Feeling his brother's unwavering determination to hunt demons, Sanemi Shinazugawa's mood sank to its lowest point.
Ever since he killed their mother after she turned into a demon, he had already given up on living a normal life. The only thing that kept him going was his endless hatred toward demons.
If there was still anything he could call a dream, it was this—he wanted his younger brother to live a peaceful life, to marry someone he loved, to have children, and to be happy.
For the sake of protecting Genya's happiness, he was willing to do anything.
And yet, his brother insisted on walking the same path as him—the path of hunting demons, a road soaked in blood, where death could come at any moment.
Just thinking about it was enough to make Sanemi reject the idea entirely. He couldn't accept fighting side by side with his brother, couldn't accept things the way Kanae Kocho had, allowing her sister to walk the same dangerous road.
But now, facing his brother's stubborn resolve, he found himself completely at a loss.
He had always believed he was different from Kanae. Yet now, he realized he wasn't so different after all.
When someone was determined to walk this path—even willing to throw away their life for it—what could he possibly do to stop them?
If he hardened his heart, he could break his brother's legs. But just as Genya had said, even without legs, he still had his hands; without hands, he still had his teeth. As long as he could move, he would continue hunting demons.
Was he supposed to break his hands too? Smash his teeth?
As Sanemi's thoughts grew more restless, Soma stepped forward.
Sanemi instinctively narrowed his eyes, a dangerous aura rising from him.
But Soma paid it no mind. He simply patted Sanemi on the shoulder. "Even now, you still don't understand your brother?"
Sanemi clenched his teeth and remained silent.
"Since neither of you is willing to say it out loud, then I'll say it for you."
Soma let out a quiet sigh. In the story he knew, it was this very rift between the brothers that had led to tragedy in the end.
"Just as the Wind Hashira doesn't want his brother to be dragged into the dangers of hunting demons, has it ever occurred to you that your brother feels the same way?"
"As long as I'm the one doing it, that's enough." Sanemi gritted his teeth.
"But have you ever considered what your brother wants?"
Soma looked straight at him. "You want him to watch as you throw yourself into danger, while he lives as an ordinary person, pretending none of it ever happened—living a normal life, with ordinary happiness…"
"That's what you want, isn't it?"
"You want to bear all the danger and risk alone, while your brother stays safe and happy forever."
Sanemi said nothing. That was exactly what he had always believed.
"But have you ever asked Genya if that's the life he wants?"
As he spoke, Soma turned to look at Genya.
Enduring the pain in his body, Genya forced himself to stand. "I want to stand beside my brother. I don't want to stay behind him forever, being protected…"
"Shut up."
Sanemi cut him off sharply before he could finish. "I don't need you by my side. All I need is for you to live like a normal person. As for hunting demons, don't even think about it."
Genya said nothing more. He simply raised his head stubbornly and looked at his brother.
Sanemi glared back, anger and frustration darkening his face, yet it was clear he had no way to deal with his brother's stubbornness. He knew Genya's personality all too well—once he made up his mind, not even ten oxen could drag him away from it.
"Your brother can no longer live the kind of life you hoped for—the life of an ordinary person with ordinary happiness."
Soma spoke softly at that moment. "Do you really think that after everything he's been through, he can just pretend none of it ever happened?"
Soma let out a quiet sigh. "Just like Shinobu… she watched her parents get devoured by a demon right in front of her. Do you think she could ever forget something like that?"
"How could I ever forget?"
A voice filled with deep hatred for demons came from behind. Shinobu Kocho had returned at some point. She clenched her teeth as she stared at Sanemi.
"I will never forget that day. I saw my parents being devoured with my own eyes. I could never forget something like that. If I ever did… then I might as well be dead."
Soma was slightly surprised to see her come back.
Sanemi lowered his head, his fists clenched tightly. If it were possible, he would have walked this bloodstained path alone.
"People like us, whose happiness was destroyed by demons… we can never go back to living like ordinary people."
Shinobu looked at him calmly. "The idea that you can bear everything on your own is impossible. Do you think my sister doesn't wish for me to leave the Demon Slayer Corps? Do you think she doesn't want me to live a normal life, with normal happiness?"
Her voice carried a trace of sadness. "I can't pretend that nothing ever happened. I can't lie to myself. And I don't even want that kind of 'happiness'—a happiness built on forgetting everything. To me, that would be no different from dying."
At that moment, Genya spoke as well, tears streaming down his face. "I saw it… I saw you kill our mother after she turned into a demon. I don't blame you. I hate the one who turned her into that thing. It's because of that monster that I lost my mother… lost the family we were supposed to protect… and made you carry so much pain. I can't even imagine how much it hurt you, having to kill her with your own hands…"
As he spoke, Genya stepped forward and gently took hold of his brother's hand.
Ever since that day—since he witnessed his brother killing their transformed mother—they had never touched like this again, let alone held hands.
"I know you want to carry everything on your own. But, Brother… have you ever thought about yourself? When I see the scars all over your body now, it hurts me. When we were little, I could lean on you, act spoiled with you. Even now, you're still someone I rely on. But what about you? Who do you lean on?"
"Why does everything have to rest on your shoulders alone? You're the only brother I have! You've always been the most important person to me! Why won't you let me be someone you can rely on? Even if it's just for a brief moment... so you won't have to be so exhausted."
Those words struck Sanemi completely still.
He could endure pain. He could face the dangers of fighting demons. He could accept any hardship.
But this—this care from his brother—was something he could not bear.
No matter how fiercely he tried to maintain his harsh, violent facade, he couldn't hold it together any longer.
Seeing the two brothers standing there, Soma quietly took Shinobu's hand and led her away.
Shinobu froze for a moment when her hand was taken, then seemed to come back to herself, quietly following him out of the room to give the brothers time alone.
As she stepped outside, she glanced back.
The usually fierce and violent Wind Hashira was showing a rare gentleness, and she almost couldn't believe her eyes. And all of this… was likely thanks to—
Her gaze unconsciously dropped to the hand holding hers. Then she looked up at the tall figure walking ahead of her.
For some reason, she felt that this man was truly remarkable—there was something about him, something she couldn't quite put into words.
…
Inside the room, Sanemi pulled his hand away and tilted his head back, unable to meet his brother's gaze. His voice returned to its usual roughness.
"If you're set on hunting demons, then I won't stop you. But starting tomorrow, I'll personally train you."
"Alright."
"When the time comes, don't regret it. I won't go easy on you like before."
"I won't regret it."
Genya spoke softly. Though tears still clung to his face, it was now filled with a bright smile.
"Don't talk so big. We'll see how much you cry when the time comes."
"I won't cry."
Sanemi lowered his head and looked at the determination in his brother's eyes. For a brief moment, he felt dazed, as if he had returned to the days before demons had shattered their lives—back when, despite their hardships, the two brothers supported their mother together and took care of their younger siblings.
He quickly turned his head away, looking out the window instead. A soft breeze drifted in, brushing against him, as if peeling away the thorns he had wrapped around himself for so long—the man who had buried all his pain deep inside finally found someone he could lean on.
And Genya, still looking up at him, felt the same.
He had always chased after his brother's footsteps, and now, he could finally stand beside him.
Though he was still weak now, one day…
He would become a pillar strong enough to support his brother.
...
Read Advanced Chapters on : www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin
~ Every 200 PS = Bonus Chapter!
~ Push the Story forward with your [Power Stones]