Ryuji's actions weren't born from dislike, but from a dislike of Inosuke's boisterousness. He also needed to maintain his authority; otherwise, Inosuke would walk all over him.
"Inosuke, Ryuji-senpai didn't mean anything bad. He just wants you to be quiet," Tanjiro explained, fearing Inosuke might misunderstand Ryuji's intentions.
"A duel requires consent. Zenitsu carried you, and you twisted his ears the moment you woke up. You won't make friends like that!" Ryuji sheathed his sword.
Inosuke wasn't one to hold grudges. He quickly forgot Ryuji's actions and asked, "Friends? What are friends?"
Zenitsu, rubbing his sore ears behind Ryuji, thought Inosuke was an idiot for asking such a question.
Tanjiro was surprised Inosuke didn't know what a friend was, but kindly explained, "Friends are like me, Ryuji-senpai, and Zenitsu. We get along peacefully when there's no danger and face danger together."
"So that's it! Friends aren't important. What's important is that I'll headbutt you unconscious, Tan-CHI-ro!"
—"And you! White-hair, I'll defeat you too!"
Inosuke showed no interest in friendship, pointing at Ryuji and vowing to defeat him.
Ryuji ignored him, telling Zenitsu, "Zenitsu, let's go."
"Yes, Ryuji-senpai," Zenitsu replied, eager to avoid further interaction with Inosuke.
Without Inosuke on his back, Zenitsu felt relieved.
Tanjiro reminded Inosuke, "Let's catch up!"
He ran after them.
The crow seemed to know Inosuke had woken up and increased its speed.
Seeing them ignore him, Inosuke chased after Ryuji, quickly overtaking him and running ahead.
"Hahaha~ I passed you!" Inosuke laughed triumphantly.
Ryuji didn't speed up or respond to the taunt, maintaining the crow's pace.
However, Inosuke's speed gradually decreased due to his injuries and exhaustion, allowing Ryuji to overtake him.
Inosuke gritted his teeth and sped up again.
Ryuji remained silent until Inosuke was nearing his limit. "If you don't want to die, slow down, regulate your breathing, and fall back."
Inosuke stubbornly refused to yield. Ryuji added, "If you continue, you'll die on the way. Dying before defeating Tanjiro would be embarrassing."
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