Oh no, after she said that, the girl seemed even angrier.
A crystalline tear separated from her beautiful violet eyes and fell onto her white robe.
But Kochou Shinobu didn't seem to be crying; she slowly furrowed her brows, her eyes filled with her characteristic stubbornness.
"If a sacrifice must be made, then let it start with me, a swordsman who can't even cut off a demon's head."
She gnashed her teeth, spat out the words, stood up, and ran into the Butterfly Mansion.
Their conversation ended with Kochou Shinobu's indignant departure, which was beyond Haruto's expectation.
He stretched his legs and massaged his knees, which were sore from being bent.
He could understand Kochou Shinobu's anger; if someone around him had the same idea, Haruto would also think there was something wrong with that person's head.
But how could he talk about something like 'rewinding time'? Even he himself found it incredibly unbelievable.
Sigh… seriously, he just wanted to explain why he couldn't reciprocate her feelings, but he ended up completely messing up their relationship.
But what did she mean by 'the sacrifice starting with her'?
What exactly was this young girl planning to do?
A few days later, Haruto received two letters.
One was from Kanae Kocho; she wrote about Kochou Shinobu's current situation in the letter: "Although her emotions are not very stable, overall, she is doing alright," and "I am more worried about Haruto-san than Shinobu, as he always seems to be fighting demons as if risking his life."
Haruto took up his pen and wrote a reply, reassuring her that he would be careful.
The other letter was from Asakusa; Miss Tamayo's demon transformation potion had made a breakthrough.
This meant that his promise to "test the medicine" would soon be fulfilled.
Haruto looked back, picked up a silver butterfly hairpin from the cabinet, and clasped it in his palm.
"Teacher?" Genya, who had returned to Mt. Sagiri to practice swordsmanship, put down his nichirin blade, panting: "Where are you going?"
"Hmm…" Haruto didn't answer him, but instead asked: "What's the date today?"
"The twenty-seventh, July twenty-seventh."
"Do you still remember where the Kamado Family is? The Kamado Tanjirou family, the one who headbutted you."
Just mentioning a headbutt made Genya's head throb.
That large bump he got from it took him over a week to slowly subside.
Such a "profound" memory, he naturally wouldn't forget.
"…Okutama District, Mt. Kumotori," Genya replied through gritted teeth.
"Hmm… since you remember, then you go to Mt. Kumotori," Haruto patted Genya's spiky head: "As his senior disciple, go see if that iron-headed kid's skills have improved."
"What about you, Teacher?" Genya was first puzzled, then quickly understood: "Is it Miss Tamayo…"
"What are you thinking? Miss Tamayo and I had an agreement before; I'm just going to fulfill it today."
Genya closed his mouth, staring straight at him.
"…What are you looking at?" Haruto chuckled, putting his hands on his hips: "Hey, hey, hey, what kind of expression is that?"
Why do people around him always treat him like a hothead who crashes into mud carts!
He really did think things through; he wasn't just blindly seeking death, okay!
"Teacher, make a promise with me too." Genya blinked his eyes and held out his pinky finger: "Promise that you'll definitely come back safely, okay?"
Haruto readily extended his pinky finger and played the childish game of pinky swear with him: "I promise I'll be back when you return, how's that?"
The spiky-haired boy grinned, nodding heavily: "It's a promise!"
"Oh, my age, I'm still playing pinky swear for a hundred years, no changing with a kid…"
…A day later, Genya climbed Mt. Kumotori.
Before he even saw the Kamado Family's wooden house, he could already hear the "whoosh" sound of a nichirin blade cutting through the air.
Genya peered over and, sure enough, saw the large-foreheaded Tanjirou Kamado swinging his nichirin blade at a tree stump in front of the wooden house.
He was shirtless, his forehead covered in sweat, and as he swung his blade, it already carried a blue-purple, aurora-like glow.
Although he didn't know why, his nichirin blade was still black, but the appearance of the blue-purple blade light indicated that he could already use Breath of the Stars.
What great talent… a swordsman who can use a Breathing Technique… it's truly enviable!
Genya, who had only intended to physically bully Tanjirou, changed his mind. He pulled out a pillbox from his pocket, containing some pills made by Tamayo from the flesh and blood of ordinary demons.
These pills, about the size of a pinky fingernail, contained little demon flesh and blood, allowing Genya to briefly enter a demonized state.
Tanjirou's younger siblings didn't seem to be around, so it was a good time to let this guy experience the cruelty of the real world.
Genya quietly transformed behind a tree, while Tanjirou on this side had already caught the scent.
He sniffed, accurately distinguishing Genya's scent, which he had only encountered once.
Is Haruto-san here again? But I don't smell Haruto-san.
Oh, right, I can now cut out starlight, so I should call Haruto-san 'Teacher' now.
Tanjirou put down his nichirin blade and walked towards the mountain path.
Strange, I clearly smelled Genya, so why isn't he coming over?
"Stop hiding, I already smell you, Genya—eep, eep, eep—" Halfway through his sentence, Tanjirou bumped into Genya, who had looked up, scaring him so much he couldn't speak.
Although the Genya in front of him still maintained his original appearance, the eyes shrouded in black mist made goosebumps erupt all over Tanjirou's body.
"Tanjirou…"
A very low voice, as if drifting from hell, a Genya with bulging veins on his face raised his hand, and those hands transformed into sharp demon claws, swinging towards Tanjirou!
"Demon! Ah!"
Tanjirou's adrenaline immediately surged, his right hand instinctively reaching for his nichirin blade, only to realize that he had left it at his training spot out of politeness!
The demon resembling Genya in front of him roared: "Where is your nichirin blade? How could you put down your nichirin blade!
If you put down your nichirin blade, who will protect your family!
Didn't you always say you wanted to protect your family?!"
Tanjirou scrambled back, rolling and crawling, then jumped back to grasp his nichirin blade, and shouted towards Nezuko, who was about to come out of the house to check the situation: "Nezuko! Don't come out!"
Why did he have Genya's scent? Why did he look so much like Genya?
Could it be that Genya had turned into a demon?
Countless questions surfaced in his mind, making him feel despair.
Most importantly, what kind of monster was this? Why would such a thing exist in the world?!!
He gripped his nichirin blade tightly, and the techniques from the notes he had memorized resurfaced from his heart.
Breathe… attack!
"Breath of the Stars, First Form: Tear of Light!"