"It's been a long time since I've had a drink… Alcohol only causes trouble. I'll probably just throw it up anyway."
To be honest, after everything he'd been through—helplessness, confusion, despair, pain, and more despair—Kawanishi…
If not for the sense that his family's spirits were still watching over him, if not for the thought of Tanjiro, whom he couldn't stop worrying about, if not for the vengeance he had yet to fulfill…
Then most likely, Kawanishi would've already walked into the sunlight, to feel the warmth of the sun one last time—before ending it all.
Right now, all he wanted was to drink until he forgot. But demons couldn't consume anything else. Drinking would probably just lead to vomiting.
"Black Fang… let me borrow your family's wine. Let's see if I can forget everything for just a while."
Kawanishi wasn't satisfied with the tiny hole poked in the wine jar. He grabbed the seal paper and tore it clean off. Instantly, a rich, aged aroma rushed into his nostrils.
Black Fang had lived as a demon for over sixty years. Since then, this wine cellar had never been opened.
Kawanishi was its first guest in decades.
And wine that had been sealed and aged for so long… it had to taste unlike anything else.
"Come to think of it, this is actually the first time I've ever had alcohol."
"Father… you always said that alcohol is something only adults can appreciate. That since I was still underage, I wasn't allowed to drink. But today, I'm going to break your rule."
"And you were wrong. It's not that adults understand alcohol—it's those who've been through life's hardships who truly understand it."
"Maybe you didn't know, but… I'm not originally from this world. Counting my past life, I'm over thirty now. So really, I'm more than old enough."
His memories of his past life didn't affect him much—they had awakened gradually as he grew older. In childhood, they felt sealed away, only resurfacing when he was well into his teens.
Still, those memories didn't give him any real advantage.
Kawanishi had poor memory, wasn't good at studying, and didn't understand math or science.
He wasn't like other reincarnators—the kind who knew astronomy and geography, who could advance civilization or change the world single-handedly.
No. Kawanishi wasn't that capable.
All he ever wanted in this world was to live as an ordinary person with a warm and loving family.
And he really liked the people here—they were so pure.
Unlike in his previous life, where everything often felt ridiculous and twisted…
He chuckled to himself. There was no point thinking about that world anymore. It held no meaning for him now.
"This first jar of wine… is for you, Father. For all your teachings. Even now, after death, you're still guiding me…"
He grabbed the jar with one hand, tilted his head back, and lifted it high.
The wine poured out in torrents, flowing into his open mouth and down his throat.
The flavor was rich and fragrant—this was fine wine.
But all Kawanishi could taste was bitterness, spice—just like the turmoil in his heart.
Without pause, he drained the first jar.
And to his surprise… the nausea never came.
"Wait… demons can drink? That's ridiculously weird."
"Whatever."
In his past life, Kawanishi had drunk a few times. His tolerance was… laughable. Not even talking about high-proof liquor—just a single glass of cheap beer would leave his face flushed and his steps unsteady.
Now, as he felt the light dizziness creeping in, he muttered, "I became a demon thinking maybe I could finally drink hard… but I still get tipsy this fast…"
"Well then, let me be drunk."
"This second jar… is for you, Mother. For the care and warmth you gave me—the kind I never knew I needed."
He tore open the next jar and downed it in one go. His vision was starting to blur.
"This third jar… is for Tanjiro and the others. For your trust, for how you looked up to me as your older brother… I let you all down…"
Another jar emptied. Kawanishi's body began to sway dangerously atop the massive wine vats, threatening to fall.
He barely managed to steady himself, reaching out for yet another jar.
"This fourth jar… is for me. For the part of me that never gave up hope. As long as there's even a glimmer of light in the darkness—I'll chase it with all I've got…"
Thud!
He finally fell to the cold stone floor, fast asleep.
Perhaps… it wasn't the alcohol that made him pass out.
Perhaps his spirit… simply needed rest.
...
After circling Mount Aokari again, Shinobu still found no trace of any lingering man-eating demons.
"Maybe it already left… or maybe it's hiding too well. I'll stay a few more days. If nothing turns up, I'll have to leave."
"Hmph. I'll bring more Demon Slayers next time. Let's see if you can still hide then, you wretched little demon."
Shinobu had encountered Black Fang before—at the time, she'd just slashed another demon across the neck with her Nichirin blade. The demon had mocked her for not being strong enough to sever it.
Seconds later, the wisteria poison kicked in, and the demon died in agony.
In that moment of battle, she'd spotted Black Fang—but was too tied up to act. When she finally had a chance, he'd already vanished.
But Black Fang's scarred face had stuck with her. Shinobu's instincts told her—he wouldn't abandon this place so easily.
"Searching for demons in the dead of night really is boring. There goes another night of beauty sleep…"
Demons roamed at night, and humans slept. Scouring an entire mountain was tiring.
Shinobu felt a little moody. She decided to head back and sleep until five or six in the afternoon before setting out again.
It didn't take long before she returned to Ishibashi Town. As she passed Mr. Nagatani's home, she briefly considered checking on Kawanishi.
"…Nah, it's late. He's probably asleep by now. I'll ask him tomorrow—see if he's really willing to join the Demon Slayer Corps."
She had no way of knowing that Kawanishi was already hiding somewhere else in the same town—drunk and snoring like a pig.
The town was large, and Black Fang's home had been abandoned for decades. Few remembered it, and perhaps no one knew the wine cellar even existed.
At the very least, Shinobu wouldn't be able to find it.
She passed the house without stopping and returned to a room the town chief had prepared for her. She removed her haori and outer garments, leaving only her underclothes, then lay on the bed and soon fell into a deep sleep.
Even then, she kept her Nichirin blade tightly gripped in her hand—never letting it go.
Neither of them realized yet—
Danger was already on its way.
(End of Chapter)