Chapter 30: Righteous Courage: I Am Not Like You

Renzhu — Ganlu Temple Miharu.

Looking at Nezuko, who had fallen into “sleep” in his arms, Zero gently stroked her face; beside him, Takeo, Shigeru, and Hanako continued to weep...

This little child had just last time laughed and chatted with him, yet now she was cut off from the world...

Gently laying her down, he draped his cloak’s hood over her and left the house alone, stepping outside into the courtyard.

A previously unseen killing intent radiated from his body! His eyes grew even more crimson! His mechanical left hand transformed into a blade, slicing a tree cleanly in two!

“Kibutsuji Muzan... He ... Originally, Xiao Yue and I planned to leave this world entirely after finding a way out—we wouldn’t care about its fate! But now...”

“I’ve changed my mind. Before I leave this world... I will exterminate every demon and all Twelve Ketsueki, then destroy you myself!!”

“Hehe...” Zero wore a wicked, insane, obsessive smile—his mind flooded with hundreds of ways to torture demons and Kibutsuji Muzan...

Just as Zero was muttering to himself, Hanako’s voice came from inside the house: “Zero-niisan! My sister... she... she’s still alive!”

Hearing this, Zero suppressed his killing intent and immediately turned back toward the house.

Inside, he found Nezuko’s breath gradually returning; as everyone rejoiced, Zero noticed something was wrong.

Though Nezuko’s breath was recovering, her wounds were healing automatically! Worse, two sharp fangs had grown in her mouth, and her fingernails had lengthened into razor-sharp claws!

He had seen this before on demons—meaning Nezuko was turning into one?!

Suddenly, Nezuko opened her eyes—but her pink irises were vacant, devoid of any discernible emotion.

“Get behind me!” Zero instantly shielded Takeo and the others with his body, drawing his scythe—but he couldn’t bring himself to strike.

“Ugh...” Nezuko slowly rose, emitting a sound, then turned her gaze toward Zero and the three children behind him—and lunged forward.

Seeing this, Zero tossed the scythe aside, appearing instantly behind Nezuko, wrapping his right arm around her waist, pinning her arms and body, while his mechanical left hand clamped over her mouth.

Nezuko struggled violently, but to Zero, her strength was like that of an infant—feeble, powerless.

“Nezuko! They are your family! Wake up!”

“Sister!” Takeo, Shigeru, and Hanako moved to help, but Zero shouted: “Don’t come near! I’ll handle it! Stay there—don’t move!!”

“Gaaahh... Ughhh...” Nezuko kept resisting, her body growing larger, her strength increasing.

Yet she could not break free from Zero’s grip.

Seeing Takeo and the others just meters away, Nezuko’s eyes revealed only one desire—the hunger for flesh.

She wanted to devour them, to regain her strength.

“Nezuko, look! They are your family! If you truly eat them, you’ll never return to who you were! Wake up! Nezuko!!”

Hanako: “Sister! Please! Fight it! I beg you—come back to us!”

Takeo/Shigeru: “Sister!”

All three cried out together.

Seeing this, Zero’s mind flashed again with a strange, hazy memory: a woman holding an infant, singing a lullaby, as the baby gradually drifted to sleep...

This memory felt familiar, warm—but he couldn’t recall where he’d seen it.

“Only one option left...”

He took a deep breath, calming himself, then began mimicking the lullaby from that hazy memory.

The evening glow over the sea, like a child’s painting?

Spread across the sky, waiting for seagulls to carry it away?

The distant sail battered by wind and waves?

Yet never fearing pain for the sake of dreams?...

Zero sang the song in his original tongue; Takeo and the others didn’t understand the words, yet felt a deep warmth.

In his arms, Nezuko’s struggles slowly calmed; she loosened her teeth from his mechanical hand, her body shrinking back to its original form.

Scenes of life with her family surfaced in her mind—memories flashing like pictures...

Zero felt Nezuko had ceased resisting; her body had returned to normal, yet trembled slightly.

He released her, stepped before her, and saw her eyes had regained some awareness—tears streamed uncontrollably.

“Waaahhh...!” Nezuko could no longer hold back—she burst into loud sobs.

She wept bitterly; Zero pulled her into his arms, gently patting her back, stroking her head: “It’s alright, Nezuko. You’ve done well. Don’t be afraid—we’re here.”

Perhaps it was Zero’s song, combined with his comfort, that calmed Nezuko; her crying stopped, though her body still trembled faintly.

Takeo, Shigeru, and Hanako joined them, embracing both Nezuko and Zero, and wept openly.

After soothing Nezuko and the three children, instructing them to care for her in a corner, Zero activated his [Analytical Glasses] to scan Nezuko’s current data.

【Analyzing... Analysis complete】

【Name: Nezuko—Female】

【Age: 12】

【Status: Demonized】

【Father: Kamado Tanjirou (Deceased)】

【Mother: Kamado Kie】

【Family: Kamado Tanjirou, Kamado Takeo, Kamado Shigeru, Kamado Hanako, Kamado Rokuta】

【Hobbies: Sewing】

【Note: The individual Kamado Nezuko has been infected by Kibutsuji Muzan’s blood and has become a demon! Yet she has temporarily suppressed her hunger for human flesh through her own willpower and is now free from Kibutsuji Muzan’s control!】

【Treatment Recommendation: None】

“!!!” Among these details, Zero’s eyes locked onto the most critical line: 【Free from Kibutsuji Muzan’s control】!

“So Nezuko is now free from Kibutsuji Muzan’s control—just like Juu Shi ?!”

Moreover, from her behavior just now, she seemed to have suppressed her hunger for human flesh!

“Will this last? Or is it only temporary? If temporary, what then?”

Just as Zero was at a loss, Nezuko crawled over, gazing at him with a dazed, innocent expression.

Seeing this, Zero reached out and touched her face; Nezuko’s eyes curved into crescents, her two small fangs visible as she smiled.

Like a kitten, she nuzzled affectionately against his hand.

Though Nezuko was now a demon, she looked undeniably cute.

Zero smiled faintly: “Nezuko, don’t worry—I’ll find a way to restore you.”

Suddenly, Juu Shi ’s image surfaced in his mind.

“Perhaps I should seek Juu Shi ’s help. And with the blood of Kibutsuji Muzan I collected this time, her research will surely advance faster!” Zero thought.

The sky had begun to lighten with dawn, but here in Cloud Snow Mountain, thick clouds obscured the sun.

For safety, Zero still draped the cloak’s hood over Nezuko—demons could not endure sunlight.

“Strange... Where’s Tanjirou?” Only now did Zero realize someone was missing—he’d been too distracted by the battle with Kibutsuji Muzan and what followed.

“Brother...” Takeo began speaking, when Tanjirou’s voice rang from outside.

“Aaaahhh!!! This... this... Why did this happen!?!”

Tanjirou had spent the night resting at old Sanro’s house at the mountain’s base, rising before dawn with his axe and sprinting up Cloud Snow Mountain.

Last night, while sleeping, he’d heard strange cannon-like booms echoing from the mountain—awakening him.

The sounds vanished soon after, but then came a tremor! Though faint at the base, Tanjirou felt an unease deep in his chest.

His family was up there—he feared for their safety.

Thus, sleepless all night, Tanjirou ignored Sanro’s warnings and insisted on climbing the mountain.

Reluctantly, Sanro relented, telling him before he left: “If you need help, call out.”

Tanjirou thanked Sanro and ran without pause up the mountain.

Halfway up, he found a vast stretch of fallen trees and melted snow.

Forced to find another path.

After two hours, he finally reached home as dawn broke.

But when Tanjirou saw the scene before him, he could no longer hold back.

His home’s entrance was pockmarked with craters; trees lay shattered; a pool of blood stained the ground.

The air reeked of blood and gunpowder!

Tanjirou also smelled two other scents—one familiar, one alien—he’d never encountered the latter before.

His pupils shrank; his dread deepened—he sprinted forward.

“This... this... Why did this happen?! Why?!”

Seeing their brother return, Takeo, Shigeru, and Hanako rushed to him, embracing him tightly: “Brother! You’re back! We thought... we’d never see you again...”

“Brother... Sister... she...”

“If Zero-niisan hadn’t arrived... we all... would’ve never seen you again...”

The three wept as they poured out their grief to Tanjirou.

That night had been horrific for their family.

“Takeo, Shigeru, Hanako—you’re safe... Where’s Mother? And Nezuko and Rokuta?”

“I’m sorry, Tanjirou...” Zero led Nezuko forward, saying: “Had I arrived sooner, your sister might not have...”

Tanjirou now noticed Nezuko had changed—just as Sanro had described a demon...

“This... this... Nezuko... I’m sorry! If I hadn’t stayed at Sanro’s, if I’d been here with you... you wouldn’t have suffered this! I...”

Tanjirou grew more agitated, until his voice broke into sobs.

“Tanjirou! Calm down! Your mother and Rokuta are safe! I’ll find a way to help Nezuko too—so stop blaming yourself!”

Zero spoke up to stop him, and Tanjiro ceased crying, then knelt on the ground and said, “Big Brother Zero, thank you! Truly, thank you! If not for you, I truly wouldn’t know what to do...”

Takeo and the other two also knelt down with Tanjiro, and Zero immediately helped them up.

“Tanjiro, don’t worry—I’ll find a way to turn Nezuko back into a human! Until then, you mustn’t give up, understood?”

“Yes, Big Brother Zero!”

To prevent further incidents, Zero told Tanjiro to take care of Nezuko and the others, and informed them that Rokuta and Aunt Aoi would recover within a few hours.

He himself went to patrol the surrounding area.

“Big Brother Zero, please be careful!”

“Yeah, Zero brother, watch your safety!”

Zero smiled slightly and said, “Don’t worry—it’s just a patrol. I’ll be back soon. Tanjiro, take care of your younger siblings.”

“I will, Big Brother Zero!”

He then handed Tanjiro the pre-charged [Quantum Shield] and explained how to use it.

He also ordered his Sound Hashira crow, Snow, to wait here and report to him immediately if anything happened.

Not long after, Zero returned—and encountered someone he hadn’t expected.

The Water Pillar of the Demon Slayer Corps—Fujibayashi Giyu.

But something seemed off.

Tanjiro and his siblings knelt before Fujibayashi Giyu.

Giyu gripped Nezuko’s wrists behind her back, immobilizing her!

In one hand he held his Nichirin Blade, roaring at Tanjiro and the others: “Don’t hand over life and death to others! Don’t kneel and beg just because you’re suffering!”

“The weak have no right to choose between being robbed or robbing others!! Want to cure your sister? Find your enemy? Absurd! Ridiculous!”

“The weak have no choice at all! Even if you fight with all your strength, you’ll still be crushed by the strong! The only ones who know how to cure your sister are probably those demons—and I don’t believe they’d agree to your request!”

“Just like now—I won’t agree, and I won’t respect your plea! This is reality! Slaying demons is my duty!”

“Just a moment ago, all four of you could’ve protected her—especially you. You could’ve picked up that axe and fought me! But now? Is this how you intend to protect your family?”

Kneeling in the snow, Tanjiro and the others stared tearfully at Nezuko, then at Fujibayashi Giyu, utterly lost.

But what puzzled Giyu even more was why this little demon girl wore Zero’s hooded cloak.

Zero’s strength, among the Demon Slayer Corps Pillars, was arguably the strongest. Months ago, he and Kyojuro Rengoku had sparred with Zero—and lost.

Even Upper Moon demons had been slain by Zero alone—let alone ordinary demons or Lower Moon demons!

Unless he’d encountered the legendary demon king, Muzan Kibutsuji...

“Muzan Kibutsuji?” A bizarre, absurd thought flashed through Giyu’s mind—but it might just be true.

“If he really encountered Muzan Kibutsuji... then Zero...” Giyu felt a pang of grief. Zero was indispensable to the Demon Slayer Corps.

Not only had he lifted the curse on the Corps’ leader, but he was also the examiner for the Final Selection at Mount Kagutsuchi, injecting the Corps with far more elite “blood”!

He was also a sharp-minded man who recorded every mission detail for the Corps’ reference, drastically reducing their death rate!

Thinking of this, Giyu’s heart ached.

If that were true, Zero was likely dead.

Seeing this, Giyu raised his Nichirin Blade as if to behead Nezuko—Tanjiro immediately rose, gripping his axe. No matter what, even if he couldn’t win, he’d fight to save Nezuko!

This was exactly what Giyu wanted.

But a breeze of fragrance passed—and suddenly, the blade vanished from Giyu’s hand.

“Big Brother Zero!”

“Zero brother!” x3

Zero had just snatched Giyu’s Nichirin Blade and now stood before Tanjiro and the others, shielding them.

“Zero?! You’re alive!”

Seizing the moment, Nezuko kicked Giyu aside and rushed toward Zero and the others!

“Watch out!” Giyu shouted.

But things weren’t as Giyu expected—Nezuko stood before Zero, arms spread, protecting them.

She growled lowly, warning Giyu not to come closer.

“Nezuko.” Zero called from behind her. She turned and threw herself into his arms.

“There, there—it’s okay. He’s my friend. Just like me.”

“I’m not like you...” Giyu immediately retorted—but he didn’t mean it that way. He only felt Zero shouldn’t compare himself to Giyu, because Giyu didn’t deserve it.

Yet when Giyu said it, it sounded like mockery.

“...Uh.” Zero’s lips twitched slightly. “You haven’t changed at all, Giyu.”

Over the past year, Zero had interacted with Giyu several times and realized that though Giyu’s words sometimes annoyed people, it wasn’t his intent—he simply wasn’t good with words.

He walked up to Giyu and returned the Nichirin Blade.

“Giyu, this story’s long. I’ll tell you later.”

“Hmm.” Giyu took back his blade and sheathed it. After a moment’s thought, he realized there were many things he didn’t understand—and agreed.