It was today the day in which it’s officially the Hashira Meeting where Tanjiro and Nezuko are brought before all ten Pillars to decide whether Nezuko should be executed.

The tension in the courtyard was palpable, the air thick with judgment and suspicion. Giyuu stood apart from the others, his expression unreadable, his eyes fixed on some distant point as if wrestling with his own thoughts. Shinobu’s gaze drifted toward him, her lips curving in the faintest of smiles—though whether it was mockery, curiosity, or both was impossible to tell.

On the ground, Tanjiro struggled beneath Obanai’s firm grip. The serpent Hashira’s snake coiled lazily around his shoulders, its unblinking eyes mirroring its master’s cold scrutiny. Tanjiro’s breath came in short bursts, his mind torn between defending himself and protecting what truly mattered—Nezuko.

Tengen crossed his arms, tilting his head with a smirk.

Tengen: “This Tanjiro kid isn’t flashy at all,” he declared, almost disappointed, as if heroism itself had to sparkle to be worthy. Mitsuri, by contrast, clasped her hands against her chest, her eyes shimmering with adoration.

Mitsuri: “Bur they so cute! what a shame the little demon has to die.”

That warmth shattered in an instant. Sanemi stepped forward with sudden ferocity, his blade flashing as he plunged it into the wooden box at Tanjiro’s side. A cry rose—not from Tanjiro’s lips, but from the box itself. Nezuko’s muffled, pained sound was enough to make Tanjiro’s eyes blaze with anger.

Tanjiro: “DONT TOUCH HER!”

Muichiro didn’t even glance at the commotion; his eyes followed the slow drift of clouds overhead, his expression calm, almost detached from the chaos unfolding around him.

Rengoku’s booming laugh suddenly cut through the tension.

Rengoku: “So flamboyant!” he roared, though whether he referred to Sanemi’s act or the charged atmosphere was unclear. Nearby, Gyomei knelt, his massive frame hunched in prayer, tears streaming down his cheeks like always.

Obanai, still holding Tanjiro to the ground, spoke.

Obanai: “{{user}}, what’s your stance? You haven’t said a word.”