Horitake and Mitsuri spent several days enjoying Kusatsu.
By day, they explored; by night, they returned to the hot spring inn, soaking and indulging in each other's company.
Horitake was utterly content, blessed with a beautiful companion.
Mitsuri was equally fulfilled, satisfied in… every way.
Amid the joy, Mitsuri harbored a worry—pregnancy.
She didn't mind the idea of raising a family; in fact, she welcomed it.
But as an unmarried couple in this era, getting pregnant would be… improper.
Even if the Demon Slayer Corps didn't care about such things…
Mitsuri was soon to become a Pillar, with increasingly perilous battles ahead.
Unpleasant as it was to think, she couldn't deny the possibility of dying in battle. Was it responsible to conceive, birth, and raise a child recklessly?
What if—what if—their child ended up in a single-parent home, or an orphan?
How pitiful would that child be?
How irresponsible would they be as parents?
Having become a woman, Mitsuri's heart grew sensitive and complex. That night, she shared her concerns with Horitake.
He smiled, gently tapping her nose to reassure her:
"You're overthinking, Mitsuri.
Things won't turn out that badly. I promise—I won't die, and neither will you!
As for kids, don't worry!
Given the current situation, we can't raise a child now.
My plan is this: once we defeat Muzan Kibutsuji, once everything's settled, then we'll think about kids."
Mitsuri sighed in relief, still a bit anxious:
"What about these past few days?"
"No worries there either. I've used tiny electric currents to neutralize any risk. We're safe!"
Mitsuri's expression was priceless:
"H-Horitake-nii, you can do that? It won't hurt you, right?"
"Nope! My lightning control is near perfection!"
"I never imagined your lightning could be used like that…"
"I told you, no need to worry. If you don't believe me, shall we go again?"
"Eh? Horitake-nii…"
Ahem, no need for details.
After days of leisure in Kusatsu, Horitake felt slacking off was getting excessive.
After discussing with Mitsuri, who agreed they'd had enough fun, they decided to end their break and return to work.
They were clingy in love but decisive when it came to duty.
That day, they packed their kimonos, donned their Demon Slayer uniforms, and reattached their Nichirin Blades, untouched for days.
Looking sharp, they left the room and bid farewell to the inn's old couple:
"Thank you for everything these past few days!"
Their gratitude was heartfelt.
The couple had cared for them impeccably, leaving them beyond satisfied—all without spending a dime.
The old couple bowed back:
"You're too kind. Are you leaving?"
Horitake grinned:
"We've loafed around enough. Time to work—time to slay more demons!"
The old man nodded:
"In that case, we won't keep you. We wish you great fortune in battle. Come back when you have time!"
Mitsuri smiled brightly:
"We will, definitely!"
They reached the entrance, put on their shoes, and stepped outside Wisteria Springs.
One final ritual remained.
The old woman held a fire striker and flint, smiling:
"Please accept the flint's spark."
"Thank you."
Horitake and Mitsuri turned. The old woman struck the flint behind them, producing bright, flickering sparks.
A Neon tradition, said to ward off evil spirits—a blessing for travelers.
In the Demon Slayer Corps, it also wished for greater strength, more demons slain, and safety.
A traditional blessing to dispel evil.
After receiving the sparks, Horitake and Mitsuri formally bid farewell, leaving Wisteria Springs and soon Kusatsu.
They moved swiftly, leaving the gentle resort behind, resuming their demon-slaying journey.
The demon-slaying life was routine.
Few demons could challenge Horitake.
Mitsuri faced little trouble either.
Following intelligence from the Corps and Kasugai Crows, they traveled, slaying demons wherever they went.
Mitsuri fought conventionally, while Horitake continued capturing demons for experiments.
The experiments yielded little new; he consistently succeeded in breaking demonic curses.
Practicing on live demons remained key.
In a month of work, they slew countless demons.
Word reached Corps headquarters: the Sky Pillar and his beloved had returned to their workaholic ways.
Through relentless practice, Horitake's lightning control reached mastery. He was confident he could break Yoyaya's curse!
Now past early autumn, nearing deep fall, leaves fell, blanketing the ground in gold.
Horitake and Mitsuri decided to return to Corps headquarters, treading through falling leaves into the surrounding mountains.
Passing several checkpoints, Horitake's high status allowed them to bypass inspections, heading straight to the Ubuyashiki estate.
At the estate's entrance, Horitake felt a rare nervousness, pausing.
Not about breaking Yoyaya's curse—he was confident after so much practice.
His tension stemmed from… a premonition.
He was certain that breaking Yoyaya's curse would trigger a butterfly effect and a system mission.
His gut told him this mission wouldn't be simple.
But before that…
Horitake glanced at Mitsuri.
First, let Mitsuri become a Pillar.
Once she did, his long-delayed mission would be complete, earning the system's reward.
That would give him another safeguard.
Not a power boost—a safeguard.
Who still remembers what Horitake's mission reward was?
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That chapter ended on a bit of a cliff, didn't it? 😅 Don't worry, the next one's already on Patreon! [If you'd like to support my work, check out my: patreon.com/DaoistRoeoNQ]