Tsuchihara rose as usual, then took up his cane and stationed himself at the entrance of the mountain.
Ever since he was a child, rumors of man-eating bears had haunted these woods. Back then, he too had been full of fire, imagining he could slay the beast and become a hero in the eyes of the village.
But illness kept him from joining the hunting team. Just as he was regretting it, he encountered the hunters returning—covered in blood, screaming that a mountain god dwelled within, all of them driven into madness.
Every party that went afterward returned the same way. Those who survived came back wounded, raving, then died… his best friend among them.
He had wanted revenge too, but after seeing what madness had done to those people, he no longer dared enter the mountain. So, bound by obsession, he settled at its foot, constantly urging travelers to take another route while secretly hoping for someone who could avenge his friend.
In later years, he occasionally encountered people dressed like the youth from last night—clad in strange uniforms, entering the mountain only after dark… yet none of them ever emerged again.
Thinking of this, Tsuchihara sighed. He should have held on and stopped that boy yesterday. He was still so young…
"Old man, you're guarding this place again?"
Tsuchihara looked up. The youth from the previous night—the one who had insisted on going into the mountain despite being blindfolded—now stood before him. Though in a disheveled state, he looked spirited, even… happy?
Behind him stood a white-haired youth half a head taller, wearing a half fox mask that covered the lower half of his face. A gentle smile touched his lips. "Someone you know?"
"Yeah, the old man who wouldn't let me enter the mountain last night."
"You… you…" Tsuchihara's hand trembled as he reached out. "The mountains…"
"Oh, that? Old man, you were wrong—there aren't any bears," Hiru laughed. "A pity it wasn't a bear, but anyway, I've taken care of the trouble. You can go into the mountain without worry now."
Tsuchihara watched the youth wave goodbye and walk off with the white-haired one, the two chatting and laughing. He remained frozen for a long moment before tears welled in his clouded eyes. "Tomohisa… Moriya… someone has avenged you…"
...
Hiru hummed an unknown tune, playing with a pale yellow pebble in his hand. "It's a shame I didn't catch a bear to fill my stomach, but running into a light-colored demon like that—my frustration vanished instantly!"
"Heh… that demon wasn't too pleased, though."
"More than displeased! The guy froze the moment he saw us crawling through that gap in the rocks! He looked like he'd seen a demon—well, he did, ha ha ha!" Hiru's grin refused to fade.
Yoriichi glanced toward the Wisteria House. "Let's change clothes first. Going around like this is too undignified."
"Yeah." Hiru looked down at his torn uniform. "But I don't think I can explain this… maybe I should secretly burn it."
"Hiru? Yoriichi?"
They looked up to see Sabito approaching with Giyu. Hiru waved. "Long time no see."
"Yeah, long time. And this…" Sabito stared at Hiru's uniform, covered in slash marks though he bore no wound at all, wearing a baffled expression. "Is this some sort of new fashion?"
Hiru: …Ugh, here we go again.
"Meditation," Giyu said with a nod toward Hiru, then turned to Yoriichi. "I've mastered it."
Yoriichi reached out and ruffled Giyu's hair. "Really? That's great, Giyu."
"No, we're different."
"Mm, but you're doing very well."
Hiru watched Yoriichi and Giyu communicate effortlessly and nudged Sabito. "Still can't speak normally?"
"Uh… actually he's much better," Sabito muttered, mouth twitching. "Back then, Giyu would've definitely said: 'I'm not like you.'"
"…Doesn't sound that much better."
"Haha, forget him. You two are pretty lively together." Sabito hooked his arm around Hiru's shoulders. "I was shocked when I heard Yoriichi became a Hashira!"
"Don't mention it… I was hoping to become one before my brother." Hiru pouted. "By the way, have you been back to Mount Sagiri recently?"
"Yeah, we went." Sabito smiled. "The brothers you recommended—Sanemi, the elder one—has talent. Just not suited for Breathing Water. After passing the trial, the master sent him to another trainer to learn Breathing Styles. He's not at Mount Sagiri anymore."
"So you all get along fine?"
"Well… Makomo gets along with him. They train and exchange notes. Giyu…" Sabito's mouth twitched. "Giyu and Sanemi fought the very first time they met."
"Even with that bandit face… Sanemi's reasonable. Why fight?"
Sabito glanced at Giyu, who was listening to Yoriichi's explanation nearby, then leaned in close. "That day, after a mission, we went to visit the master. Makomo made hagi-mochi. Giyu saw Sanemi liked it, so he gave him his own portion."
"…Isn't that fine?"
"But when Sanemi asked 'Why?', Giyu replied, 'Because I'm different from you.' Then when Sanemi got mad, Giyu added, 'I don't like this.' And since the master was away setting up obstacles and Makomo and I were outside helping Genya… yeah. The two of them…"
Hiru: …
"Haha, but it's fine now. Makomo and I explained everything." Sabito tightened his hold on Hiru's shoulder. "I heard you've been active lately. Think you can make Hashira this year?"
"Forget this year—I'll be one by the next Hashira Meeting." Hiru finally shook off his arm. "Though I'll probably be the first to achieve it by catching demons…"
"That's impressive! Catching demons is harder than killing them."
"But it's so troublesome…"
"Ahem. How many demons have you sent to Mount Fujikasane?"
Hiru looked at her oddly. "Why ask? You've already passed."
"Ahem." Sabito leaned in, lowering his voice. "Makomo's next exam is coming."
"Oh~ I didn't expect that from you, Sabito." Hiru's smile turned sly. "I've caught more than twenty so far. Others will probably contribute too. Count on fifty."
"Fifty… about the same as usual." Sabito stroked his chin. "Feels like another year where the demons get wiped out."
"Makomo? I doubt she has that much stamina… and actually finding demons is the hard part."
"But Kanae and Sanemi are participating." Sabito nodded. "Kanae is very strong. And Sanemi is Rare Blood among Rare Bloods. Demons will probably lose their minds the moment they smell it."
"Sanemi's blood is no joke…" Hiru nodded seriously. "Oh, Sabito, help me think of an excuse to tell the Kakushi about this uniform…"
Sabito blinked. "Isn't it a new fashion?"
"What fashion puts holes all over your clothes?!"
"I thought it was your hobby since you had no wounds…"
"…Haven't seen you in so long and you pick a fight right away?!"
"Hahaha! You were always weird before, Hiru. Misunderstanding you is natural."
"Get lost!"
As they talked, the group arrived at the Wisteria House. The Kakushi who opened the door froze when he saw Hiru's appearance, but then calmly stepped aside. "You must be tired. Please, come in."
The scene Hiru imagined—having to explain the ruined uniform—never happened. The Kakushi swiftly prepared fresh clothes and meals, skillfully avoiding disturbing them… if one ignored their secret attempts to peek at Yoriichi.
After dinner, Hiru accepted the brand-new uniform offered to him. Even after thanking them, he still felt incredulous. "They're so fast… I didn't even get measured."
"Though the Kakushi don't fight, plenty of them are skilled," Sabito said, watching one depart. "The one who designs uniforms—he's a bit of a pervert, but he can size you at a glance. He became a Kakushi because he couldn't master Breathing Styles."
"…There's so much wrong with that." Hiru unfolded the uniform, held it against himself, then folded it neatly. "But… it's strange."
"What?"
"Ever since joining the Demon Slayer Corps, I've barely spent any money."
"You didn't know?" Sabito looked surprised. "The Ubuyashiki clan runs the entire Corps on their own wealth."
Hiru's eyes widened. "Huh? They're that rich?"
Giyu glanced at the silent Yoriichi walking behind them, then decided to join the conversation. "I have money too."
Hiru: …Wouldn't it be better if you stayed quiet?