Chapter 77: The Pill Tribunal [Part 2]

"If you wish to deny this fact, the party denying it must pay a price greater than the one being denied! Do you understand?"

These words left Shinobu Kocho and Rengoku Kyojuro speechless.

Yet Shinobu Kocho still could not accept it, saying: "I don’t understand, my lord—if it were a human, letting her live would be fine, but a demon is unacceptable!"

With that, Shinobu Kocho raised his Nichirin Blade and slashed a deep gash across his own arm, blood gushing out.

Zero helplessly covered his face. Here we go again...

All that healing was wasted.

"My lord, let me prove just how ugly a demon truly is! My blood is the rarest of rare blood—no demon can resist its allure."

Then his gaze turned to Zero.

Zero knew exactly what he intended, and carried the wooden box into the room where Ubuyashiki Kagaya was.

"Forgive the intrusion."

He placed the box on the floor and opened it.

Nezuko poked her head out, looking around curiously.

Seeing Zero, she excitedly flung herself into his arms, nuzzling her head against his chest.

After soothing Nezuko, Zero looked at Shinobu Kocho and said: "Demons cannot be exposed to sunlight. Are you certain you still want to stand there bare-armed to prove your point?"

Everyone turned their gaze to Shinobu Kocho.

Shinobu Kocho felt embarrassed—he had been so focused on proving his point that he’d forgotten this.

He’d just stood there stupidly with his arm raised.

The blood on his arm had long dried into clotted stains under the sunlight and breeze.

"My lord, my apologies!" Shinobu Kocho entered the room and slashed another deep cut across his arm with his Nichirin Blade.

He extended his arm toward Nezuko.

Nezuko, held in Zero’s arms, looked utterly bewildered—glancing between Shinobu Kocho and Zero, unsure why he was doing this.

"Nezuko!" Tanjiro started to rush in, but Tomioka Giyuu grabbed him. "Trust her!"

"Mr. Tomioka..." Tanjiro looked at Nezuko again, silently shouting: "Nezuko, you can do it!"

"Zero, if you’re holding her, she won’t reveal her true nature," Shinobu Kocho said.

"Fine." Zero set Nezuko down, patted her head, pointed at Shinobu Kocho, and said: "Nezuko, it’s up to you."

He then stepped aside.

Though confused, Nezuko followed Zero’s instruction, walking up to Shinobu Kocho and grabbing his hand.

Just as everyone expected her to reveal her demonic nature, Nezuko placed Shinobu Kocho’s hand on top of her own head.

Her eyes curved into crescent moons.

Nezuko thought Shinobu Kocho was reaching out to pat her head.

Seeing his wounded arm wrapped in his sleeve, she extended her own arm and gently patted his head too.

As if to say: "Pat pat, it doesn’t hurt."

Everyone watching found this utterly unbelievable.

Even Ubuyashiki Kagaya found it astonishing.

Shinobu Kocho, seeing this, was reminded of his younger siblings in childhood—always wanting him to pat their heads.

After finishing, Nezuko ran back to Zero and wrapped both arms tightly around his waist.

"Under these circumstances, it’s clear Nezuko won’t harm humans."

Ubuyashiki Kagaya’s voice brought everyone back to reality.

"Tanjiro, even now, there will be those who resent Nezuko’s existence—you must prove yourself!"

"From this day forward, Tanjiro and Nezuko shall fight as members of the Demon Slayer Corps, offering their strength."

Hearing this, Tanjiro immediately knelt before Ubuyashiki Kagaya.

"What is this feeling? So light... Hearing his voice, my head feels weightless, wonderfully surreal!" Tanjiro thought.

"Defeat the Twelve Kizuki, and others will recognize you—your words will carry weight!"

"Yes! My sister and I will slay Muzan Kibutsuji! My sister and I will surely wield our blades to break the chains of sorrow!"

Tanjiro was brimming with passion, his voice ringing with grand resolve, as if his body overflowed with power.

But the next words from Ubuyashiki Kagaya and Zero made him want to crawl into a crack in the floor.

Ubuyashiki Kagaya: "Tanjiro, you’re not ready yet. First, defeat one of the Twelve Kizuki."

Zero: "Tanjiro, forget Muzan Kibutsuji—for now, can you even decapitate a Lower Moon demon? Hehe."

Thud.

"Yes... I... I understand..."

Tanjiro’s face turned as red as a monkey’s rear, utterly embarrassed.

His earlier fiery, heroic speech had been doused like a bucket of ice water.

The other Pill users all kept their heads down, shoulders trembling as they barely held back laughter.

Mitsuri Kanroji: No... no no... I can’t laugh!

Rengoku Kyojuro: Hmm, I was prepared for this.

Uzui Tengen: So ungraceful.

Shinobu Kocho: What are they laughing at?

After this brief interruption, Ubuyashiki Kagaya spoke: "The Pill users of the Demon Slayer Corps are pillars of strength, forged through grueling trials, constantly teetering on the edge of life and death, to reach the Twelve Kizuki."

"That is why the Pill users enjoy the highest privileges—Tanjiro, you must be more careful with your words."

"Yes, I understand," Tanjiro replied.

"And Shinobu Kocho, Kanao—stop bullying the lower-ranked children."

Shinobu Kocho / Kanao: "Yes, my lord."

"Tanjiro’s matter is concluded. You may withdraw. The Pill Meeting is about to begin."

"Then, we at Butterfly House will take charge of Sanemi Tanjiro for a while," Kanao said, clapping her hands. Behind her, Goto and another Insect Division member rushed out.

Goto bowed deeply to the Pill users and Ubuyashiki Kagaya, then grabbed Tanjiro by the back of his robe and bolted away.

"Sorry about that earlier!!"

The other Insect Division member bowed respectfully to Zero: "Zero Pill Master, please entrust her to me."

"Hmm." Zero lowered his head to soothe Nezuko, pointed at the wooden box, and said: "See you tonight."

Nezuko obediently shrank her body and slipped into the box. The Insect Division member slung it onto his back and swiftly departed.

As everyone prepared to move to Butterfly House for the Pill Meeting, Tanjiro suddenly turned back and ran again.

Even as the two Insect Division members punched and kicked him, he refused to stop.

He hugged a wooden pillar and shouted: "Wait! I’m going to headbutt that hedgehog-haired bastard! He wanted to hurt Nezuko—and he insulted my sensei, Rengoku! Isn’t headbutting him allowed under the rules...?"

"Shut up right now!!!"

"Shut up! Shut up! Let go of it!!!"

Shinobu Kocho, who had just picked up a small stone to teach Tanjiro a painful lesson, noticed Zero had appeared behind Tanjiro without warning.

In his hand was a strange black object, emitting a faint "zzzt" sound of blue electric arcs.

He pressed it directly against Tanjiro’s back.

"I’m definitely going to headbutt that hedgehog—aaah! Ooooh!" Tanjiro, still unaware of the danger, was instantly paralyzed by the shock.

"Thank you two. Take him away," Zero said with a smile.

"Yes, Zero Pill Master!"

Goto immediately slung Tanjiro over his shoulder and fled as if escaping a demon.

As Tanjiro, slung over Goto’s shoulder, opened his mouth to speak, the Insect Division member punched him square in the nose.

"Shut your mouth! Don’t say another word!"

"Zero Pill Master is angry! He’s never been angry with us lower-ranked members before!"

"Pill Masters are terrifyingly strong!"

"I nearly pissed myself!"

"Apologize! Apologize now!!"

Tanjiro: "S-sorry..."

After Tanjiro and the Insect Division members left, Zero noticed the strange looks from the Pill users.

He casually returned the [Taser] to his [Nanospace], speaking in a bright, gentle tone: "Don’t worry—it won’t harm the body. Of course, if anyone has trouble sleeping, I’d be happy to help them with it. No need to be polite."

Some Pill users, like Uzui Tengen, immediately shook their heads, declining—and wondered what they might have done to offend Zero recently.

Kanao was already thinking about how to apologize to Zero.

Shinobu Kocho instantly sheathed his Nichirin Blade—he was hot-tempered, but not stupid.

Shinobu Kocho casually tossed away the small stone in his hand, pretending nothing had happened.

[What’s that bird called up there?]

Now, everyone had rediscovered another side of Zero—just as cunning as Kanao.

No one knew who he’d learned this from...

As for Kanae and Mitsuri Kanroji, they weren’t worried at all—Zero was their husband.

He treated them both with tender, thoughtful care.

Of course, he treated the Kamado family the same way.

"Alright, children, let’s continue our Pillar Meeting. Zero, stop scaring my children." Ubuyashiki Yōsuke quickly spoke up to defuse the situation.

“Understood.”

…………

“Is anyone here?” A member of the Hidden Division carried Tanjiro into Butterfly House and called out inside.

Seeing no response, he left the building and circled around to look.

In the courtyard, he saw Kanao Tsuyuri standing at the edge of a small pond, several butterflies fluttering around her.

“That one seems to be a ‘Successor’—her name is… Kanao Tsuyuri.”

“What’s a ‘Successor’?” Tanjiro asked.

“A Successor is a disciple personally trained by a Pillar. Only those with exceptional talent are chosen,” Goto explained.

But Tanjiro saw her face—and felt he had seen her before.

Only then did he remember: she had been his fellow candidate during the same Fujibayashi Mountain examination.

If he had noticed last night who had kicked him in the head, he wouldn’t have been so surprised.

“Hello, we’ve come here on Lady Butterfly’s orders. May we enter?” Goto asked.

Kanao Tsuyuri said nothing, maintaining her smile.

“Um… may we come in…?” Goto, unsure, hesitated.

While he hesitated, a loud voice rang out from behind: “Who are you? What are you doing here?!”

Turning around, they saw a girl in nursing attire with twin braids.

Shinazugawa Aoi, Butterfly House’s nurse.

“No, it’s not… we’re here on Lady Butterfly’s orders…”

“Are you from the Hidden Division? Is there an injured person? Bring him over here!”

Shinazugawa Aoi appeared before them from behind, moving too fast to follow.

“So fast…”

Following Shinazugawa Aoi, they entered the ward.

Outside the ward, Tanjiro heard loud crying and shouting from inside.

The voice was unmistakably Zenitsu’s.

“Five times?! Five times a day?! And I have to drink this for three months straight?!”

“Aaaahhh!!! No! Help me!!!”

Hearing this, Shinazugawa Aoi stormed into the ward, roaring: “Shut up! Be quiet! I’ve told you a hundred times—if you don’t drink your medicine properly, I’ll tie you down! Honestly…”

Then, without looking back, she left to check on other patients.

Zenitsu, terrified by the shout, curled up under the covers, sobbing and refusing to show his face.

“Zenitsu…”

Hearing the familiar voice, Zenitsu peeked out and saw Tanjiro.

“Are you okay? How did you get hurt? Did you go into the mountain…?”

“Tanjiro… Waaah!! Listen, I got bitten by a stinking spider and got poisoned… I I… that girl just now was terrifying…”

Shinazugawa Aoi, not far away, turned and glared at Zenitsu.

Zenitsu trembled violently under her gaze.

“Zenitsu, where’s Inosuke? And Mr. Murata?”

“I don’t know about Murata, but Inosuke is right next door.” Zenitsu pointed to the next bed, where Inosuke lay wearing his boar mask.

“Inosuke?! I’m glad you’re alright!”

Inosuke gave no reply, lying quietly on the bed, filled with gloom.

It was just hard to tell because of the mask.

Goto: “Hey! Don’t wipe your snot on me, you bastard!!”

After the battle at Mt. Spider, all of Tanjiro’s group suffered injuries of varying severity.

Tanjiro: multiple abrasions on face, legs, and arms; muscle strains and tears.

Zenitsu: most severe condition—hands and feet shrunken and paralyzed, left hand spasming.

Inosuke: damaged throat and vocal cords; multiple fractures.

Nezuko: severe sleep deprivation.

…………

Night fell.

After the Pillar Meeting at Butterfly House ended, Zero arrived at Tanjiro’s ward to visit them.

“Good evening, Tanjiro.”

“Zero-brother, good evening. Why are you here?”

“I’ve come to take Nezuko to reunite with your family. Once you’ve recovered, you can join us.”

“Really? Thank you, Zero-brother.”

Zenitsu stared at Zero, remembering the person who had saved him last night.

The figures matched perfectly—and a wave of disappointment washed over him.

“Why wasn’t it a girl? A girl would’ve been so much better…” Zenitsu muttered.

But Zero couldn’t possibly have missed that.

He turned to Shinazugawa Aoi, who was changing another patient’s bandages, and said: “Aoi, double Zenitsu’s dosage.”

“Yes, Zero… Zero Pillar-sama.” Shinazugawa Aoi blushed involuntarily at Zero’s voice.

“Huh?! Waaahhh! No! Zero-brother, I’m sorry! That medicine is really bitter…”

“Shut up and be quiet!” Shinazugawa Aoi shouted.

After exchanging a few more words with Tanjiro, he slung his wooden box onto his back and returned to his estate.

…………