Demon Slayer: Tanjiro becomes a ghost, Nezuko becomes a pillar!

Chapter 108 Crisis Escalation

Tanjiro's roar exploded like thunder in the courtyard.

At this moment, Tanjiro's flame-shaped demon mark on his forehead was so bright red that it was clearly in a demonized state.

Almost instinctively, all the pillars gripped their Nichirin Blades at their waists, and the air in the courtyard instantly froze, filled with murderous intent.

Even Giyu Tomioka, who had quietly walked up behind Obanai Iguro, froze in place.

His dark blue eyes were fixed on Tanjiro's gradually demonizing appearance, his fingers tightening slightly on the hilt of his sword, a complex hesitation flashing through his mind.

【Tanjiro...】

But the hesitation lasted only a moment; he still did not loosen his grip on the hilt of the knife.

Shinobu Kocho frowned, her slender fingers resting on the hilt of her Nichirin Blade, but she did not immediately draw it.

As she watched Tanjiro's actions, a thought flashed through her mind.

[His first reaction wasn't to pounce on Sanemi's blood, but to angrily question everyone about what they had done to Nezuko... This is completely different from a truly out-of-control demon.]

This realization slowed her down, and her eyes were filled with hesitation.

"A ghost is a ghost after all! Its nature is hard to change!"

Kyojuro Rengoku, the Flame Pillar, spoke with a booming voice, carrying an undeniable resolve.

He suddenly drew his Nichirin Blade, the blade gleaming with a fiery golden light in the sunlight. His figure was as upright as a pine tree, ready to rush forward and kill Tanjiro at any moment!

"Hmph, I thought it would be some fancy and special ghost, but it's nothing special."

Sound Pillar Uzui Tengen reached for the twin swords on his back with both hands, his tone carrying a hint of disdain.

"Since I'm going to kill him anyway, let me finish him off in style and cut off his head!"

"Aaaaaah...why did I suddenly go berserk?!"

Love Pillar Kanroji Mitsuri covered her mouth with both hands, her beautiful eyes filled with panic and reluctance.

She glanced around at her companions, subconsciously taking a step back, clearly unwilling to see this situation unfold.

"Hmm, we can kill him now."

Mist Hashira, Tokito Muichiro, maintained his indifferent expression, his tone calm and undisturbed, as if he were discussing a trivial matter.

"Amitabha... What a pity."

The rock pillar, Himejima Gyomei, clasped his hands together, his face full of sorrow, tears streaming from his turbid eyes, and the iron chain around his waist slowly slipped down, making a "clattering" sound.

Obanai Iguro still held Nezuko tightly with one hand, while with the other hand he drew the Nichirin Blade, which resembled a venomous snake, its blade curved like a snake's tongue.

He looked coldly at Midouzi, his tone full of sarcasm.

"Is this what you meant by your brother not hurting anyone?"

"Hina, what happened?"

As Kagaya Ubuyashiki listened to the sounds of swords being drawn and the discussions around him, his gentle voice rang out at the right moment, asking the girl beside him a question.

Hina kept her eyes fixed on the situation on the field, and explained the cause and effect clearly in a steady tone.

"When Tanjiro saw his sister being suppressed by the Serpent Pillar, he became so emotional that he began to transform into a demon."

Kagaya Ubuyashiki nodded slightly and asked again.

"What was Tanjiro's reaction to Sanemi's blood? Was he tempted by the blood and did something to harm him?"

Hinai carefully observed Tanjiro's condition. She noticed that he completely ignored the bleeding wound on Shinazugawa Sanemi's arm, his gaze fixed on Obanai Iguro, who was suppressing Nezuko. His eyes were filled with anger and worry. Hinai then answered truthfully.

"Tanjiro was not tempted by Sanemi's blood; his attention was entirely on Nezuko, and he had no intention of harming anyone."

"is that so?

Upon hearing this, Kagaya Ubuyashiki smiled with relief, and a glimmer of light seemed to flash in his nearly blind eyes.

"Should we stop them?"

"Ubuyashiki Hika asked in a low voice."

"No need."

Kagaya Ubuyashiki said gently, "Let's see how Tanjiro reacts next. He might be more able to stay true to himself than we think."

While being held captive by Obanai Iguro, Nezuko watched her brother's increasingly demonic appearance filled with rage, and anxious tears welled up in her eyes and slid down her cheeks.

She knew better than anyone that her brother had turned into a ghost because he was worried about her.

At this point, if the other pillars identify him as an out-of-control demon, the consequences would be unimaginable!

She wanted to speak up, to calm her brother down, and to tell everyone that her brother meant no harm.

But Obanai's grip on her neck was so tight that she could barely breathe, let alone speak.

No, I must calm my brother down. I absolutely cannot let him be killed as a demon!

Nidouzi cried out in her heart, desperately trying to struggle.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I initiated this demonstration. Now that he's out of control, I'll be the one to cut off his head!"

Shinazugawa Sanemi looked at Tanjiro's demon form and a smile of excitement appeared on his face.

Completely disregarding the bleeding wound on his arm, he raised the green Nichirin Blade and pointed it directly at Tanjiro.

Upon hearing this, Mizuko's pupils suddenly contracted, and she immediately turned to look at Shinazugawa Sanemi, her heart filled with anxiety.

Ignoring the pain in her neck, she strained with all her might to straighten her body, trying to break free from Obanai Iguro's control and stop Sanemi Shinazugawa.

"Hmm...you still want to resist?"

Obanai Iguro sensed Nezuko's struggle and a hint of impatience flashed in his eyes.

"Since that's the case, then I'll deal with you too. That way, you won't have to wait until later to commit seppuku to atone for your sins..."

As he spoke, he raised his Nichirin Blade and was about to slash at Nezuko.

But just as the blade was about to fall, a cold hand suddenly grabbed his wrist with such force that he could no longer swing it down.

Iguro Koba was startled and immediately turned her head to look. What came into view was Tomioka Giyuu's extremely cold face.

"Giyu Tomioka...you want to betray the Demon Slayer Corps?"

Obanai Iguro's voice was icy cold, her eyes filled with disbelief and anger.

He never expected that Giyu Tomioka would stop him, a fellow Pillar, for the sake of a demon.

Taking advantage of the moment when Obanai Iguro was distracted, Mizuko used all her strength to break free from his restraints.

The pressure on her neck suddenly disappeared, and before she could catch her breath, she ran towards Tanjiro.

"you……"

Obanai Iguro tried to break free from Giyu Tomioka's grasp, but found that the other's strength was astonishing, and she couldn't budge him at all.

You are not qualified.

"I'm Yoshiyuki Tomioka said coldly, his tone calm but carrying an undeniable authority," he said.

What he originally meant to say was that you have no right to dispose of your team members without the lord's permission.

But to Obanai Iguro, those words sounded like blatant mockery.

Who do you think you are, to presume to deal with me?

For a moment, the air was thick with tension between the two, their auras clashing and drawing the attention of everyone in the courtyard.

The other pillars stopped what they were doing and looked over, their faces full of surprise and confusion.

Meanwhile, Nezuko had broken free of her restraints and was running quickly toward Tanjiro, shouting as she ran.

"Brother, be careful! Don't act rashly!"

When Tanjiro saw that Nezuko had successfully broken free of her restraints and ran safely to him, the huge weight that had been hanging over him finally lifted, and his tense nerves relaxed a little.

Just then, he heard Midouzi's anxious shouts, and at the same time, a strong sense of danger came from behind him.

Tanjiro felt a chill run down his spine and instinctively glanced out of the corner of his eye. He saw Shinazugawa Sanemi raising his Nichirin Blade and slashing fiercely at his back. The blade whistled through the air, moving at an astonishing speed.

"elder brother!"

When Midouzi saw this scene, her pupils suddenly contracted, her heart felt as if it were being tightly gripped by an invisible hand, and her voice was filled with terror.

Just as the blade was about to touch Tanjiro's neck, Tanjiro suddenly turned around.

"Hinokami Kagura: Phantom Rainbow!"

With a low shout, his figure suddenly transformed into a phantom of flame and vanished from the spot in an instant.

Sanemi Shinazugawa's blade slammed into the open ground with a loud clang, leaving a deep trench in the earth.

He stared at the empty ground before him, his face filled with disbelief, frozen in place.

"How is that possible?!"

He had clearly locked onto Tanjiro's aura, and the blade was almost within reach, yet Tanjiro still managed to dodge it.

Sanemi Shinazugawa suddenly turned around, looked around, and finally spotted Tanjiro under the eaves of the courtyard.

At this moment, Tanjiro was protecting Nezuko.

"Brother, watch out! The sun's out!"