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

Chapter 112 Pillar Meeting

The air seemed to be frozen by an invisible force, and the thick smell of gunpowder permeated the courtyard.

Giyu Tomioka looked at Sanemi Shinazugawa, who was about to go berserk, but his face remained calm, though he felt a little confused.

He paused, then spoke in that characteristic, dull, and calm tone.

"It's nothing."

"Nothing?!"

Sanemi Shinazugawa's roar nearly shattered the roof. His hand was already gripping the hilt of his Nichirin Blade tightly, and the veins on his forehead were throbbing wildly.

[This guy is definitely provoking me on purpose! Ever since he protected that ghost, he's been going against me!]

He stared intently at Giyu Tomioka's expressionless face, his anger rising like a volcano about to erupt.

Giyu Tomioka remained confused, occasionally glancing out of the corner of his eye at Sanemi Shinazugawa, who exuded a violent aura beside him, and pondering to himself:

Is he still angry that Ni Douzi called him a "white-haired exhibitionist"?

"Alright, everyone, let's begin the meeting."

Kagaya Ubuyashiki's gentle voice rang out at the right moment, calming the conflict that was about to erupt.

He keenly sensed that Sanemi Shinazugawa was about to explode and promptly changed the subject.

However, the calm did not last long.

Obanai Iguro knelt respectfully on one knee, the white snake around his neck flicking its tongue slightly. He raised his head, his tone filled with undisguised doubt.

"My lord, I still don't understand. Why must we let Tanjiro Kamado join the Demon Slayer Corps? Right now, he can't even kill the sun. Is it really necessary for someone who has broken the fate of demons to stay by our side?"

His words revealed the deepest doubts in the hearts of all the pillars.

All eyes turned to their lord, filled with anticipation, yearning for a reason that would completely convince them.

The lord lowered his eyes gently, his nearly blind eyes looking in the direction of the crowd, his tone still calm.

"Is that so? I understand. If the reasons aren't explained clearly, I'm afraid the doubts in everyone's hearts will never be dispelled."

"Amitabha."

Beiming Yuxingming clasped his hands together, tears of sorrow streaming from his turbid eyes.

"My lord, although the Kamado siblings are good children, we can never completely let go of our lingering resentment towards 'demons' and our fear of this unknown power."

The lord nodded slightly, then turned his gaze to Tomioka Giyu, who had remained silent to the side.

"Giyong, from beginning to end, you seemed to have always believed in them. Why is that?"

All eyes of the pillars instantly focused on Giyu Tomioka.

They were indeed very curious about this water column that always kept to itself and didn't fit in with the other columns.

Why would they be so determined to protect this outcast, even at the cost of turning against their fellow Pillars?

Giyu Tomioka lowered his head, placed his hands on his knees, and spoke respectfully but indifferently.

"Because...they are different."

"..."

As soon as the words were spoken, the courtyard fell into a deathly silence.

All the pillars stared blankly at Giyu Tomioka, their faces filled with disbelief.

Even the usually gentle and composed lord's expression stiffened slightly, and he subconsciously looked in the direction of Tomioka Giyuu.

It seems they didn't expect him to give such a "perfunctory" answer.

"Hey, Tomioka! What kind of bullshit answer is that?!"

Shinazugawa Sanemi could no longer contain himself. He tightened his grip on his Nichirin Blade, his anger almost overflowing.

Does this guy even know what he's saying? Who can believe such a vague excuse?

Shinazugawa Sanemi roared inwardly, his dissatisfaction with Tomioka Giyuu reaching its peak.

"Giyuu Tomioka, are you looking down on us?"

Obanai Iguro's voice was icy cold, and her eyes were full of hostility.

"Everyone, please calm down."

Shinobu Kocho quickly stepped in to smooth things over, still wearing a gentle smile, trying to ease the tension.

"Mr. Tomioka may not have meant that; he might just be bad at expressing himself."

"That's not what he meant? Then what did he mean?!" Shinazugawa Sanemi retorted angrily. "What kind of explanation is that, which is essentially saying nothing at all?!"

"Tomioka, I also find your answer difficult to understand."

Kyojuro Rengoku stared straight ahead, a signature cheerful smile on his face, but his tone was quite serious.

Despite the doubts and accusations from the crowd, Giyu Tomioka remained silent.

He frowned, his mind starting to wander.

They really are different. Nezuko knew her brother had become a demon, yet she always believed he wouldn't hurt anyone and protected him with all her might; Tanjiro, even after becoming a demon, even when facing dire straits, even when confronted with the ultimate temptation of rare blood, never harmed anyone, and even preferred to be injured himself to protect his sister. Aren't they different? What's wrong with them? Why can't they understand?

He is not good with words and doesn't know how to clearly express his thoughts.

I could only summarize my firm belief in the simplest and most direct three words, but I never expected it to cause such a big misunderstanding.

As the lord listened to the argument, he sighed softly, his tone tinged with helplessness.

"Alright, everyone, please be quiet."

Upon hearing their lord's words, the pillars immediately fell silent, and the courtyard returned to quiet.

Only Sanemi Shinazugawa and Obanai Iguro were still secretly glaring at Giyu Tomioka, their eyes filled with undisguised dislike and dissatisfaction.

"Tanjiro has never harmed a human since he became a demon."

The lord's gentle words fell slowly, like a stone thrown into a calm lake, instantly stirring up a thousand ripples.

"Not only that, he also joined forces with Nezuko to kill the former Lower Moon Six, as well as the former Lower Moon Three and Lower Moon Four."

"What?!"

Everyone stared in astonishment, looking up at their lord with expressions of disbelief.

The Lower Moon demons, even former Lower Moon demons, are far stronger than ordinary demons. It would be extremely difficult for ordinary members of the team to kill even one.

Tanjiro, a mere "demon," was able to team up with Nezuko to kill two of them?

This was completely beyond their comprehension!

"Yes, you heard me right."

The lord smiled and nodded, continuing, "These are all accurate reports relayed by the Kasugai Crows, absolutely true. With such a record, Kamado Nezuko's strength is already enough to make her a Pillar."

Upon hearing this, the image of that petite yet exceptionally resilient and stubborn girl involuntarily came to mind.

Yoshiyuki Tomioka's lips curled up slightly for a fleeting moment, so quickly that it was almost imperceptible, before returning to his usual calm.

【Nie Douzi, I didn't expect you to grow up so fast. It seems it's time for you to inherit the name of the Water Pillar.】

He thought to himself, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.

Seeing everyone fall silent, the lord continued, "Besides that, according to reliable intelligence, Tanjiro has another crucial ability—he can recognize Muzan Kibutsuji's true face."

These words exploded in the ears of the pillars like a thunderclap, leaving them speechless with shock. Their expressions changed from astonishment to extreme joy and excitement.

They knew all too well how cunning and cruel Muzan Kibutsuji was.

This culprit, who has been at the center of the strife for millennia, has been constantly changing his appearance and identity to hide among humans in order to evade the Demon Slayer Corps' pursuit.

For thousands of years, no one has ever known his true face.

Even if you brush past him face to face, you might not recognize him. This is a major reason why the Demon Slayer Corps has been unable to kill him for hundreds of years.

And now, there is actually an existence, and it's a demon at that—that can recognize Muzan's true face!

This is undoubtedly great news for them, and the biggest help in their fight against Muzan!

With Tanjiro, they essentially have a "key" to accurately locate Muzan.

No longer needing to search aimlessly like headless flies, we can launch more targeted operations and end this millennia-long war.

The pillars' breathing became rapid, and their eyes gleamed with excitement.

The fear and doubts I had about Tanjiro before vanished almost entirely upon hearing this news.

The lord sensed the reactions of the crowd and a knowing smile appeared on his face.

He knew this news would be enough to make most of the pillars set aside their prejudices. But there was one more crucial point he didn't say.

He paused, his tone becoming increasingly solemn, and also carrying a hint of barely concealed excitement.

"What I really want to emphasize is the fact that Tanjiro has overcome the sunlight."

Sunlight is the ultimate nemesis of ghosts and the last line of defense for humanity against them.

For thousands of years, countless demons have turned to ashes in the sunlight, and countless members of the Demon Slayer Corps have given their lives to bring demons into the sunlight.

For ghosts, sunlight is an insurmountable chasm, a fear etched into their very bones.

But Tanjiro defied this fate.

He can not only survive in the sunlight, but also maintain a clear mind and possess full combat capability.

What does this mean?

This means that the Demon Slayer Corps now has a "Demon Warrior" that can operate during the day!

This means that in their battle against Muzan and his men, they will no longer be restricted by day and night, and will have absolute initiative!