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When Haruto slowly regained consciousness, he couldn't even tell if he was dreaming or if it was reality, or if time had truly rewound.
Until two men appeared before his eyes.
Sabito: ◕ ‿ ◕
Giyuu: ⊙ _ ⊙
Haruto closed his eyes, then opened them again, and after confirming it wasn't a dream, he let out a long sigh.
Good news: the Nure-onna and Ushi-oni were dealt with, and he hadn't kicked the bucket.
But... "Why are you here?"
As soon as he spoke, he felt a sharp pain in his chest, making even breathing and talking difficult.
He was asking Sabito, who had appeared out of nowhere; he remembered the last person he saw before passing out was Murata.
Sabito noticed the pain on his face and quickly motioned for him to be quiet: "You have four broken ribs; you'll probably need two weeks to recover. As for me... my mission location was Ueno, only half a day's journey from here. I was originally coming to find Giyuu, but I didn't expect you to be here too."
"Where is this place?"
His injuries didn't surprise Haruto. He looked around; the place was unfamiliar.
However, judging by the wisteria patterns decorating the walls, this should be a Fuji no ie (Wisteria House).
Indeed, Sabito replied, "This is a Fuji no ie (Wisteria House) in Chiba. Since it's very close to the battle site, you've been temporarily placed here, and we're also taking care of our own injuries here."
Haruto then noticed that, besides himself, who was bedridden, Sabito and Giyuu both had some injuries, more or less.
Sabito's arm was bandaged, while Giyuu had some minor scratches on both arms.
"I thought I saw Murata earlier?"
"Oh, that guy was completely unharmed; he's already gone home."
Completely unharmed... He also took on Hirano's demon-slaying mission, yet only he would be bedridden for two weeks... Am I really that weak? The two youths noticed that the aura around the patient suddenly became dispirited.
"Eh?"
The senior and junior disciples exchanged glances, unsure of what had happened.
A Hand Demon, a pair of male and female demons, two nameless demons could easily kill him.
Not to mention if he encountered the Twelve Kizuki later, even the lowest-ranked Lower Moon demon would probably be able to beat him easily.
Haruto stared at the wooden ceiling, falling into an emo state.
Am I going to die like this in this lifetime?
The Pillars who came and went in the Swordsmith Village killed Lower Moons like dogs, while I was killed by a Lower Moon like a stupid dog... Sabito looked at the silent Haruto, sighing inwardly.
In a world where demons devoured humans, depression often stemmed from a lack of strength.
He nudged the worried Giyuu, motioning for him to come out with him and let Haruto rest quietly for a while.
On the fourth day after Haruto woke up, Giyuu and Sabito successively received missions and left the Fuji no ie (Wisteria House).
Demons were still causing mischief everywhere, and the Demon Slayer Corps' steps could not falter.
A body that had undergone Breathing Technique training indeed recovered very quickly; after a week, his injuries were no longer serious.
Bidding farewell to the owner of the Fuji no ie (Wisteria House), Haruto took a carriage to Tokyo, then rode a train from Tokyo back to the Swordsmith Village.
Two weeks had passed, but the Swordsmith Village hadn't changed much.
Godou River, who had learned of Haruto's injury from Sora, looked much more relaxed when he saw him return safely. The next day, he bought a large pile of beef bones to cook soup for him.
Back in his familiar home, Haruto still felt a little uneasy.
His mood worsened after Godou River told him a piece of news.
Kyojuro Rengoku's wife, Ruka Rengoku, had passed away.
This had happened a week ago, just when Haruto had left to slay demons.
"My point is, you learned your Breathing Technique from him, so you should go, no matter what."
"I should." Haruto's expression was somber.
Rengoku Shinjuro and his wife, Ruka, were very much in love. They had two sons, named Kyoujurou and Senjuro.
It was already dusk when Haruto arrived at the Rengoku Family residence. White mourning cloths hung at the entrance, and a youth resembling Rengoku Shinjuro was sweeping the ground.
"Excuse me..."
Kyoujurou Rengoku looked up. Standing before him was a white-haired youth, wearing a brand-new, snow-white haori, with a familiar nichirin blade at his waist.
The youth's movements seemed somewhat restricted, as if he was injured.
Haruto swallowed the question on his tongue. The youth before him was a spitting image of Shinjuro-sensei, with the same red and yellow hair and large, owl-like eyes.
"I am Takanashi Haruto of the Demon Slayer Corps, a half-disciple of Shinjuro-sensei, and I've come specifically to offer my condolences."
"Please come in. I am Kyoujurou Rengoku."
The large-eyed youth put down his broom and led him inside: "My deceased mother has already been buried, but a memorial hall has been set up."
In the memorial hall in the main hall, an even smaller "Shinjuro" was kneeling. He turned his tear-filled eyes to look over, and upon seeing a stranger, quickly wiped away his tears.
"This is my younger brother, Senjuro."
Haruto solemnly knelt and bowed before Ruka Rengoku's memorial tablet.
Although he had never met her before, he could tell from Shinjuro-sensei's words that Mrs. Ruka was a strong-willed and very gentle woman.
He heard the sound of wooden clogs on the floor. "Who's here?" Rengoku Shinjuro came to the front of the house and paused slightly: "Haruto?"
Haruto bowed: "Shinjuro-sensei."
Rengoku Shinjuro's gaze swept over the nichirin blade hanging at his waist, and he lowered his eyes: "Have you paid your respects? If so, you may leave."
"Father..." Kyoujurou hesitated.
Haruto frowned slightly.
Shinjuro-sensei... why would he say such a thing?
The Rengoku Shinjuro before him seemed like a different person, with a full beard, bloodshot eyes, and a dispirited look, completely unlike the enthusiastic and cheerful Flame Pillar he once was.
His wife's passing was truly an unfortunate event for him.
"Alright, I'll leave now."
Although he still had many questions he wanted to ask, Haruto was not someone who didn't know how to read the room.
The house was currently shrouded in a low-pressure atmosphere, and he had no reason to stay any longer.
As he stood up, perhaps the movement was too sudden and pulled at his unhealed chest injury, Haruto let out a muffled groan, and a cold sweat immediately broke out on his forehead.
"Haruto-sensei!"
Kyoujurou's expression changed, and he stepped forward to support him: "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine."
Shinjuro looked at Haruto's frighteningly pale face due to the pain, his eyes flickering between light and shadow.
"What happened?" he asked.
"Nothing, just injured my ribs during a mission. It's nothing serious now."
Haruto shook his head. He and Shinjuro-sensei had once been both teacher and friend, so he didn't want him to worry.
To his surprise, Rengoku Shinjuro remained silent for a long time, then squeezed out a few words from between his back teeth in a deep voice: "Useless person..."
Haruto suddenly looked up, staring directly into Rengoku Shinjuro's eyes.
This was a very serious... rebuke!
How could such words come from Shinjuro-sensei's mouth, and to admonish Haruto?
Shinjuro looked into his eyes and smiled sadly: "You and I are both... useless people..."