After those words and the journey that began for the boy and his friends’ upcoming mission, they finally arrived at the Entertainment District at night. The lights, the ughter, the music—everything seemed unnaturally normal. Tengen separated from them to begin his investigation in his own way, while the boy, Zenitsu, and Inosuke each went to different houses in search of any unusual traces.

  The boy moved lightly across the rooftops, utilizing one of Tanjiro’s essential skills, sniffing the air to detect any unnatural scent among the aromas of perfumes, incense, and smoke. Suddenly, he stopped and inhaled deeply, then said:

  “There’s something… it’s the scent of a demon, but it’s very strong.”

  He jumped to a higher rooftop. The wind was stronger there. Suddenly, he froze. A familiar scent pierced his chest. It wasn’t the smell of blood or fear but the scent of an old battle engraved in his memory. He stepped slowly toward the edge of the opposite rooftop and saw a shadow standing there—someone standing at the edge, looking down at the city. The wind moved his pink hair and the blue tattoos on his body were visible under the moonlight. Without turning, he said quietly:

  “Didn’t I tell you I would return, weakling? I informed Muzan about you… about that gnce you have of the future, thinking it might change something. I don’t waste time on the weak, but Muzan was clear. You are a threat, and that is why I’ve been ordered to end you tonight.”

  He slowly lifted his head, his golden eyes shining. Yes… it was Akaza.

  The boy stared at him in anger, unblinking. He did not shout, did not hesitate—he dashed forward instantly. One leap bridged the gap between the rooftops.

  “Hinokami!”

  The fme ignited on the first arc. Sparks cut through the air. Akaza moved his head only slightly; the strike passed by his face. Then he said, smiling:

  “Better, but not enough.”

  He vanished for a moment from the boy’s sight. The wooden pnks beneath the boy’s feet exploded. A side strike hit his shoulder, spinning him half a turn in the air before he nded on his knee. He was given no time to catch his breath before Akaza delivered a downward fist. The boy parried with his sword, the rooftop beneath him cracking entirely. The house shook violently, and the people below screamed, unable to understand what was happening.

  Tanjiro unched the second strike of Hinokami, a full circur motion this time. It brushed fmes against Akaza’s left arm, producing a light sizzling sound. For a moment, Akaza smiled, but it wasn’t admiration—it was pity. Then he said:

  “You’re still clinging to anger at me. Do you think that’s enough to defeat me, weakling?”

  He moved with incredible speed, not normally fast but as if he had disappeared from the world for a moment. The boy felt him behind him, turned too te, and saw Akaza deliver a fist directly to his chest. Air was knocked out of his lungs, his body flung across the rooftop, and he fell to the ground.

  He tried to stand despite his unsteady vision and the choking dust from the debris, then remembered Rengoku Kyojuro’s face and felt rage. He rose again, raising his sword, and delivered another strike of Hinokami Kagura—Dance of the Hinokami Kagura: Dragon Sun Halo.

  The strike hit Akaza’s left hand, slicing in front of his gleaming eyes, but it did not deter him. On the contrary, he became even more determined to end the fight quickly and not underestimate him. His hand healed within seconds. In a fsh, he appeared in front of the boy and whispered:

  “Destructive Death – Annihition Style.”

  It wasn’t a loud explosion, not an exaggerated movement—it was a perfect strike. It collided with the boy’s chest and pierced through him. Everything stopped. The boy felt no pain, only a coldness spreading from his heart to his extremities. He slowly sank to his knees, sword still raised.

  At that moment, Inosuke sensed something strange in the air. His animal instincts awakened, and he dashed toward the danger, finding Tanjiro bent over on his knees with Akaza in front of him. Inosuke charged with all his strength, shouting:

  “You square-headed bastard! How dare you attack him in our absence!”

  Akaza spun swiftly, a cold smile on his face, and raised his hand:

  “Destructive Death – Earth Shattering.”

  One strike sent a shockwave through the rooftop, cracking the wood and breaking the stones below. Rocks exploded around Inosuke, and he fell ft to the ground. Akaza whispered calmly:

  “You’re irrelevant now, but when the time comes, I’ll kill all of you too, weaklings.”

  He pulled himself away at incredible speed, disappearing across the rooftops before Inosuke could respond. Inosuke stood, panting, feeling helpless. The boy looked one st time at the scene, realizing even his strongest friends were not safe from Akaza.

  He fell ft to the ground, eyes fixed on the moon as if everything around him had stopped. He tried to move his hands but could not; every muscle refused to obey. A deep headache began spreading through his head, as if his skull were being crushed from within. He closed his eyes for a moment, then remembered Rengoku Kyojuro and his booming smile. He recalled all the training, all the sacrifices, everything he had learned. He recalled his promises, but now everything was over. Dance of the Hinokami Kagura—the final halo did not help this time. He smiled faintly, as if acknowledging defeat, then said:

  “Perhaps I wasn’t as strong as I thought. Perhaps if Tanjiro had remained in this world, he would have achieved something better than me. Perhaps Tanjiro would have fulfilled his vow in my pce.”

  The headache intensified. His heartbeat slowed until it stopped. In a moment, everything went dark. The boy had died in an alley of the Entertainment District, leaving behind all his promises and everything he had wished to change.

  Suddenly, warmth returned. He opened his eyes slowly and took a deep breath. The familiar wooden surfaces beneath him, the smell of old wood, the sunlight filtering through the cracks in the walls—everything was familiar. He was in the same wooden house he had first awakened in, the same narrow room, the same cold wooden floor, the same mysterious feeling of responsibility. The boy was extremely astonished.

  He sat trembling, panting. Then, suddenly, a deep headache pulsed through his head with such force that he screamed in pain. It sted for minutes, then subsided—but it would return inevitably, reminding him that life comes at a high cost. He recalled his fight with Akaza in detail, feeling not fear but astonishment. Everything had returned to the starting point, yet something inside him had changed—stronger and more cautious, despite the lingering pain.

  He rose with difficulty and grabbed his sword. Opening the wooden door, he found the outside as he had known it that morning: Zenitsu standing there, with Inosuke beside him. He went to them and said:

  “What happened? What are we doing here? Why aren’t we in the Entertainment District?”

  Zenitsu looked at him, puzzled:

  “What do you mean, Tanjiro? Why are you scaring me like that?”

  Inosuke added:

  “You stupid Tanjiro! I’ve been training here while you were sleeping. This proves how weak you all are compared to me, which is why only you and Zenitsu, and that foolish Hashira who sent us, took shelter behind me for now.”

  The boy replied in confusion:

  “A mission? What mission do you mean?”

  Zenitsu, still astonished, said:

  “Tanjiro, have you lost your memory or what? Did you forget we’re going on a mission with the Fme Hashira?”

  His heart stopped for a second, eyes widening involuntarily. A deep shock ran through him.

  “W… what?! H… Hashira… do you mean we’re going on a mission with Rengoku? Do you mean I’ve returned to zero? Rengoku… alive? After everything… after Akaza… how?!”

  Zenitsu, astonished, watched him closely:

  “Yes! The Fme Hashira is alive… and he has sent us on a mission with him. No time to be shocked, Tanjiro.”

  The boy pced his hands on his head, the headache intensifying. Everything seemed contradictory: death, darkness, Akaza, and now the sudden news that Rengoku was alive, as if his heart could not comprehend what had just happened.

  Suddenly, he burst into loud ughter, as if releasing all the tension and shock inside him:

  “Ha ha ha ha… Rengoku is alive? Rengoku is alive?!”

  His ughter echoed between the wooden walls, as if joy had shattered the weight of the headache in his head. He raised his fist in the air, a wide smile spreading across his face:

  “I’ve returned to the starting point! I’ve returned to a point where Rengoku is still alive! I can still change everything! I can still save him! I cannot waste this chance. I must seize it!”

  Inosuke and Zenitsu exchanged quick gnces, astonished at his sudden joy, but he did not stop ughing. He had not felt freedom or joy like this in a long time. Life had restored his hope, and now everything seemed possible again, despite the headache reminding him of what he had endured.

  Suddenly, Zenitsu looked at him and said:

  “Tanjiro, are you okay?”

  He replied with a wide smile:

  “Don’t call me Tanjiro anymore. My name is Jack, and I am the boy who will change everything in this world.”

  And after he said his name for the first time,

  the pce fell silent for a moment. Even the wind that passed through the trees seemed to stop, waiting. The world around him hadn’t changed, but he felt that something inside him had completely transformed. Willpower, determination, and a sense of responsibility all converged in a single moment, marking the birth of a new person—someone who would never be the same as before.

  If you enjoyed this chapter, follow the story.

  I promise the next decision will change everything.