Chapter 57 – Eyes That Pierce the Veil of Life
Tanjiro was already fast asleep.
Nezuko sat quietly by his side, not saying a word.
Across the flickering glow of the fire, Hikaru sat in silence. His handsome features were calm, yet something deep in his eyes hinted at thoughts too heavy to voice.
Sakonji Urokodaki exhaled slowly, then stood.
"I didn't exactly welcome you with open arms," the old man said, his voice gruff. "But since you're already here, I won't throw you out either. Rest well tonight."
With that, he turned and stepped outside.
His weathered figure slowly disappeared into the rolling mist of Mount Sagiri.
"…Hikaru-san?"
Nezuko tugged gently at Hikaru's sleeve. She tilted her head, her expression filled with uncertainty.
She could feel it clearly—Urokodaki's quiet rejection of their presence.
"Don't worry too much," Hikaru said softly, offering a gentle smile. "You've had a long day. Just rest."
He reached out and lightly patted her head.
"I'll take care of everything."
Nezuko had proven herself—her will, her strength, her resolve. Because of that, Hikaru no longer treated her with the cold, distant tone he once did when they first met.
"Umm…"
Nezuko twirled a lock of hair beside her cheek, her face reddening slightly at the unexpected kindness.
Hikaru didn't say anything more.
He stood up slowly.
"I'm stepping out for a bit. Stay with your brother and get some sleep."
Though his voice was gentle, there was firmness in his tone that made Nezuko instinctively straighten her posture.
"Okay!"
She responded with a quick, eager nod.
Her eyes followed Hikaru's back as he stepped outside, following the same misty path Urokodaki had taken earlier.
She drew a deep breath and looked down at her brother, peacefully asleep in the warm glow of the fire. His face looked softer in the firelight—calm, gentle, just like always.
"…Nii-chan, you really never change."
She whispered it like a secret only the fire would hear.
But soon, her thoughts drifted back to the man who'd just walked out.
Hikaru.
So kind, yet so stern.
Such a strange contradiction—and yet, maybe that's what made him feel so real.
"What kind of person is Hikaru-san, really…?"
She reached out and let a bluish-purple butterfly land gently in her palm. Her crimson eyes shimmered faintly in the firelight, like living gemstones.
"And why does Shinobu-san care about him so much…?"
Her brows furrowed.
She didn't understand.
But maybe…
Maybe that wasn't something she needed to understand—at least, not yet.
— — —
Outside, Hikaru made his way into the night.
Mount Sagiri lived up to its name—veil after veil of soft mist curled through the trees, drifting even near the summit.
Hikaru walked slowly, his eyes adjusting to the moonlight overhead.
He glanced toward a distant slope—where a massive boulder sat, half-hidden behind a curtain of mist.
His eyes narrowed.
Then, he headed toward it.
The trees passed by quietly. The earth was damp beneath his feet, the air cool against his skin.
It didn't take long before he reached it.
The boulder stood tall, sacred ropes wrapped around its surface, its body covered in sword marks—countless slashes left behind by a determined blade.
Hikaru reached out and traced the stone's rough surface, running his fingers over the fresh cuts etched deep into the rock.
"This isn't just for training…"
He murmured.
It was a test.
Without a doubt, this was where Tanjiro had been training.
From the look of it, he had already mastered the basics of Breathing.
Now came the final challenge—splitting the boulder.
"Splitting something this massive… that's no easy task."
Hikaru spoke under his breath, feeling the faint trace of lingering sword intent embedded in the stone.
"If he pulls it off… he might be ready to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with senior Demon Slayers."
A gentle breeze rolled in, fluttering the edge of Hikaru's black haori.
The mist around him began to thicken again, curling like fog from another world.
And then—
A girl's voice rang out behind him, light and curious.
"Hey, Sabito… What do you think that guy's doing?"
The question was followed by the sound of soft footsteps brushing against grass.
"I don't know. Not interested."
The reply came from a boy—flat but not cold. Their voices sounded young. Teenagers.
"I heard from Urokodaki-sensei that he's a current Hashira. He's supposed to be really strong, right? Too bad he can't see us. This is the first time I've seen a Hashira besides Giyu-san…"
She sounded genuinely disappointed.
But before the boy could reply, a new voice joined them.
"Talking about someone right in front of them, huh… Not exactly polite, you know?"
Hikaru raised his head and spoke casually.
The air seemed to shift around him.
He looked up—right at the massive boulder—
—and saw them.
Two figures.
A boy and a girl.
Both wore the signature white fox masks of Urokodaki's disciples.
The boy had tousled pale pink hair and wore a simple white haori. A pale blue Nichirin Blade hung at his side.
The girl beside him had short black hair and wore a pink kimono with petal designs beneath a cropped black jacket. Her fox mask was tilted sideways, revealing a youthful, bright face.
Hikaru could see them clearly.
And the moment he spoke, both of them froze.
"Eh? You… can see us?"
The girl blinked, stunned.
"Do I look like I'm talking to thin air?"
Hikaru sighed. "Do I seem like that kind of idiot to you?"
"Impossible… We're just lingering spirits. There's no way…"
The boy's voice dropped, unsure.
But even as he said it, he fell silent.
Was it really impossible?
Tanjiro had sensed them before—glimpses in his instinct, faint smells in the air. It made sense.
But this man…
This man was something else entirely.
"There's no need to guess."
Hikaru offered a relaxed smile.
"My name is Hikaru—Hashira of the Void. The reason I can see you… is because of a unique trait in my Breathing Style."
The two looked at each other.
And in their eyes, the same shock passed between them.
They were already dead.
They knew that.
They were just spirits lingering behind.
But this man… could see them.
Tanjiro might have sensed them through intuition and sheer sensitivity.
But Hikaru?
He had no connection to them at all.
And yet here he stood—
speaking to them like they were alive.
They weren't supposed to be seen.
But here they were, face-to-face with the Void Hashira.
And nothing made sense anymore.
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