The forest trembled as the battle roared on. Zohakuten, the amalgamation of Hantengu's wrath, fury, and hatred, was now crumbling. Mitsuri clashed with his rage, Genya's bullets tore through wood and flesh, and Tanjiro's blade shimmered with flames of destiny.
But something shifted.
Tanjiro's eyes flickered.
He looked past the rage — past the demons — into the shadows of the trees.
"…He's hiding," Tanjiro muttered.
"The real one."
Zohakuten howled in anger, but he was too late — Tanjiro had leapt into the forest with Nezuko and Genya close behind.
They sprinted, their breathing heavy, senses sharpened.
Suddenly, they saw him.
A trembling figure — tiny, pitiful — crawling beneath twisted roots.
Hantengu.
The true body.
Tanjiro raised his blade.
But his hand… hesitated.
His eyes widened as he saw Hantengu sobbing, begging for forgiveness — visions of a lifetime of selfish cowardice bleeding from his form. His crimes, his sins, his terror of ever being wrong…
Genya growled, "He's just pretending!"
Tanjiro clenched his blade tighter.
Nezuko stepped beside him. Her small hand touched his wrist.
And in that moment, the truth was clear.
This being — a demon consumed by fear — would never change. His sorrow was never for others, only himself. And if spared, he would kill again.
Tanjiro's eyes sharpened.
"I carry the weight… of every life."
Hinokami Kagura: Flame Dance.
Slash.
In one motion — the blade severed Hantengu's neck. His head hit the ground, eyes wide, mouth parted as if to beg again.
The clone body screamed in agony and exploded in a flash of demonic energy, causing the earth to shake.
Tanjiro dropped to one knee, exhausted.
Genya panted beside him, bloodied but still on his feet.
But then—
"Tanjiro!!"
He turned.
Nezuko was standing in the sunlight.
Her skin began to blister. Flames crawled across her arms. She looked at Tanjiro…
And smiled.
His heart stopped. "No… not now… not again…"
He rushed forward, reaching for her, crying her name.
"NEZUKO!!!"
But something was different.
The flames didn't consume her — they danced on her skin, fading, flickering…
And stopped.
She wasn't burning.
Her skin hardened. The sun kissed her — but she did not die.
Tanjiro collapsed, sobbing in disbelief.
Genya fell to his knees, staring in awe.
"…She conquered the sun…"
Nezuko walked forward, her eyes full of warmth. She touched Tanjiro's face and spoke for the first time in years.
"Welcome back, Onii-chan."
The forest stilled.
The Demon Slayer Corps had witnessed a miracle.
Elsewhere…
Far beyond, Kagaya Ubuyashiki sat still as the kasugai crow landed near his side.
"Another moon has fallen," he said with a gentle smile.
"The sun has returned to us…"