Demon Slayer: Upper 0 seems to be a waste

Everything in the world has its own destiny, but people can change it to a certain extent through their own efforts. In other words, through hard work, people can become better. This is what Tanjiro heard his father say when he was a child.

As far as he could remember, his father's health had not been very good, and it had only gotten worse over time. Tanjiro thought it was because his father was too busy and had to support the family, which was too hard, and that was why his health had always been poor.

So Tanjiro was very sensible from a young age. He would try his best to take care of his younger sister and younger brother. When he was a little older, he helped his father and mother share some of the work.

When he grew up a little, he carried the bamboo basket on his back and went down the mountain to sell charcoal for his father, hoping that this would make his father's life a little easier.

Sadly, no matter how much rest and recuperation he took, Dad's health only grew worse. For a month, then two, from wheezing while carrying a bamboo basket to coughing while leaning against a wall, Dad spent more time indoors, quietly gazing outward. He was a very gentle man, and until his death from illness, he always tried not to cause more trouble for our family.

My father's passing was sudden, yet seemed expected.

Tanjiro completely took over his father's job, going up the mountain to dig charcoal, going down the mountain to sell charcoal, and bringing back some daily necessities. It was very fulfilling and a little hard, but life could continue like this.

Nezuko is very sensible, just like Tanjiro when he was a child. She takes good care of her younger brothers and sisters, helps her mother with housework, and takes care of everything at home when Tanjiro is not at home.

As the younger brothers and sisters grew up, Takeo was able to go chop wood, and Shigeru and Hanako no longer needed Nezuko's constant care.

Although it was a very busy day, he felt very happy.

But the simpler and more satisfying happiness is, the more despair it makes people feel when it collapses without any warning.

Tanjiro couldn't understand. He had clearly carried the charcoal down the mountain to sell it in order to make everyone happier and more cheerful. He had clearly stayed overnight to reassure Grandpa Saburo, and he had clearly rushed home at daybreak.

But when he rushed home, everything was already irreversible. His mother, sister, and brother were all lying in a pool of blood. There was blood everywhere, and the smell of blood was so thick that it seemed to drown him.

He didn't even have time to think clearly about what was happening. When he realized that his sister still had body temperature, he could only carry her on his back and run down the mountain. The cold winter wind almost froze his lungs, and breathing was as painful as a knife.

What was even more painful was that before he could even reach the foot of the mountain, the man with the knife told him that Nezuko had turned into a demon and was sentenced to be beheaded on the spot.

What was he thinking about at that moment? The huge sadness, despair, helplessness, everything weighed on his shoulders, so heavy that he couldn't even stand.

My father once said that as long as you keep working hard, everything will get better.

But Tanjiro thought that there are some things that cannot be changed even if people try very hard.

Apart from praying and kneeling, he seemed to be unable to do more. He didn't know what else he could do.

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Fortunately, Nezuko did not die in the snow, and neither did Tanjiro.

He buried all the joy, expectations, and innocence of the past, as well as the cowardice that once made him kneel before others, in the land in front of his home.

He firmly held his sister's already cold hand and embarked on a completely different path from before.

The days of training were truly grueling, and Tanjiro at one point thought he wouldn't see the next day's sunrise, yet he persevered day after day. Urokodaki-san's final test will likely be a memory he remembers long afterward, not only because of its unique and difficult nature, but also because of the unforgettable encounter.

The boy named Santu and the girl named Zhengumo.

Everything seems to be developing in the expected direction.

Tanjiro went to Fujisaka Mountain to participate in the final assessment, avenged those children, passed the assessment successfully, and obtained the qualification to join the Demon Slayer Corps. Unfortunately, he was unable to obtain the method of turning demons into humans from the mouths of those demons.

But he got his own steel and his own sword, and received encouragement and recognition from Mr. Urokodaki, and continued to move forward on the road that belonged to them with Nezuko.

The first time to take on a mission, the first time to save someone targeted by a ghost, the first time to kill an evil ghost, everything is worth looking forward to.

Following the guidance of the crow, he stepped into this strange town with full of passion and expectations for the future, but he never imagined that the source of evil he had been looking for, the guy named Muzan Kibutsuji, was actually here.

As he walked through the alleys and passed the crowds, and as the smell grew stronger, he knew that this was where he was going to end it all.

But as the hand slapped that shoulder, as the man turned his head and leaned sideways, it was like standing in front of that blood-soaked house that day.

The gods in heaven must be very busy, that's why we can't see him all the time. We can't see the efforts he puts in, and we can't see his sincere prayers.

That is why suffering is befallen again and again.

How else would he have seen a deceased friend in the arms of his enemy?

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Tanjiro still remembers the first time they met in the snow. The boy was slightly shorter than him, thin, small and fair-skinned. He stood barefoot in the snow and ice, and seemed to need more care than his younger brother at home, so Tanjiro took him home.

He knew that the boy's name was Rinko, that Rinko came from far away, and that Rinko's health was not good and he could only eat very little.

Although it was only a short time together, Tanjiro still remembers Rinko. He remembers the boy's helpless yet patient look when facing his younger siblings. He remembers the boy's trembling figure at night. He remembers the neatly folded bedding when he woke up the next day. He remembers the letter and the gifts placed in front of the door after it was opened. Everyone got a share, which made his younger siblings happy for several days.

Unfortunately, after that day, there was no news from Lin Guang anymore. It was like he came quietly with the snowflakes and disappeared unnoticed after dawn.

-

The next time he heard about Rinkou was from Makomo. The girl sat on a huge rock, weaving flowers into a garland, holding it high up to the moonlight, and whispered the name of the child he knew. Only then did he know that Makomo had also seen Rinkou a few years ago. At that time, Rinkou had also studied here for a long time, but unfortunately he had not made any progress in breathing techniques, so he could not become Mr. Urokodaki's disciple, and later slipped away quietly.

Tanjiro had never mentioned this matter to Mr. Urokodaki, but he happened to see Mr. Urokodaki putting away a small wooden sculpture. He didn't see the appearance of the wooden sculpture clearly, but he vaguely saw that there seemed to be a Tengu mask on it, which was a bit similar to the one Mr. Urokodaki was wearing.