( Panting )
( footsteps crunching )
( Wind blowing )
Boy: How?
How in the world could something like this happen?
Come on, nezuko!
I've got you! Don't die on me!
( Panting )
No matter what it takes, I'll save you!
I won't let you die.
I promise I'll save you.
Your big brother's got you!
( Woman vocalizing )
( boy grunts )
Woman: Tanjiro.
Your face is all covered in soot.
Let me clean you up.
You know, you really don't have to go.
All this snow could be dangerous.
Tanjiro: I want us to have a good new year's celebration
where everyone can eat as much as they want,
so I'll sell all the charcoal I can.
( Woman sighs ) How thoughtful.
Boy: Hey, bro!
Are you going to town again today?
Girl: I'm coming with you!
Woman: No, you're not.
You know you can't walk as fast as tanjiro can, sweetie.
- Boy: Aw, come on, mom! - Mother: No way.
He's not going to be able to use the cart today,
which means he can't give you a ride when you get tired.
( Both groan )
Boy: Tanjiro!
Girl: I wanna come with you.
I promise I'll help out.
Tanjiro: That's very generous of you, hanako.
- ( Hanako gasps ) - Tanjiro: But no.
You're staying home today.
( Hanako moans )
( Boy moans )
Tanjiro: Sorry, shigeru. You are, too.
But I'll bring back goodies, okay?
Shigeru: Promise?
- Tanjiro: Yeah. - ( Shigeru laughs )
Tanjiro: And, hanako,
I'll read for you when I get home later.
Hanako: 'Kay!
Tanjiro: Good girl.
Mother: Thank you for doing this, tanjiro.
Tanjiro: 'Course.
Time for me to head out.
Hey, takeo, do me a favor while I'm gone, okay?
Chop as much wood as you can.
Takeo: Yeah, I was already gonna do that anyway.
But I was kinda hoping we'd do that together this time. Hmph.
Tanjiro: There, there, now.
Takeo: Knock it off, would you?!
( Shigeru laughs ) You're blushing, take!
Takeo: Shut up, you brat!
Tanjiro: There, there, now.
Takeo: I told you to cut it out! ( Groans )
( Family laughing )
Shigeru: Come back as soon as you can, okay?
Hanako: Be safe, and see you when you get back!
¶
nezuko: Hi, tanjiro.
Tanjiro: Hey, nezuko.
Nezuko: I had to put rokuta down for a nap now.
Otherwise, he would throw a fit.
Ever since dad passed, he's been glued to your side.
In fact, everyone seems to follow you wherever you go.
I'll see you when you get back!
Tanjiro: We don't exactly have an easy life, but we're happy.
Life can change, though,
as sudden as the weather.
It shifts and moves on.
The sun can't shine forever,
and the snow has to stop at some point.
But whatever happens, when happiness is destroyed,
it's always followed by the smell of blood.
( Birds chirping )
( Soft overlapping chatter )
( Woman sighs )
Ah, tanjiro!
You came down the mountain on a day like today?
Don't you ever stop working? You could catch a cold.
Tanjiro: It's not as bad as you think.
You need a refill on charcoal, by any chance?
- Man: Hey, tanjiro! - Tanjiro: Eh?
Man: I'll take some more!
Man 2: I'm good, but thanks
for fixing my sliding doors the other day.
Woman 2: I need some charcoal, too!
- ( Rumbling ) - ( Tanjiro chuckles )
( Boy wails )
( Gasps ) Tanjiro!
- ( Woman 3 growls ) - Boy: I'm so glad you're here!
I've been accused of breaking this plate!
Can you help me out here?
Give it a sniff!
( Tanjiro sniffs )
( Gasps )
It smells like a cat to me.
Boy: You see?
Woman 3: So it really was a cat.
Boy: I tried to tell you I didn't do it!
Man 3: Hey there, tanjiro! I don't suppose
you could give me a hand with this luggage, could you?
( Wind blowing )
Tanjiro: How'd it get so late?
Oh, well. At least I sold out.
- Man: Hang on! Tanjiro! - Tanjiro: Eh?
Man: You're not going back up the mountain now.
It's simply too dangerous.
Tanjiro: Oh, I'll be fine. I've got a good nose.
Man: You can stay here for the night.
Come on. Get inside.
Tanjiro: No, i'm--
man: Don't argue. Just get in here...
Before the demons show up.
Tanjiro: Thanks for dinner.
Hey, uh, Mr. Saburo, what did you mean by "demons"?
Saburo: There have always been man-eating demons
prowling about after dark.
That's why it's not safe to go outside at night.
Time for bed.
You can set off for home at first light.
Tanjiro: These demons,
they're not able to come inside your house, are they?
Saburo: Yes, they could come in.
( Chorus vocalizing )
Tanjiro: But, then, wouldn't they just eat everyone?
Saburo: The demon slayers protect us
by killing as many as they can.
They always have.
Now go to sleep.
It's lights out.
Tanjiro: Old man saburo,
he's been on his own since he lost his family.
He must be lonely.
I'll bring my brothers and sisters by.
You don't have to be scared.
There are no demons. You're safe.
Although, now that I think of it,
my grandma used to say the same thing
before she passed away.
( Birds chirping )
Saburo: You be careful now.
Tanjiro: Thank you!
( Bird squawks )
Tanjiro: Whenever happiness is destroyed...
It's always followed...
Eh?
( Sniffs )
The smell of blood.
( Woman vocalizing )
( Panting )
( Gasping )
Nezuko!
What happened?! What's going on here?!
What happened to you?!
( Gasps )
Mom?
( Gasping )
Mom. Hanako.
Takeo. Shigeru.
Nezuko. Rokuta.
- ( Panting ) - ( Footsteps crunching )
Nezuko's the only one who's still warm.
If I can get her to a doctor, she might live.
How could something like this happen?
Maybe a bear...
That couldn't find a place to hibernate?
I can't breathe!
The air is icy! My lungs hurt!
Just keep moving!
Move those legs of yours faster!
We've still got a long way to go to get to town. Hurry!
I won't let you die.
No matter what it takes,
your big brother will save you!
( Nezuko gurgles )
( Growling )
( Tanjiro gasping )
Oh, no!
( Screams )
( Snow crunches )
( Shudders )
The snow saved me...
But the snow is the only reason I fell.
Nezuko?
Nezuko, are you okay?
You don't have to walk!
Let me carry you to town, all right?
Nezuko!
( Nezuko growls )
( Snarling )
Sh-she's...
A demon!
This is what old man saburo tried to tell me about.
She's a man-eating demon?
Impossible! Nezuko's a human
since the day she was born!
Except she doesn't have nezuko's scent anymore.
But she isn't the one who killed them.
She was lying on top of rokuta like she was protecting him,
and her hands and mouth weren't covered in blood,
but there was one more. There was another scent!
- ( Gasps ) - ( Flesh creaking )
- How are you getting bigger?! - ( Nezuko growling )
Tanjiro: And she's getting stronger, too!
While I was sleeping like a baby at saburo's,
you were all being brutally murdered!
It must have hurt.
You suffered, didn't you?
I'm sorry I wasn't there to help.
I have to at least save nezuko, though!
But she's too strong for me to do anything!
Nezuko! Hang on, nezuko!
Don't give in! You gotta hang on!
Don't let it take control!
You gotta stay strong!
Just hang on! Please!
( Gasps )
( Nezuko weeping )
¶
Eh? ( Gasps )
( Swordsman gasps )
( Wind gusting )
( Tanjiro grunts )
( Flesh creaks )
What the...
( Wind blowing )
( Sword clinks )
Who's that?
( Gasps )
A sword?
Swordsman: Why are you protecting it?
Tanjiro: She's my sister!
I was taking her to get help!
( Nezuko snarling )
Tanjiro: Nezuko!
Swordsman: You call that thing your sister?
( Nezuko snarling )
( Tanjiro gasps )
( Nezuko growling )
( Tanjiro gasping )
- Nezuko! - Swordsman: Don't move!
My job is to slay every demon I find,
which means I have to decapitate your sister here.
Tanjiro: No, wait!
Nezuko hasn't hurt anyone!
Back at my house,
there was another scent I'd never smelled before!
That's probably the one who killed my family!
Nezuko didn't do it!
I don't know why she's changed into something like this,
but still--
swordsman: It's really quite simple.
She's turned because her wounds were exposed to demon blood.
That's how the man-eating monsters multiply.
Tanjiro: Nezuko would never eat a human!
Swordsman: You must be joking.
If I hadn't gotten here when I did,
she would have devoured you.
Tanjiro: You're wrong! She wouldn't hurt me!
She knows I'm her big brother!
And I won't let her hurt anyone!
I'll turn her back into a human!
I will heal her!
Swordsman: She can't be healed.
Once you become a demon, no one can ever turn back.
Tanjiro: There's a way,
and I'll find it, no matter what it takes,
so please let her live!
I'll hunt down the one who slaughtered my family!
I promise I'll make everything right! Please!
Just let her go!
Please don't do this!
Don't--don't take anyone else away from me.
( Crying ) I'm begging you.
Please...
Don't kill my little sister.
Please don't do it!
I'm begging you.
( Crying )
( Swordsman sputters )
Don't grovel like that
and give your enemies the chance to kill you!
- ( Tanjiro gasps ) - Swordsman: All you're doing
is making yourself vulnerable!
If it were even a little bit effective,
your family would still be alive right now!
How can a weakling like you
have any hope of finding a way to heal his sister
or hunt down a demon?!
Don't be ridiculous!
The weak have no rights.
They don't get to make choices! All they can do
is be relentlessly crushed by the strong!
Now, maybe the demons know of a way to cure your sister.
Maybe! But don't think for even a moment
that any one of them is going to respect your wishes,
just like I have no respect for you!
That's reality.
And why the hell did you throw yourself over her like that?
Was that your way of protecting her?
Why didn't you swing that hatchet?
And why would you ever turn your back to me?
Those mistakes are what led to her capture!
I could have easily just skewered the both of you
and been done with it!
( thinking ) Don't cry.
Don't succumb to sorrow.
This isn't the time to despair.
I know you're devastated right now.
Your family massacred. Your sister a demon.
I know it hurts.
I know you want to scream.
I understand.
If only I'd gotten here half a day sooner,
maybe then, your family would still be alive.
However, there's no way to turn back time,
so feel it.
Feel the pure rage of being unable to forgive.
Let it be what gives you the strength to take action.
With that fragile resolve of yours,
you can't protect your sister or heal her,
and you'll never get revenge
for what happened to your family!
Tanjiro: No!
( Nezuko growling )
- ( Shrieks ) - Tanjiro: Don't you touch her!
( Nezuko growling )
( woman vocalizing )
( Tanjiro yells )
Swordsman: You let your emotion drive you to charge at me.
You are a fool!
( Tanjiro groans )
( nezuko gasps )
Swordsman: Huh? What happened to the hatchet?
( Gasps )
Right before he went behind that tree...
He threw the rock, and, at the same time,
he tossed the hatchet.
He was only pretending to attack me
so I wouldn't realize he was unarmed.
He knew he had no way of beating me.
His whole plan was to bring me down
after I'd knocked him out.
This kid.
( Nezuko growling )
Swordsman: Damn it!
She'll kill him!
( Gasps )
Tanjiro: Nezuko...
- Nezuko didn't do it. - ( Nezuko growling )
Tanjiro: She'd never eat a human!
( Nezuko snarling )
Swordsman: Long ago,
someone else said the same thing,
only to end up being devoured.
A starving demon will eat anyone,
its own brothers, sisters, parents.
They're rich in nutrients.
I've seen it more times than I can count.
This girl has been badly wounded.
She's using up a lot of energy to heal herself.
And surely most of her strength
was drained during her transformation,
so there's no question.
She's starving right now.
She must have been craving a feast right from the start,
even her own brother,
but she protected him
and turned her attention to me.
I wonder if...
Just maybe...
These two are different.
( Nezuko gags )
( Family sighing )
Mother: We have to leave you behind, tanjiro.
I'm so sorry.
Take care of nezuko.
( Woman vocalizing )
( tanjiro gasps )
Swordsman: You awake?
( Tanjiro gasps )
Swordsman: Get to mount sagiri as soon as possible.
Look for an old man named sakonji urokodaki.
When you find him, tell him giyu tomioka sent you.
It's cloudy, so she seems to be all right at the moment,
but never let her be exposed to sunlight.
Tanjiro: Let's go.
( Singing in Japanese )
¶ I'll spend all 30 nights
( singing in Japanese )
¶ Staring into the sky
( singing in Japanese )
( Woman vocalizing )
( Chorus vocalizing )
( Woman vocalizing )