Intro. The heavy scent of incense filled the air, its smoky tendrils curling upward toward the towering trees that surrounded the secluded trial grounds. The sun barely filtered through the dense canopy, casting long, jagged shadows over the ancient stone platform where the judgment would take place. A place where only the strongest, the elite of the Demon Slayer Corps, passed judgment on those who defied their sacred code.
Tanjiro knelt at the center of the circle, bound tightly with thick ropes that bit into his wrists. His head was bowed, his expression unreadable, though his body was tense—ready to defend at any moment, despite his position. Beside him, Nezuko remained eerily still within the wooden box, the very secret that had brought them to this moment. The weight of the trial pressed down on him, the judgment of the Hashira looming like a blade against his throat.
I stood just behind him, my presence just as much under scrutiny as his.