Haruto severed his connection with the starry sky. Even though he was now a Pillar, he still didn't want to know too many of the Demon Slayer Corps' secrets.
What if a demon he encountered one day could read memories from his mind?
The Godo family's house was very close to the village entrance. Haruto's white hair was spotted by Master Godo as soon as it appeared.
"Why are you back again?" Master Godo frowned and raised his voice, "What did I tell you? Don't bother me if you haven't found a marriage prospect..."
His words stopped abruptly when he saw the Butterfly Sisters swaying on the back of the Hidden—or, more accurately, when he saw Kanae.
The Hidden put Haruto down and removed his mask and earplugs.
"Thank you... Hey, Master! His aunt!"
Haruto waved to him energetically, "I'm eating at your place today!"
"That's an unexpected surprise. I haven't prepared yet."
"Huh? It's just a meal. I'll make sure not to eat too much, so you don't need to prepare anything!"
"Who cares what you eat!"
Master Godo clapped his geta as he walked to the back, his tone suddenly softening, "How old is the young lady? Where are you from? When did you join the Demon Slayer Corps? Our Haruto has a bit of a temper, so you've had your hands full with him..."
Kanae, still a bit dazed from the bumpy ride, was bombarded with a string of questions, her eyes turning into dots, "Huh?"
"Master, no!" Haruto grabbed Master Godo's shoulder, laughing wryly, "These are newly promoted Demon Slayers this year. They came to the Swordsmith Village to discuss nichirin blade forging!"
"..." Master Godo opened his mouth, then forced a smile, "Oh, well, even if it's not now, it might be in the future. Our Haruto has a very good temper. I was just joking earlier..."
Shinobu pressed her lips together tightly, trying not to laugh out loud.
It was truly surprising; could someone like Haruto-nii also have problems with marriage?
"Master~" Haruto gave Kanae an apologetic look, "Whose responsibility is Kochou Shinobu's nichirin blade forging?"
Master Godo stared at him, sighing in exasperation, "...Go ask the village chief. He drafts all the lists."
After entering the village entrance and turning left, it was the home of the village chief, Tecchin Haganezuka. Haruto pointed them in the direction but didn't follow.
A dark crow landed on the eaves in front of him and said in a serious tone, "Haruto-san, Gyomei Himejima is waiting for you at the hot spring."
Gyomei Himejima?
Haruto nodded at the Kasugai Crow named Zekka. He hadn't seen Gyomei Himejima in a long time since moving to Mt. Sagiri.
As two of the younger Pillars in the new generation, he and Gyomei Himejima certainly had some issues to discuss.
So he ran home like the wind, quickly took a shower, and then ran to the hot spring like the wind.
"Where are you going!"
"Gyomei Himejima-san invited me to the hot spring! I'll be back for dinner!"
"Oh dear..." Watching Haruto's disappearing figure, Master Godo sighed, "It's so hard to guess this child's thoughts. He doesn't accompany the girls to the swordsmith, but when the big monk invites him to the hot spring, he runs faster than anyone..."
Girls... Big monk... The old man's pupils suddenly contracted as if he had thought of something... Haruto, in a bathrobe, didn't know that Master Godo was speculating about him going down such a "rebellious" path. He arrived at the mountain hot spring, where Gyomei Himejima was sitting naked in a bath with a towel on his head.
The hot springs in Swordsmith Village had miraculous healing effects for many chronic illnesses and injuries, as well as the ability to strengthen the body. So, everyone in Swordsmith Village would come to soak in the hot springs in their free time.
Haruto shed his bathrobe and sank into the bath, letting his entire body immerse in the spring water.
The scars on his body, which had already healed, began to itch, making him Can't help it reach out to scratch them.
"Don't scratch." Although he couldn't see with both eyes, Gyomei Himejima knew Haruto's intention through his excellent senses. "When the itching subsides, the scars will lighten. It will be very painful if you break the skin while in the hot spring."
Haruto readily put his hand down. After soaking silently with Gyomei Himejima for more than ten minutes, he sat up and stretched.
"Gyomei Himejima-san, are you free today too?"
The big monk nodded gently, "I came to retrieve my nichirin blade, and I didn't expect to run into you returning to the village—I haven't congratulated you on your promotion yet. I didn't expect..." He paused, not continuing his sentence.
"You didn't expect me to become a Pillar, did you?" Haruto showed a wry smile, "I didn't expect it either."
"Not so. Ever since you comprehended the Breath of the Stars, I felt that there must be a place for you among the Nine Pillars." Gyomei Himejima shook his head, "The Breath of the Stars is very strong, and you possess a perseverance and patience that are hard for ordinary people to match. Star Pillar is merely an insignificant embellishment before your name."
Haruto turned to look at him in surprise. "Insignificant embellishment" sounded too delightful. "A monk doesn't lie, does he?"
Gyomei Himejima chuckled, "Of course, a monk doesn't lie. I just didn't expect you to get along so well with children."
He had seen the Butterfly Sisters and knew that Haruto was accompanied by a child not yet 10 years old. To get along harmoniously with children, only someone with such a good personality as Haruto-san could achieve it, right?
If it were him... "That person is a monster, it was him... who killed everyone."
Gyomei Himejima took a deep breath, as if Sayuri's accusation was still ringing in his ears.
"Gyomei Himejima-san, you really don't like children, do you?"
Haruto moved closer to him and rested his hand on the edge of the bath, "I still remember when you first came to Swordsmith Village and ignored me. At the time, I was thinking that this big guy's temperament was truly as high as the sky, just like his height."
Gyomei Himejima bowed his head and put his hands together, "I am truly sorry for the misunderstanding... At that time, I had just been brought out of the death row by Master, and I was very sensitive to everything around me."
"Is it... the incident at the temple?"
The big monk froze, then sighed and nodded, "Yes, it was the incident at the temple.
I once raised a group of orphaned children in a temple, and we all got along very harmoniously. Although I was frail and blind at the time, I thought that if I could live like that for the rest of my life, it would be the Buddha's compassion..."
He was silent for a while, as if determined to tear open his own wound, "One night, a child returned late and encountered a demon on the way.
The innocent child was always selfish. To save his own life, he made a deal with the demon.
He snuck back into the temple under the cover of night and extinguished the wisteria incense I had lit to ward off demons... The demon broke into the temple and killed seven children there.
The youngest child—Sayuri—was the only one who listened to me and didn't run off. To protect Sayuri, I used all my strength, smashing the demon's head with my fists until dawn.
I originally thought I would receive thanks from Sayuri, even just a 'Thank you, big brother, for fighting for me,' but there was nothing."
His throat constricted, and tears streamed from his eyes.
"'That person is a monster, it was him... who killed everyone,' she said to the people who arrived.
So the people seized me and threw me into death row. If Master hadn't arrived in time, I might have already died in prison."
This story was more detailed than what Master Godo had told Haruto, and also more despair-inducing.
It was no wonder Gyomei Himejima was so distrustful of children. If Haruto himself had suffered such an ordeal, he would probably be even more angry and sad than Gyomei Himejima-san.
"I never doubted you, Haruto-san." Gyomei Himejima wiped away the tears from his cheeks, "gazing" at Haruto, "You lived in Swordsmith Village and the Demon Slayer Corps earlier than I did. You have stronger feelings for this place than I do. When we first met, I was just not good at dealing with children, not that I doubted you."
"Hearing you say that, a huge weight has truly been lifted from my heart." Haruto let out a long sigh and blinked, "The child who accused you was named Sayuri. So what was the name of the child who made a deal with the demon? Did he escape?"
Gyomei Himejima replied, "...He should still be alive."
The words "I don't remember" were chewed over countless times in his mouth, yet he could never utter them.
Haruto gently patted the big monk's broad shoulders, "Everything will get better. Once Kibutsuji Muzan dies, all this darkness will dissipate under the sunlight."
Gyomei Himejima's lips moved, and he closed his eyes.
"Kaigaku, that child's name was... Inadama Kaigaku."