CHAPTER 74: CHAPTER 74: ASTONISHING

Kamado Tanjiro!

Sosuke gazed at him, his expression inevitably complex.

Kanae immediately noticed Sosuke’s unusual reaction. She gently squeezed his hand, bringing him back to his senses. He nodded slightly.

"This is my new disciple," Urokodaki said.

Urokodaki spoke up, "As for these two..."

He glanced at Sosuke and Kanae. "One is a swordsmith from Swordsmith Village, and the other is a swordsman from the Demon Slayer Corps."

"Oh, oh!"

Tanjiro immediately nodded. "Welcome!"

Sosuke nodded. "I’m Tetsu no Sosuke, and this is Kocho Kanae."

"Sosuke-san! Kanae-san!" the boy exclaimed loudly, his face beaming with a radiant smile.

Yet for some reason, Sosuke felt a pang of unease as he looked at that smile. The deeper the smile, the greater his self-reproach.

’If I had tried harder to find their family sooner... would the outcome have been different?’

And that wasn’t all. How long had it been since that incident? A week? A month? Sosuke didn’t dare to dwell on it.

He gently rubbed his face, forcing himself to regain composure, and asked Urokodaki, "Has this child been training with you all along?"

"I already told you, he only arrived recently," Urokodaki said. "Giyu sent him to me a month and a half ago."

Sosuke nodded.

Then Urokodaki continued, "There’s another matter I need your understanding on."

As he spoke, he looked particularly at Kanae.

Kanae looked puzzled. "What is it?"

"Tanjiro’s sister is also here," Urokodaki said. "However, she has transformed into a demon."

Kanae instinctively tightened her grip on her Nichirin Blade, and the atmosphere instantly grew tense.

Tanjiro sensed the shift in the air, his eyes filling with worry.

Kanae spoke softly, "A demon?"

Urokodaki nodded.

Kanae paused. "She’s still alive?"

"Alive," Urokodaki confirmed. "But she’s currently in a deep slumber."

"Then I need a reason," Kanae said quietly. "A reason why you’ve kept a demon alive this long without slaying it."

"Because... because she’s my sister!" Tanjiro stepped forward. "She won’t hurt anyone. Please believe me."

Kanae glanced at him but remained silent.

Such simple words were clearly insufficient to convince her. Though gentle, she held firm to her principles. The fact that she was standing here, awaiting a reasonable explanation instead of immediately slaying the demon, was already her greatest concession.

Sosuke sighed. "Did Tomioka introduce Tanjiro? Does he know about this demon?"

"Yes," Tanjiro nodded. "He knows."

Sosuke nodded. "Tomioka, Urokodaki—a former Water Pillar and the current Water Pillar. If neither of them has slain this demon, there must be a compelling reason. Please explain!"

"She’s very special," Urokodaki said earnestly, taking no offense at Sosuke’s words. "What I’m currently trying to do is get her to see humans as family, to protect them and slay demons. My confidence in this endeavor stems from witnessing her personally attack other demons to protect Tanjiro. Now that she’s in a deep slumber, I believe this goal is highly achievable."

"She once protected you?" Kanae asked, turning to Tanjiro.

Tanjiro nodded.

Kanae suddenly smiled. "This reason is far more convincing than simply saying, ’She’s my sister.’"

"Huh?" Tanjiro blinked in surprise.

Then he heard Kanae ask, "There’s one more thing I’d like to know."

"Please, ask anything," Tanjiro replied immediately.

"Has she ever eaten a human?" Kanae’s voice suddenly deepened.

Tanjiro immediately shook his head. "No! I can guarantee it!"

Kanae nodded. "Understood!"

"You promise not to kill her?" Tanjiro’s face lit up with joy.

Kanae shook her head. "Not that I won’t kill her, but that I won’t kill her now. A demon who hasn’t eaten humans and has protected her own brother... While your word as her relative isn’t enough to fully convince me, the testimonies of two generations of Water Pillars leave me no choice but to believe. Therefore, my initial assessment is that although she’s a demon, she still retains her humanity and familial bonds. Most importantly, she has no blood debt on her hands. For now, I can spare her life. As for what happens next, I’ll observe and judge with my own eyes!"

"Thank you!!!" Tanjiro bowed deeply, his voice ringing with gratitude.

Kanae glanced at Sosuke, blinked in surprise, and then turned back to Tanjiro. "You must understand," she said, "that if I ever determine she poses a threat, I will show her no mercy and strike her down without hesitation!"

"I understand!" Tanjiro said. "But I believe in Nezuko. She will never disappoint you!"

Kanae couldn’t help but smile softly. "Then I’ll just have to wait and see."

At that moment, Urokodaki suddenly spoke up. "There are no spare rooms here. Will it be a problem for you two to share?"

Kanae, who had been so composed just moments before, flushed crimson. She glanced awkwardly at Sosuke and saw that he looked equally flustered.

"If there’s a problem," Urokodaki declared loudly, "one of you can sleep outside."

"No, no problem at all!" Sosuke quickly replied. "Sharing a room is fine... right?"

He glanced at Kanae, and as he trailed off with that hesitant "right?", he gently hooked his finger around hers.

Kanae’s face burned as red as the sunset. She looked up at the sky, pretending not to hear, and said nothing.

"Hmm, then it’s settled." Urokodaki nodded, turning to survey his small hut.

It really wasn’t very big, and there were no spare rooms. This wasn’t about helping or hindering.

Meanwhile, Tanjiro’s eyes widened, sparkling as he stared at Sosuke and Kanae. "So, you two are... that kind of relationship?! This is... truly astonishing!!"

Sosuke instinctively wanted to feel smug. Having such a wonderful wife, a little pride seemed justified, right?

But then he paused, something feeling off. "What do you mean ’astonishing’?"

It didn’t sound like a compliment.