"That's perfect!" Shin Arashi said.
"Really? Thank you, Senior!" Tanjiro replied eagerly. "Please take care of me from now on. My name is Tanjiro Kamado, but you can just call me Tanjiro!"
Tanjiro clearly didn't expect someone like Shin Arashi to join him, and it made him visibly excited. With Shin Arashi on their side, his sister Nezuko would be much safer.
"Shin Arashi," he replied simply, looking at Tanjiro with a calm expression.
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Afterward, Shin Arashi accompanied Tanjiro to find a place to bury his family. Tanjiro and Nezuko offered a simple tribute, while Shin stood quietly in the distance, respectfully giving them space.
Tanjiro's family had lived an ordinary life. His father passed away early due to illness when Tanjiro was still young, leaving the family to be supported by their mother and Tanjiro, the eldest son. But now, that quiet life had been shattered in an instant—and the only surviving member of his family, Nezuko, had become a demon.
Even though Nezuko no longer tried to eat people, it didn't change the painful truth: she was no longer human.
These thoughts weighed heavily on Tanjiro, and it was the kind-hearted Shin Arashi who helped him dig the graves. He didn't say much about his own past but simply listened as Tanjiro shared memories of his family—small, precious moments now turned into Wounds.
After everything was done, Tanjiro brought Nezuko to Shin Arashi. He glanced at Shin carefully, noticing the clothes he was wearing clothes that had once belonged to Tanjiro's father. A wave of emotion passed through him.
"Shin-senpai, you really look like my father," Tanjiro said softly, a bit moved.
Shin blinked in surprise, then frowned. "Tanjiro, what kind of nonsense is that?"
Tanjiro chuckled and quickly explained, "You're wearing the clothes my father used to wear when he was alive… It just feels like he's here again."
Shin looked down at the outfit, clearly uncomfortable. "You couldn't find anything else for me to wear?"
He looked himself over, visibly annoyed, as if he might tear the clothes off on the spot. But after a moment of thought, he sighed—realizing now wasn't the time for complaints. For now, he just had to deal with it.
"My clothes are too small, and my brothers don't fit either. Only my father's clothes suit you. What's wrong, Shin-sempai? Do you not like my father's clothes?" Tanjiro asked, looking a bit puzzled.
Shin Arashi knew there was no point in arguing—there weren't any other options. Besides, it wasn't like he could strip down and freeze in the middle of a snowy mountain.
Seeing that Tanjiro had misunderstood his reaction, Shin Arashi quickly explained, "No, no, it's not that I dislike them. It's just... your father's clothes don't exactly suit me, that's all."
Tanjiro paused to think, then nodded and said, "There really aren't any other clothes at home. Once we get out of here, I'll find something better for you!"
Not wanting to drag the conversation out any longer, Shin Arashi urged, "Alright, enough talk—let's get moving."
Afterwards, the three—two men and one demon—set out on their journey to Sagiri Mountain to search for Urokodaki Sakonji.
To continue traveling during the day, Tanjiro went to a nearby village and returned with a bamboo basket.
"Shin-sempai, I'm back!" Tanjiro called out as he returned to where Shin-sempai and Nezuko were resting. Shin-sempai was sitting cross-legged outside a cave, and when he saw Tanjiro approaching, he gave a casual reply, "You're back."
Tanjiro nodded, setting the basket down. Shin Arashi glanced at the bamboo basket, noticing that some light was leaking out of it. He frowned and said, "Tanjiro, this bamboo basket isn't good. It's leaking too much light. Demons don't like sunlight."
(End of Chapter)