At first, the three of them didn't fully understand what Hiru meant.
But soon, Muichiro realized something. The ease drained from his expression, replaced by sudden panic. He stepped forward and grabbed Hiru's sleeve.
"Hiru-nii…"
"Yeah. That's right." Hiru lowered his gaze to him. "My brother has reached his end."
"How could this…" Muichiro's eyes reddened. "We didn't even get to say goodbye properly."
"Sometimes… leaving without a farewell is better."
A trace of helplessness surfaced in Hiru's smile as he wiped away the tears again.
"But I should've been more resolute back then. I should've gone with him. Instead, I kept saying 'it'll be fine'… Isn't that just painful?"
"…Ah, no. I can't keep crying like this." He exhaled softly, then glanced at Uzui. "Uzui, let's call it a day."
Uzui snapped out of it.
"…Yeah. Let's head back. I'll handle the rest of the investigation."
...
After returning, Hiru shut himself in his room.
Muichiro tried to go comfort him, but Yuichiro stopped him. It wasn't until the next morning that the two of them finally knocked on Hiru's door together.
Footsteps came quickly from inside. The paper door slid open.
Hiru stood there. Faint tear marks still lingered on his face, but his expression was as gentle as ever.
"You two… What is it? Has Uzui finished investigating?"
"No… we just… we…"
Hiru understood immediately. He stepped aside, his smile softening further.
"Come in."
The room was spotless.
But what stood out most was the blank canvas placed in the center.
Noticing their gaze, Hiru walked over, took the canvas down, and set it aside.
"My Blood Demon Art affects the mind. As long as I have a medium, I can seal emotions away."
"I originally planned to seal that sorrow. But… that emotion didn't belong to me."
He let out a quiet breath.
"To be honest, even after all this time, this is the first time I've lost control like that."
Muichiro looked up.
"Did… did Yoriichi-san really… kill the…?"
"Don't call him 'big brother' anymore." Hiru chuckled and ruffled Muichiro's hair. "If he heard you, he'd probably complain you're being disrespectful."
"But…" Muichiro looked up, aggrieved. "I don't even know his name. He never told me."
"…He didn't?"
Hiru lowered his eyes.
After a brief silence, he smiled faintly, something distant and nostalgic in it.
"His name was Michikatsu. Tsugikuni Michikatsu."
"Michikatsu… that sounds so stiff… Ow!" Muichiro clutched his forehead, looking even more wronged. "Hiru-nii, what was that for?!"
Hiru withdrew his hand, still smiling.
"You always call him 'big brother,' but strictly speaking, he's at least ten generations above you. Your ancestor. You don't casually comment on an ancestor's name like that."
Muichiro muttered under his breath, not daring to argue. But his mint-green eyes kept sneaking glances at Hiru's expression.
Seeing that, Hiru sighed softly and rubbed his head.
"Don't worry about me. I'm fine. If anything… I envy him. He gets to reach his end."
Yuichiro, who had been silent until now, finally spoke.
"…Do we really have to part in the end?"
"Yeah." Hiru rested his hand against his chin, his tone thoughtful. "Once Muzan is dead, I won't have any reason to stay. And if I lose my purpose and lose myself… that would be far worse."
"Why?"
"…Let me give you an example. Someone I'm very familiar with."
Hiru looked at the twins.
"The Demon King, Muzan Kibutsuji. The first demon of the Heian era. Born into a powerful family, so after becoming a demon, he acted without restraint. Did whatever he pleased."
"And what happened?"
"To entertain himself during his endless life, he sought out the strongest swordsman in history. He got his head cut off. He panicked so badly he split into over eighteen hundred pieces and fled. He almost died."
"What does that tell you?"
Muichiro tilted his head.
"That Muzan Kibutsuji isn't a match for Yoriichi, so we don't need to worry about the final battle?"
"…No." Yuichiro frowned slightly. "It shows Yoriichi is so strong no one can match him. And he was still human back then."
"Nope. Both wrong." Hiru chuckled and raised a finger, lightly wagging it. "It shows that when people lose restraint, they grow arrogant. The saying goes. if Heaven wants to destroy someone, it first drives them mad. That's exactly what this is."
Muichiro: …Is that really it?
Yuichiro: Sounds about right?
"Alright, enough with the silent conversation." Hiru laughed, pushing one of them out with each hand. "Come on. Let's get something good to eat instead."
"I had Kitaro ask around. There's a place nearby with amazing red bean mochi soup. My treat. What do you want?"
"…I want simmered daikon."
"You like daikon, huh? Then you'd get along great with Giyu when it comes to food." Hiru ruffled his hair. "What about you, Yuichiro?"
"I don't really have a favorite. But if I had to pick… miso soup?"
"Seriously? So I'm the only one in this family with a sweet tooth?" Hiru looked a little deflated.
"…I suddenly miss Mitsuri. That girl always knows where to find the best desserts. And the way she eats, just watching her makes everything look delicious. You end up eating way more without even realizing it. I wonder if we'll ever get to have dessert together again."
"Now that you mention it… last time after a mission, I ate with Mitsuri-nee." Muichiro's expression turned slightly dazed. "She ate seven times more than me…"
"…What?" Yuichiro looked genuinely shocked. "She looks that delicate, and she eats that much?"
"Yeah. I was surprised too. And she even said she was in a hurry and didn't eat her fill."
Hiru nodded in agreement.
"Muichiro's right. Her appetite… even I can't compete with it."