During the Meiji era, it was said that after sunset, demons would devour humans...
"Hoo—"
Haruto suddenly opened his eyes from his sleep, seeing his master, Godou River, before him.
Godou River, like all the swordsmiths in Swordsmith Village, wore a Fire Man mask daily.
Beneath that strange and ugly mask was a serious old man with thick, short eyebrows.
The old man still held a hammer for forging nichirin blades, and carried the scorching scent of flames on him.
"What's wrong? Had a nightmare?"
"It seems so..."
Haruto slowly and dazedly reached for his chest, only letting out a long breath after feeling his heart beat.
"So it was a dream..."
But that dream was far too real.
He could still remember the feeling of power draining from every corner of his body, the helplessness as that thick, demonic hand pierced his chest... it was simply terrifying.
"Since you're awake, get up. The Kakushi should be here soon."
Godou River spoke concisely, then went back to forging nichirin blades with his hammer.
He had been so startled by his apprentice's voice that he hadn't even put on his clogs.
But he didn't say any words of concern, remaining as silent as the iron hammer in his hand.
His handsome apprentice sat on the veranda, lost in thought as he gazed at the wind chimes swaying in the breeze.
Was it really a dream?
But why could he so clearly remember the Hand Demon protecting its neck with its arm?
And that young boy with the pinkish-red hair, wearing a fox mask with his fellow disciples.
He must have slain the demon in the end, but he didn't know if he had contacted the Ubuyashiki Family to have his body sent back to Swordsmith Village.
Haruto meant... in the dream.
He also wondered what kind of expression Godou River in the dream would have upon seeing his body?
Shock? Sadness?
Or would he be silently hammering the nichirin blade blank in his hand, just like now?
Haruto's thoughts wandered, drifting out of the Godou Family home, up to the village, vaguely sensing a person with steady footsteps hurrying towards them.
"It's the Kakushi!"
Haruto immediately snapped back to reality, scrambling up from the floor to pack his backpack.
It was heavy, filled with 200 rice balls Godou River had stayed up all night to make.
A backpack, a nichirin blade, and... a haori.
He walked to the clothes rack, where two haoris hung.
One was his own, with a red and yellow flame pattern.
The other belonged to Godou River, a somewhat rustic blue landscape embroidery haori... In the dream, he had died wearing that red and yellow haori.
Haruto raised an eyebrow, then put on the landscape embroidery haori.
It wasn't until the Kakushi arrived at the Godou Family's doorstep that Godou River put down his work, turning to look at Haruto, his gaze momentarily stunned.
"Master, I'll wear this today."
The young man stood in the hall, wearing a blue haori, with a long nichirin blade at his waist, looking spirited and dashing... He really did resemble Godou River's son, who had died thirty years ago.
At that time, Ryouji, who had just become a member of the Demon Slayer Corps, had said to him with such youthful exuberance: "Father, I'll wear this today!"
Although the haori was no longer the original one, the spirited expression was remarkably similar.
Godou River's throat bobbed once, and he nodded blankly: "Alright."
Haruto, wearing a blindfold and earplugs, lay on the back of a Kakushi, swaying in the darkness.
Hmm... Although it was his first time leaving Swordsmith Village, he felt as if he had already traveled this path in a dream.
As usual, when he was handed over, he offered rice balls to the Kakushi carrying him, saying loudly: "Thank you for your hard work! Please enjoy these!"
When the last Kakushi placed Haruto at the designated spot, she removed the young man's blindfold and earplugs, and was lost in thought by his blue eyes, which were shrouded in a thin mist.
Haruto's pupils suddenly contracted, his eyes fixed intently on the Kakushi's eyes.
"What's wrong, Mr. Takanashi...?"
The Kakushi quickly asked: "Have I been disrespectful in some way?"
Haruto hastily replied: "No, I apologize, I was just a bit distracted."
This Kakushi's appearance was exactly the same as the one he had seen in his dream... "Then, Mr. Takanashi, the rest of the journey is up to you."
The Kakushi spoke the exact same words as in his memory. Haruto, as usual, handed over two rice balls, but because his heart was pounding, he didn't chat much with her.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
He swallowed a few mouthfuls of saliva, standing by the roadside, unsure of what to do.
When in doubt... fill your stomach first.
He ate rice balls under the shade of a tree, deep in thought.
If everything in the dream was real, then what was his current situation?
A save reload?
Would everything that happened before play out again?
Haruto looked at his chest, imagining it being torn open again.
However, the best news right now was that he already knew where the Hand Demon would initially appear. He just needed to avoid that area and walk around it.
Or find a powerful Demon Slayer Swordsmen and follow him, he thought that young man with the fox mask was quite good.
Thinking this, his stomach was half-full, and he felt a surge of confidence. He stood up and ran towards Fujikasane Mountain.
The wisteria sea of Fujikasane Mountain was dazzlingly beautiful.
Haruto climbed the long staircase, and before him appeared the exact same scene as in his dream.
The cold eyes of the Demon Slayer Swordsmen, the two young men with fox masks standing in the corner... [Senior, my destined husband.]
After a few more strange bullet comments scrolled past, Haruto held his breath, it was coming.
My... death prophecy.
[Crocodile-sensei is so strange. This white-haired, blue-shirted young man is drawn so handsomely, but he's just a background character who appears for one frame?]
Hmm?
Had this line appeared before?
Haruto frowned slightly, a question rising in his heart.
[The one before, he appeared again during the Infinity Castle battle later.]
[Indeed, looking at that face, I thought he was a member of the main cast, but it turns out he's a background character hhhh]
[I feel like he's the most handsome character in the entire work, that melancholic white-haired boy with azure eyes, prprpr]
[Too bad his strength is lacking, he couldn't save Sabito.]
The bullet comments were... different?
His pupils were fixed on the floating text. That's right, there were no phrases like "got rekt" or "kicked the bucket."
And it even said he would reappear in some "Infinity Castle battle."
Had his fate been altered? Why?
And... please, why did the bullet comments have to criticize his strength!
Has my weakness transcended dimensions?
Besides, I'm just a personal Demon Slayer Swordsmen with two and a half years of training. Don't place the hope of saving someone on me!
Also... what does that character read, qing tu o_O?
If judging the importance of characters by their attire and art style, besides himself, the most likely main characters of this scene would be those two young men with fox masks, right?
And Haruto vaguely remembered that the Hand Demon had said something like "Urokodaki's fox boys" before engaging him in battle.
If his guess was correct, it should be referring to these two young men before him.
He had seen the young man with the pinkish-red hair when he was close to death before. From his voice and tone, he seemed to be a very gentle child.
As for the cool and aloof young man next to him, holding a long nichirin blade... he clearly wasn't easy to get along with.
Haruto secretly shuffled a few steps closer, preparing to stick close to them when it began.