A century later, Ren often recalled this day, asking himself: If given another chance, would he make the same choice?
…
"Is this the place the Kasugai Crow mentioned?"
Two young Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen trekked through a forest.
"Yes, according to the crow's intel, a demon's been spotted nearby. Stay sharp."
They scanned their surroundings warily. Suddenly, a rustle came from a nearby thicket.
Exchanging a glance, they crept closer.
As they approached, faint, eerie sounds reached their ears.
"Hiss…"
A beastlike growl, mingled with the crunch of gnawing bones.
One of them cautiously parted the bushes, revealing a shocking sight.
A monstrous creature crouched over a corpse, devouring it. Sensing their presence, it lifted its head, glaring at the two.
Its mouth dripped with unswallowed flesh, its face smeared with blood. Spotting the Corps members, it crouched low, baring fangs, tense as a wild beast.
"Demon!"
"Wind Breathing, Second Form: Claws-Purifying Wind!"
"Water Breathing, First Form: Water Surface Slash!"
The two attacked in unison, their coordination seamless, striking from both sides.
The creature, caught off guard, had its head severed by their sudden assault.
Its head flew high, then crashed to the ground, its face frozen in a ferocious snarl.
Sheathing their blades, the two surveyed the mangled corpse the demon had been eating, their expressions grim. "We were too late."
The other's eyes widened, noticing something. "This person the demon killed… they were from the Corps!"
"What?"
The other clenched his fists.
On the ground lay a broken Nichirin Blade, likely left from the slain Corps member's fight with the demon.
They hadn't been strong enough, dying at the demon's hands, becoming its meal.
"If only we'd arrived sooner," the Water Breathing user said, his face heavy with guilt.
His companion patted his shoulder. "Don't dwell on it. By killing this demon, we've saved others from its claws."
Comforted, the boy's expression softened.
But as he glanced at the demon's corpse, his brow furrowed. "Why hasn't its body vanished?"
"Hm?"
His companion realized the anomaly.
Normally, a demon's body disintegrated immediately after decapitation, but this one's corpse remained intact.
Its severed head lay at the boy's feet.
The Water Breathing user looked down, locking eyes with the demon.
In that instant, an indescribable sensation gripped him. From the demon's gaze, he caught a flicker of mockery and amusement.
Swish!
Without hesitation, the boy drew his blade, slashing at the head again.
But something unbelievable happened. As his Nichirin Blade touched the demon's head, a cacophony of crow caws erupted around them.
In the next moment, a staggering sight unfolded: the demon's head and body dissolved into a flock of crows, scattering into the sky.
The bizarre spectacle left the novice Corps members stunned.
They stared, wide-eyed, at the crows swirling above, their faces etched with shock and confusion, unsure how to react to this surreal event.
"What… are these things?" the boy muttered, his voice laced with fear and bewilderment.
No one answered. Only the relentless cawing of crows echoed through the air.
The crows didn't disperse. Instead, they circled overhead, gradually converging on a single branch, as if drawn by some unseen force.
As they gathered, a humanlike figure miraculously took shape.
This figure was utterly unlike the monstrous creature from before.
Tall and lithe, he stood like a pine defiant in the wind. Silver-red hair cascaded like a waterfall, swaying in the breeze. Most striking were his crimson eyes, etched with eerie patterns that seemed to pull the soul into an inescapable abyss with a single glance.
"Only two small fry?"
Ren looked down at the Corps members, murmuring, "This commotion wasn't enough to lure a Hashira."
"The demon… regenerated?!" the two exclaimed, gaping at Ren.
Ren frowned. "One Water Breathing, one Wind Breathing. Not even a Thunder Breathing user? Fine, I'll deal with them. No strong swordsmen here—I'll need another plan."
His gaze shifted to the Wind Breathing user. His crimson eyes gleamed, and the boy's image burned into his mind.
The Wind Breathing user's arm stiffened, then, against his will, rose, slowly drawing his Nichirin Blade.
Startled, the boy felt his body betray him, moving beyond his control.
"Watch out!" he shouted.
But his arm moved faster than his voice.
His companion's face froze in shock as his arm flew off, his mind blank.
What just happened?
His partner had severed his arm.
"Argh!" the injured boy cried in agony.
"Run! I can't control my body!" the Wind Breathing user yelled, his arm rising again to strike.
The wounded boy, enduring the pain, tried to dodge, but his body grew unnaturally rigid.
Swish!
His partner's blade fell, severing his neck.
The Wind Breathing user stood frozen, staring at the scene.
What happened?
What had he done?
He'd killed his own comrade!
He turned stiffly, looking up at the eerie man, tears streaming as he roared, "What did you do to me?!"
Ren merely chuckled.
"How does it feel to kill a friend?"
"How is it, pretty exhilarating..right?"
"Don't blame others. Blame yourself for being part of the Demon Slayer Corps."