snow red. The monster's arm fell off with a sound; it watched its severed arm in disbelief, obviously not yet reacting to what had happened.

"How is this possible?"

The monster staggered back, staring dumbfounded at Tanjiro, as if looking at a freak.

Suddenly, a flash of wild rage crossed the monster's eyes. It roared and lunged at Tanjiro with its remaining left hand.

Tanjiro's eyes turned cold; his figure swiftly retreated. The monster's attack barely grazed the corner of his clothes, bringing a gust of wind.

In this flash of lightning and stone fire, a set of unfamiliar moves suddenly appeared in Tanjiro's mind. He gripped the hatchet, his feet slightly apart, assuming a strange stance.

"Mokuryu Kenjutsu: Shippu Zan!"

His figure instantly blurred, as if turning into a whirlwind. The hatchet drew a silver arc in the air, so fast its trajectory was almost impossible to see.

"Swish!"

With a light sound, the monster's movement stopped abruptly. Its head slowly slid down.

"Impossible!" The monster's head let out its final cry.

"Die!" Tanjiro roared, his voice filled with pain and hatred.

He swung his blade again; blade light flashed, and the monster's skull was split in two in an instant. Fresh blood spattered, dyeing the surrounding snow red.

Tanjiro turned, his gaze falling on Grandfather Saburo not far away. He walked over quickly and knelt beside the old man.

Grandfather Saburo lay in a pool of blood, his face pale, no longer breathing. Tanjiro reached out and gently closed the old man's eyes, a deep sense of guilt and sorrow surging in his heart.

"I'm sorry, Grandfather Saburo," he said in a low voice, his voice choked.

After a moment, Tanjiro stood up, his gaze turning to the backyard. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to take a step forward.

Arriving in the backyard, Tanjiro saw Nezuko lying on the ground, her body covered in wounds, her breathing faint.

Tanjiro knelt beside his sister and carefully lifted her into his arms. "Nezuko!"

Nezuko slowly opened her eyes, her gaze barely focusing on her brother's face, and with difficulty spat out two words: "Survive"

(Chapter End)