System's World

'...'

Surprised by the sudden interruption, Kiyomi's mind was blank for a second, but the system continued:

<> You wouldn't think that "we" would just give you another chance at your dream for nothing, right? Nor all those other people that were reincarnated or transmigrated. <>

<> We don't do things for free. To us, all transversers and reincarnations are just tools for us. Ah.. sorry, workers, would be a better definition. We have at least one personal supervising each and every transverser and reincarnation. <>

'What do you... take, then?'

<> ... We also need energy, don't we? We are sentient beings, and sentient beings have needs. <>

<> We also need entertainment too, don't we? And I repeat. We are sentient beings. What did you expect? You were still quite lucky to be chosen to be in the entertainment district. <>

<> Just accept it, Kiyomi. You. Are. Only. Entertainment. <>

<> There are much, worse fates if you were chosen in some other department. Trust me, this department... at least you have a chance. <>

'Wait. A chance? What chance???'

<> Think of your human world. Awards, Government, Economy, Work, etc. We follow those structures. <>

<> Think about it yourself. You're in the entertainment department. You. Are an actress. What benefits do actresses have? <>

<> Alright, that's all the time I have. I've got work to do. I've also got kids and a wife you know? <>

Amazed by the hidden world behind the seemingly simple and mostly trustworthy systems, Kiyomi fell into a deep trance.

Meanwhile, Giyu and Tanjiro were having the fight of their lives.

Giyu, trying his hardest to explain, and Tanjiro, swinging his axe like a madman.

If Tanjiro had actually calmed down and used his magical nose powers, he would be able to smell that Giyu actually had no malice towards him at all.

And also the many secrets of this world. Demons. Slayers. And one of his sister's many secrets.

"Calm down!!!"

Losing all of his patience, Giyu used the butt of his katana and struck Tanjiro's shoulder.

"Ghuk!!"

Feeling an insurmountable force pressing onto his shoulder, Tanjiro fell to the ground facefirst.

Still not losing consciousness due to his willpower, Tanjiro finally remembered to breathe once again.

But because he was only a beginner in the system's definition in total concentration breathing, he is still incapacitated, but at least he isn't unconscious.

"Stay.. away.. from... my.. family!"

Gasping with difficulty, Tanjiro gave Giyu his death stare.

Rubbing his aching forehead, Giyu gave one last try to explain the situation to Tanjiro.

"Listen here, kid. I did not touch your family. It was a demon."

Remembering the story that Saburo had told him, Tanjiro felt a little unbelievable.

Crawling to the tree next to him and leaning onto it, Tanjiro made himself a bit more comfortable before asking Giyu his doubts:

"Demons... do they eat humans? Afraid of the sun?"

Giyu, a little surprised that Tanjiro knows about the existence of demons, replied:

"Yes, they eat humans and are afraid of the sun. Anything other than human flesh and blood would taste horrible for them."

Stunned by the entirely new revelation revealed to him, Tanjiro started to doubt his life.

'The smells in the air... Nee-san, Nezuko?'

It was at this moment that Nezuko showed signed of waking up.

Staggeringly trying to stand, Nezuko seemed a little confused at what was happening.

All she knew was that she was hungry, and that normal food cannot satisfy her hunger.

Giyu, seeing that this was the sign of a newly turned demon, immediately confirmed that the person who he had just fought was Muzan.

'Muzan came to kill this family himself. But why? What's so special about this family?'

Taking a glance at the girl whose body was almost broken into pieces, but still miraculously alive, Giyu had a guess of why Muzan came in-person to kill this family.

'Whatever, eliminate the demon first.'

Just as Giyu finished his thought, a hand grabbed his shoulder.

"You are not allowed to hurt my family!"

And then, as Giyu watched in wonder, Tanjiro headbutted him.

*Crack*

Kiyomi, who had gotten out of her trance around when Nezuko had transformed completely into a demon, watched the story develop helplessly as she laid there in the snow.

'Tanjiro is really hardheaded, isn't he? Both figuratively and literally.'

Kiyomi thought, speechless.

Nezuko, seizing the chance, pounced on the distracted Tanjiro.

Pushed onto the ground, Tanjiro narrowly avoided Nezuko's fangs as he stuck the wooden part of the axe in her mouth, which was, fortunately, laying right beside him.

"GRRRR~!"

Kiyomi, watching everything from the corner of her eyes, finally knew that she could move without the supervision of Giyu, who was knocked unconscious by Tanjiro.

Sitting up and leaning on what's left of the trees after her battle with Muzan, Kiyomi painfully sucked in a large amount of oxygen into her lungs.

"Nezuko!"

Pausing at the sound of her name, Nezuko loosened her grip on the axe Tanjiro was holding.

Looking in the direction in where her name was called, Nezuko found Kiyomi, who was bleeding and sitting next to a tree, leaning on its trunk.

Tanjiro also looked over and was astonished to see that his older sister was awake.

Kiyomi waved her hands slowly and motioned for them to walk over to her.

Nezuko, as if under a spell, obediently walked over to Kiyomi and sat down beside her.

Gently putting Nezuko's head onto her thighs, Kiyomi tenderly stroked Nezuko's hair and repeated said two sentences while smiling:

"You are not to eat humans, every human is your family, and you will do your best to protect them. Demons are our enemies, and it is our job to eliminate them."

Tanjiro, on the side, was just dumbfoundedly watching the originally rabid Nezuko turn into an obedient rabbit in front of Kiyomi.

Scratching his itchy forehead, Tanjiro suddenly felt that he was a little incompetent compared to his sister.

As if sensing Tanjiro's self-doubt, Kiyomi stopped chanting her mantra to Nezuko and also waved for Tanjiro to also come over.

Tanjiro took another look at Giyu, laying on the ground, knocked out cold, before walking over to Kiyomi with an embarrassed face and sat down next to her.

Seeing the self-blaming Tanjiro, Kiyomi knew exactly what he was thinking.

After all, she was his sister for a good thirteen years already, it would be absolutely impossible for her to not know every single thought of Tanjiro with just one look.

"Come on, you can lean on my shoulder. Ask me whatever you want."

Tanjiro, a little flustered, just let out an embarrased sound.

"em..."

Kiyomi, slightly dissatisfied, just forcibly hooked Tanjiro's head and pulled it towards her shoulder.

"Where's all that emotion and decisiveness when you headbutted that dude over there huh?? Hum!"

Seeing the glare of his sister, Tanjiro didn't dare to move a single muscle fiber of his.

...