"So this is Momoyama…"
Hiru gazed at the mountains blanketed in freely blooming pink peach blossoms, an unconscious smile lifting the corners of his mouth.
"A sight as resplendent as the morning glow—perhaps even the spring breeze would lose itself in it."
"Wasn't it thanks to me that we made it here in time? Caw…"
"Oh my, you really worked hard—" Hiru curled a finger and rubbed Kitaro's chin lightly. "Though the fallen apricot blossoms have a charm of their own too… Spring scenery really is wonderful—"
"I just want to rest, gah…"
"Haha, sorry, sorry. You can go rest properly now. Once I'm done, I'll come find you at the Wisteria House."
"Caw, you're not going to walk from the mountain foot to some other mountain again, are you…"
"Fallen apricot blossoms can't compare to peach blossoms in full bloom. Have a little faith in my sense of aesthetics."
"Other than your strength and looks, you're completely untrustworthy, gah."
"…So are you leaving or not?"
After a brief silence, Kitaro spread his wings and took off.
"Remember to come find me once you're done, gah!"
"Yes, yes, I know." Hiru watched Kitaro fly into the distance, then let his gaze return to the vivid scenery around him.
"So this really is Momoyama… Two hundred and forty years ago, it was still just barren mountains. Back then, the waterfall here was truly magnificent…"
Honestly, none of the scenery in my memories matches anymore. Anyone would get lost like this… If I remember correctly, the waterfall should be over there…
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH—!"
A shrill, filthy screech that could only be called auditory pollution pierced straight through Hiru's ears.
Pulled out of his recollections, he felt an indescribable wave of nausea crawl over him and instinctively turned toward the source of the sound. Immediately after, an even louder voice rang out—
"Pull yourself together! No crying! No running away! Everything you're doing is completely meaningless!"
"Aaah—! No! If I keep training, I'll definitely die! I'll really die for real!"
Curious, Hiru climbed up along the side of the cliff and saw a short old man—small in stature, yet with an overwhelming presence—furiously leaning on his cane.
"At this level, no one's going to die! Get down from that tree right now! You idiotic disciple!"
Hiru's gaze fixed on the crude prosthetic attached to the old man's right leg, confirming that this was indeed the target of his trip—Kuwajima Jigoro.
[So that black-haired kid is his disciple?]
Hiru looked at the boy clinging to the tree trunk, wailing at the top of his lungs.
[Did Giyu and the others go through something like this back then too?]
"Grandpa! Grandpa, listen to me!"
Kuwajima slammed his cane heavily against the ground. "Call me Master!!"
"I've always… always liked Grandpa the most!!"
Hiru saw Kuwajima Jigoro's movements freeze. The old man's scarred, fierce-looking face softened, but before he could say anything, the boy clinging to the tree let out another ear-splitting shriek.
"I borrowed a ton of money from the Black Society for the woman I secretly loved who ran off with someone else! I ended up drowning in debt! Grandpa was the one who saved someone like me! I'm really grateful to Grandpa!"
Snot and tears were completely mixed together on the boy's face, yet his words were still perfectly clear.
"But Grandpa wants to train a proper swordsman, right! Even someone as worthless as me wanted to live up to your expectations!! But I really can't do it! I'm sorry! Someone like me must have disappointed you, right?!"
"Calm down, Zenitsu!"
"Even when I was hiding from you, I was still training hard! I really didn't slack off!" The black-haired boy named Zenitsu continued screaming at an unbearable pitch. "But my training hasn't produced any results at all! What's going on?! Why is it like this?! Why are you doing this to me?!"
"No! Zenitsu! You actually have great talent—"
Before Kuwajima could finish, a golden bolt of lightning—nearly three meters thick—came crashing down with blinding speed, striking the tree Zenitsu was clinging to.
The boy instantly lost consciousness and fell from the tree.
"Zenitsu!"
Kuwajima Jigoro shouted his name and rushed over.
Hiru, who had witnessed everything, couldn't help but look up at the sky, then quietly moved away from the tree beside him.
[This dry-weather lightning isn't here to strike me, is it?]
The commotion drew Kuwajima's attention. His sharp gaze shot over, but when he noticed the uniform Hiru was wearing, his expression softened, and he turned back to look at the boy who had been blasted out of the tree.
Hiru walked over slowly and looked at Zenitsu. His face was scorched black, yet his hair had become an unusually dazzling color. He fell silent for a moment.
"…Can lightning even dye hair?"
"Kid, don't stand there making sarcastic comments." Kuwajima shot Hiru a rather exasperated look. "Help me carry my disciple back first. In this condition, we need to find a doctor."
Hiru lifted Zenitsu into his arms and sniffed lightly.
"…This lightning actually smells pretty good."
Kuwajima looked even more speechless.
"He'll be fine. His body's strong—this won't kill him."
Hiru tilted his head toward Kuwajima. "By the way, I haven't introduced myself. I'm Hiru, a Human Hashira. I've come at Oyakata-sama's request."
"Mm. And what is it you're here for?"
"The Oyakata-sama hopes you'll accept the new prosthetic implantation."
"No need." Kuwajima waved his hand dismissively. "An old man like me, who's no longer going onto the battlefield, has no business taking up those resources. Give it to the young ones who still plan to fight, or to those with other skills."
"Alright then, I'll impose on you."
Kuwajima halted and looked up at Hiru.
"Do you not understand what I'm saying, kid?"
"Mm… you refused." Hiru tilted his head as well. "But this is Oyakata-sama's request. To this day, I've never failed a mission. Besides, my workload isn't heavy, and the scenery here is so beautiful. Staying a while until you change your mind is fine too."
"Outrageous!" Kuwajima slammed his cane down. "What Hashira isn't busy?! Hurry up and leave, and go do your proper work!"
"It's fine, it's fine. My job is catching demons during the exams. If I catch fewer, maybe more trainees will survive."
Kuwajima stared in shock at Hiru, who was smiling harmlessly—almost respectfully. He couldn't understand when the Demon Slayer Corps had gained such a shameless swordsman.
"Catching demons is no less important than slaying them!" Kuwajima said angrily. "Letting swordsmen who failed the exam join the Demon Slayer Corps is utterly irresponsible toward everyone's lives!"
"Then please just agree quickly." Hiru kept smiling, his tone steady. "Once you agree, I'll go back to work. Honestly, if the scenery weren't this beautiful, I wouldn't want to stay with a stubborn old man like you."
Kuwajima's beard practically stood on end in fury.
"Oh my, where should I go to admire the scenery first—how exciting."
"Enough! This is absolute nonsense!"
Kuwajima waved his cane.
"I'll accept the prosthetic. Now get back to work."
"No, no. You said the same thing when you fooled Kakushi before."
Hiru shook his head.
"I need to see it fitted with my own eyes—so please arrange lodging for me, will you?"
Kuwajima, who genuinely intended to do exactly that: …
[This damned little brat!]