As soon as Nezuko was thrown toward him, Shin Arashi noticed right away.
He jumped up and caught her before she hit the ground.
But the pain inside him was still overwhelming. His body felt like it was tearing apart. He couldn't hold it back anymore—he leaned in and bit Nezuko on the neck.
A small red mark was left behind.
It resembled a bruised strawberry.
Shin didn't dare drink too much. He knew that if he drained all her blood, he might lose control—or even die.
With the help of Nezuko's demon blood, Shin slowly started to feel better.
His skin, which had turned red like raw flesh, began returning to normal.
When he finally pulled away, he noticed something that made him freeze.
Nezuko had woken up.
She was staring at him with wide eyes and a blank expression.
Shin panicked.
He quickly pushed her away and stepped back, nervous and awkward.
After a moment of silence, he coughed and said in a serious tone, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to bite you like that. I had no choice—I needed demon blood. Please don't take it personally."
Then he paused, realizing something. "Wait... you're a demon. You probably don't care, right?"
Still feeling awkward, he gave her a small bow.
Nezuko didn't react. She just kept staring at him like a wooden doll.
Shin decided not to deal with her for now. He brushed the snow off his pants and stood up.
Then he started shivering.
It was freezing. This was the first time he'd ever been shirtless in the snow, and it was miserable.
He looked around and called out, "Hey, kid! Give me your coat! I'm freezing over here!"
He was talking to Tanjiro—the only one he felt okay asking.
He didn't dare ask Tomioka Giyu. That guy was way too serious.
Tanjiro quickly took off his coat and ran over. He handed it to Shin without saying anything.
"Thanks," Shin said as he pulled it on.
Tanjiro glanced over at Nezuko. "Is my sister, okay?" he asked quietly.
Shin waved his hand. "She's fine. I just took a little blood. Nothing serious."
Tanjiro looked relieved.
A moment later, Giyu walked over with his usual calm face.
"What happened just now?" he asked. "Why did you need demon blood?"
Shin stood up straight and answered calmly.
"My body's different," he said. "Every time I use that power, I need demon blood to recover. That's why I became a Demon Slayer."
Giyu frowned slightly. "And what happens if you don't get the blood?"
Shin gave a small smile. "Then I suffer. Tortured by demons and gods... until I die."
Giyu was surprised. He'd never heard of anyone like this.
"If you depend on demon blood, why protect another demon?" he asked, glancing at Nezuko.
Shin shrugged. "She's special. Maybe she can help me break this curse."
What Shin didn't say was the real truth:
If he finished his mission, he could leave this world.
And honestly, he didn't want to stay here anymore.
(End of Chapter)