Though this new body keeps haunting me, I can't wake up to reality.
The incident haunts me more and more. For someone who has never seen a dead body, it's terrifying to witness one without a head. I don't even know what to do. I look at the body, and surprisingly, there's nothing else scary—just blood and a head lying apart from the body.
"Could this be a demon's work?" I wonder in my mind.
As I think, I hear footsteps behind me. When I turn my head, a boy with a basket on his back stands there, looking at me.
"So, the same thing happened to you?" he says. "The smell of blood is the same as when it happened to my family. I'm sorry for you. By the way, I'm Tanjirou Kamado. Have you heard the name Urokodaki Sakonji?"
"Yes, of course. He's the mysterious man who lives on the mountain," I reply.
As we talk, a man suddenly appears out of nowhere—it's the very person we're talking about.
"Ay! How long have you been standing there? You know who did this, right?" I ask in a low voice.
Urokodaki responds, "Tanjirou, you're here too. What a coincidence. Giyuu told me about you. From here, I'll take both of you—follow me."
Then, without making a sound, he runs off. What a strange man.
"Hey! What about my question?" I shout after him, but all I see is both of them running toward the mountain.
"What a weirdo," I mutter. Then I start running after them. They're so fast that I can only see their shadows. Eventually, I reach them, sitting on a log. I'm so exhausted I can barely stand.
Urokodaki speaks in a low voice, "From now on, both of you must find your way to the house on the mountain."
Then mist appears, and the old man vanishes again.
(Oh, I'm screwed...)
"What?! Where did he go?" I shout into the forest, but nothing replies. Then Tanjirou disappears too.
(I'm really screwed...)
"Are they even human?" I ask myself. Why do they run like that? And why am I so scared right now?
As I take one small step forward, a flying log smashes into me and knocks me down.
"Oh! So this is why the old man told us to find our own way to the house?"
Let's see what Kenji can do.
Looking around the forest, I notice the trees are arranged in a pattern. If I climb and jump from tree to tree, I can reach the house. The idea even surprises me.
I question myself, "Who am I?"
I begin climbing, and somehow, I reach the top of a tree in seconds. I discover that I have enormous strength. I leap from tree to tree and realize I also have incredible speed.
Repeating this tactic, I manage to reach the house easily, without any pain or exhaustion. As I tilt my head, I spot Tanjirou on his knees, unable to stand, with a mark on his face.
"Hey, blud, are you alright?" I call out.
He replies, "How did you reach the house so easily?"
I walk toward him and offer him a hand. Suddenly, Urokodaki appears again and says,
"From now on, both of you will begin your training to become swordsmen!"
"Training?!" Tanjirou and I exclaim together.
Even though I reached the house easily, I gave it my all.
What am I about to face next...?
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