Chapter Text
The night was so hot that it troubled Muichiro's sleep, but he had no intention of speaking to his brother Yūichiro, who was tossing on the ground due to the heat. Muichiro couldn't stand his brother's bad habits towards Amane-sama, that beautiful woman who had offered them the chance to become swordsmen. Yūichiro couldn't bear the thought of meeting the same fate as their parents, but according to Muichiro, they would be able to help many people if they had proper training. The Tokito twins' cabin was immersed in darkness, illuminated only by the starlight. Eventually, the brothers managed to fall asleep despite the heat, sleeping deeply, unaware of the imminent danger.
Suddenly, a rustle broke the silence of the night. A demon was approaching the cabin, drawn by the scent of the two young boys. The demon, hungry and fierce, burst through the door with a crash, startling the twins awake.
Muichiro and Yūichiro jumped up, hearts pounding. The demon advanced quickly, ready to strike Muichiro. Yūichiro, in an instinctive gesture, positioned himself between the demon and his brother, ready to sacrifice himself to protect his brother. The demon attacked, taking Yūichiro's arm and began to speak, "You're just two woodcutters, you're useless. You can't help anyone if you exist or not, it doesn't matter, you're just lives without a purp-"
The demon's words were cut off by a figure that emerged from the night, swift and deadly. It was a boy with white hair; Muichiro couldn't see him clearly but he could tell that he was many years their senior yet youthful , but he moved with agility and precision, confronting the demon with unstoppable fury. "Stay back!" he shouted to the twins, as he slashed at the demon with swift and lethal strikes. The demon, surprised by the hunter's strength and determination, tried to escape, but the white-haired boy gave him no quarter. His eyes gleamed with a fierce purple light. With one powerful blow, he decapitated the demon, which dissolved into ash before the twins' incredulous eyes.
Yūichiro collapsed to the ground, exhausted and injured, while Muichiro rushed to him, tears streaming down his face. "Yūichiro!" he cried, trying to staunch the blood flowing from his brother's severed arm.
The white-haired boy approached quickly, examining the wound with a practiced eye. "This needs to be treated immediately," he said, tearing a piece of his cloak to bandage Yūichiro's arm. "Don't worry, I'll take him to a safe place," he said, giving Muichiro a reassuring pat on the head.
The young man with white hair brought the twins to the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters. "You're lucky, kid. Oyakata-sama asked me to come to you at just the right moment. Your brother is in good hands and will be fine," said the boy in a tone that was less reassuring but firm. "Thank you, Senpai. Without you, my brother would surely have died because of me," Muichiro began, crying, but the boy interrupted him abruptly.
"My name is Sanemi Shinazugawa, kid. Your brother is in bad shape, so do me a favor and stick by him. Don't give him any more reasons to worry," he said in one breath, without giving Muichiro a chance to respond. He left, saying he would come back to check on Yūichiro.
Despite being weakened, Yūichiro managed to survive during his recovery. Yūichiro and Muichiro got to know their savior better as he had promised to check on them.