"I'm full! Thank you, grandpa Saburo!" Tanjiro put down his large bowl with a satisfied expression, politely thanking the old man.
On the other side, Tomioka Giyu watched Tanjiro with slight astonishment—it was his first time seeing a teenager with such an appetite.
Unlike Tanjiro's cheerful demeanor, Giyu was rather shy.
Silently, he pulled some coins from his pocket and tried to hand them to Saburo.
However, the old man shook his head and refused outright.
"It's just a few bowls of rice, nothing worth mentioning. This isn't a restaurant, child. No need to be so formal."
"Ah... thank you." Giyu seemed somewhat at a loss but eventually withdrew the coins, offering a simple word of gratitude.
After Saburo cleared the dishes, Tanjiro couldn't stop staring at Giyu's Demon Slayer Corps uniform and the Nichirin Blade at his waist.
Giyu quickly noticed Tanjiro's eager gaze.
Remembering how he usually spoke with Sabito, he tried his best to ask in a calm and gentle tone.
"Why are you staring at me?"
"Ah!" Tanjiro was startled by the sudden question and immediately apologized.
"I'm sorry! That was rude of me. Um, your name is Giyu Tomioka, right? May I call you Giyu-san?"
Giyu naturally didn't mind and nodded.
Tanjiro, delighted by the permission, quickly scooted closer to him.
"Giyu-san, I've actually wanted to ask for a while—your clothes and the sword sheath at your waist look just like someone I know." Tanjiro recalled Shinichi's attire.
This surprised Giyu, who glanced down at his own uniform.
"The same as mine?"
Tanjiro's eyes sparkled as he nodded excitedly, "Yes, exactly like yours! The senpai's name is Shinichi Moriki. Do you know him, Giyu-san?"
Whoosh!
Giyu's eyes widened instantly.
The Forest Hashira? This boy actually knew Shinichi?
Seeing Giyu's reaction, Tanjiro guessed he must also know Shinichi, which made him very happy.
He and his mother had been troubled over what to do with the large sum of money Shinichi had left behind.
Now, since Giyu knew Shinichi, they could ask him to help return the money and properly express their gratitude for Shinichi's kindness.
And so, the conversation turned to Shinichi's identity.
Though Giyu and Shinichi had initially clashed over Sabito—even remaining at odds for some time after Giyu joined the Demon Slayer Corps—Giyu's perception of Shinichi had completely changed after clearing up his misunderstanding.
He now trusted and even admired the Forest Hashira, feeling a tinge of shame for his past behavior.
Though he had apologized to Shinichi with Sabito's urging, the sensitive Giyu still felt a bit ashamed whenever they met.
"By the way, Giyu-san, both you and Shinichi-senpai carry swords. Does that mean you're both hunters?" Tanjiro asked curiously, eyeing the Nichirin Blade at Tomioka Giyu waist.
"Well..." Giyu hesitated, unsure how to explain their true identities and mission to this innocent, kind-hearted boy.
Just then, Saburo's voice suddenly rang out from behind them.
"Legend says that when the sun sets, Demons emerge. With their sharp fangs and claws, they fear sunlight and only move at night. They feed on humans—cruel, savage beings who have slaughtered countless people over centuries.
But where there's darkness, there's light. Where Demons appear, righteous Demon Slayers emerge. Clad in black uniforms with long swords at their waists, they blend into the night while using their blades to cut down the Demons that plague humanity. Though unrecognized by the government for centuries, they've silently protected mankind all this time."
Saburo spoke calmly, his gaze fixed on Giyu.
Giyu frowned at the old man and was puzzled.
How could this seemingly ordinary old man know so much about the Demon Slayer Corps?
Unless...?
Meanwhile, Tanjiro's mouth hung open as if listening to a fairy tale.
Saburo sat down beside Giyu and Tanjiro.
"Young man, if I'm not mistaken, you're a Demon Slayer, aren't you?"
Giyu's expression turned serious, "Old man, you know about the Demon Slayer Corps? Were you... once a member?"
Saburo smiled and shook his head, "No, I'm just an old man with some skills."
Tanjiro stared at Giyu in shock, "G-Giyu-san... you're really one of those legendary Demon Slayers? Those stories about Demons... are they true?"
Memories of Demon tales resurfaced in Tanjiro's mind—his grandmother telling similar stories when he was very young, about Demons emerging when night fell...
Could those stories be real?
For an ordinary charcoal-selling boy like Tanjiro, this was beyond imagination.
*****
In an inn room, a pair of mismatched eyes—peach-red and emerald—snapped open.
Shinichi walked to the window, listening to the howling wind outside before throwing it open to see the swirling snowstorm.
"Quite a heavy snowfall. Come to think of it, this town isn't far from Tanjiro's home. I wonder how that cheerful boy and his family are doing." Shinichi recalled the red-haired boy with the scarred forehead.
"I'll visit the Kamado family tomorrow. It won't take much time anyway."
Watching the blizzard outside, Shinichi made his decision.
Yet no one could have imagined that after this snowy night, the warm and harmonious Kamado family would vanish completely.
*****
Clang!
Not even the roaring blizzard could drown out that crisp pluck of a biwa string.
"Akaza-sama, have you understood Muzan-sama orders?"
"I understand. You may leave now." No sooner had the words been spoken than the biwa-playing demon Nakime vanished into the mountain forest.
Left behind was another figure, its features obscured as the moonlight was swallowed by layers of dark clouds.
Only fleeting glimpses of pinkish light could be caught in the darkness.
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