With a deafening roar of the tiger, the giant vortex cocoon woven from blood threads instantly shattered. In the next second, the sword blade drew a bright white line, and the snow tiger, having swallowed Lei, dispersed, with Xander appearing behind Lei. Lei's head fell to the ground, and his body began to inexorably disintegrate. Xander pulled out the blood collecting knife and plunged it into Rui's body. He collected the blood, while blue lights swirled in Xander's eyes. In the moment of death, Lei recalled his life.
— I remember everything, I always wanted to apologize, I'm sorry! —
— It's all... all... my fault. Please forgive me, but I have killed countless people. I will surely end up in hell. I definitely won't be able to go to the same place as my father and mother. —
— It's not like that. Let's go together, even if it means going to hell, Lei. — A man with the same hairstyle as Rui patted him on the back.
At that moment, Rui's soul was surrounded by the souls of a man and a woman.
— Dad, Mom. — The weary soul looked at those around with disbelief.
— We will always be together, Rui, — Rui's mother said calmly.
Lei's soul lost its ghostly appearance and returned to a human form. He cried and rushed into his mother's embrace.
Watching the souls of Rui's family,
Xander silently prayed.
— Tanjiro is right, demons are truly pitiable creatures. I pray, ascend to heaven. I will use your power to destroy Muzan Kibutsuji. —
[Ding! The host killed the Lower Moon of the Fifth Rank — Rui, and received 5 bronze treasure chests and 10 iron treasure chests.
Upon hearing this sound, Xander shuddered.
— Damn it! I forgot to use the Predator! —
Xander looked at the empty ground and, unable to help himself, smacked his cheeks twice.
— How could I forget! Oh! Alright, no problem, there are treasure chests, right! Treasure chests are what I deserve! So, I didn't actually lose!
In the end, with tears in his eyes, Xander collected all the treasure chests.
Suddenly, a dispassionate voice sounded from behind Xander.
— What's wrong with you, Xander? —
Xander looked up, and his sad expression instantly disappeared.
— Brother Giyu, what are you doing here? —
Tomioka Giyu calmly replied, — The master received information that the Twelve Demon Moons are here, so he sent us along with Shinobu Kocho.
— But you single-handedly defeated the Lower Moon of the Twelve Demon Moons. —
Xander placed his hands behind his head and said carelessly, — It's okay, but it wasn't that simple to kill him. —
Tomioka Giyu paused for a moment, then said, — Thank you, Xander. —
Xander was momentarily taken aback, then smiled and replied, — You're welcome. If I hadn't been too young to participate in the final selection that year, maybe nothing would have happened, but now it's over. —
Tomioka Giyu nodded and said nothing more.
At that moment, Xander said, "The child with the demon is also on this mountain, let's go."
Hearing this, Tomioka Giyu was taken aback for a second, then he remembered Tanjiro and Nezuko, whom he had met over a year ago.
"I met them not far from here..."
Without finishing, Tomioka Giyu hurriedly ran off.
Xander knew what Tomioka Giyu was worried about, so he followed him. At the same time, Xander was thinking.
"Last time when I went to see Shinobu, she didn't want to see me. I wonder what will happen if she sees me now."
Soon, Xander and Tomioka Giyu arrived at a stream.
Seeing Inosuke hanging from a tree, Xander couldn't help but laugh.
"Ha-ha-ha!"
Noticing Xander and Tomioka Giyu, Inosuke shouted:
"Hey! Get me down! As soon as I'm down, I'll hit you! And you too, Xander!" "Stop laughing! Otherwise, I'll hit you too!"
Xander replied with a smile, "Then hang on for a while."
Xander then looked around and saw shattered ice everywhere and several large ice spikes.
Suddenly, Xander felt a shadow in his arms. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was Nezuko, who had run up to him.
At this moment, Tanjiro approached.
"Senior Xander, Nezuko has awakened her Blood Demon Art, and it seems to be a power that allows her to control ice."
Hearing this, the corners of Xander's mouth twitched slightly. He looked at Nezuko, who was in his arms.
"Could it be that because of my blood, Nezuko's Blood Demon Art has become a power of ice control? Then what happened to her original Blood Demon Art?"
Suddenly, several butterflies flew to Xander, and a girl in a haori with a pattern resembling butterfly wings rushed toward him.
The moment Shinobu Kocho saw Xander, the newly drawn blade came to a halt, and her rapidly moving figure gradually stabilized.
Xander looked at the beautiful girl before him and slowly said, "Shinobu, long time no see."
Shinobu Kocho looked at Xander's familiar yet unfamiliar face, which still bore a faint smile, and gently said as softly as she could:
— Long time no see, Xander. You do realize the one you're protecting is a demon, and that's very dangerous.
— Shinobu, are you still angry with me? — Xander suddenly asked.
Tanjiro opened his mouth as if discovering a New World.
Shinobu Kocho continued to smile at Xander: — No, I'm really not angry at all.
Xander handed Nezuko over to Tanjiro and said: — Take your sister and stay with Brother Giyu. Don't go anywhere, understood?
Tanjiro looked at Xander, unsure of what to say. Nezuko also glanced at Xander, not understanding why he acted that way.
Suddenly, Shinobu Kocho's sword flew from its sheath, and she struck at Nezuko with it.
Xander's Sun Blade also instantly flew from its sheath, and with one swift move, he parried Shinobu Kocho's attack.
— Brother Giyu, please take care of Tanjiro and the others!
Tomioka Giyu nodded, and Xander mentally returned to the fight with Shinobu Kocho.
— Shinobu, we haven't trained together in a long time, but your strikes are just as strong as ever.
Shinobu Kocho looked at Xander and Tomioka Giyu, a hint of helplessness in her eyes.
— Xander, you're now also a member of the Demon Slayers Corps. "Do you know that this is against the rules of the Corps?"
Xander held his Nichirin and looked Shinobu Kocho in the eyes. "I know, but this brother and sister are special, so I hope you'll listen carefully to my explanations."
Shinobu Kocho didn't take her eyes off him. Her mind was filled with questions she wanted to ask Xander: why didn't he want to join the Demon Slayer Corps with her back then? Why did he join the Demon Slayer Corps now? Why didn't he tell her he joined the Corps? Why is he protecting a demon now?
These questions almost made Shinobu Kocho lose her composure, but common sense told her not to lose her cool and to maintain her sister's cherished smile.
"I don't want to waste time here, and you won't be able to stop me."
Saying this, Kocho's form became graceful and agile, and soon she was in front of Xander.
At that moment, the voice of a raven rang out.
"Order! Order! An order from Headquarters! Capture Tanjiro and Nezuko and bring them to Headquarters!"
"Capture Tanjiro and the demon Nezuko and bring them to Headquarters!" —
— Tanjiro, in the checkered jacket, with the scar on his forehead! The demon girl biting bamboo, Nezuko! —
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