Haruto shook his head, "Godo-sensei, I can't do something like that."
Godou River was speechless.
"Haruto-nii, what did you talk about with Godo-sensei? Why does he look so angry?"
As they were preparing to leave the Swordsmith Village, Shinobu whispered into Haruto's ear.
Haruto glanced at the tight-lipped Godou River, shrugging, "Godo-sensei isn't angry."
Godou River was simply ashamed, ashamed that at his age, he was not as perceptive as a seventeen-year-old youth.
Last night, Haruto went to the room for the first time to kowtow to Godo Ryouji's ashes, as Godou River's disciple and as a junior Demon Slayer Corps member.
However, his grandfather Souma and father Yuusei had no ashes, and for fear of retaliation from demons, they didn't even have memorial tablets.
Haruto was somewhat melancholic after learning about his origins from Godou River. The bullet comments scrolling across his vision at the time clearly indicated that the demon who devoured his ancestors was Daki, Upper Six of the Twelve Kizuki, and she was still active in Tokyo Prefecture.
He had been active in Tokyo Prefecture and its surroundings for so long after leaving the Swordsmith Village, and not being discovered and eaten was pure luck.
"Where do you plan to stay?" Haruto turned to ask the Butterfly Sisters.
"For now, we'll find a place to settle in Tokyo Prefecture. The Demon Slayer Corps has provided us with a house nearby." Kanae stroked Shinobu's head, "I spent too little time with Shinobu over the past year, so I've decided not to separate from her and to take good care of her as she grows up."
"Nee-chan I'm already a Demon Slayer Swordsman, I don't need looking after"
"Yes, yes, a 12-year-old Demon Slayer Corps Swordsman, Shinobu is truly a genius~"
"Nee-chan! Don't talk to me like you're coaxing a child!"
Haruto watched the sisters tease each other, a smile gracing his lips.
"Regarding the Wisteria poison, I contacted a friend in Asakusa."
Haruto sent a letter to Tamayo, and Tamayo's reply was clear: "She is interested in participating in anything that offers a chance to slay Kibutsuji Muzan."
"Is the other party also a pharmacist?"
"Exactly, a highly skilled pharmacist."
There was no need for Haruto to explain that Tamayo was a demon; they would naturally find out when they met.
He wasn't afraid that Kanae and Shinobu would draw their swords on Tamayo. After all, Kanae learned swordsmanship with the idea of "saving demons." Seeing a demon who suppressed her desire to eat humans, she would probably be happier than anyone… At the foot of Mt. Sagiri, Genya was following Sabito in his physical training for the day.
Giyuu, having injured his leg on his last mission, could only sit on the wisteria bed Haruto had once lain on, lost in thought.
"Tighten your abdomen, tense every muscle in your body as much as possible."
"Hoh hah, hoh hah…"
Genya gasped for air, almost every pore expanding and sweating, even his mohawk was drenched with sweat.
His toes gripped the ground tightly, and the log he was holding above him swayed precariously with his trembling body.
"Come on, Genya!" Sabito smiled at him, "When the little bird on the branch goes home to forage, you can put it down~"
"The bird… hah… on the branch…" Genya's eyes widened, and he squeezed out words as if he were out of breath, "Didn't you… hah… glue it to the tree this morning…"
"Ah hah, you knew?" Sabito looked at the little bird Makomo had woven from yarn, his smile deepening a few shades, "Then hold it for another half hour!"
"Or, if you really can't hold on, just put the log down. Don't push yourself too hard."
Although Giyuu-nii spoke with warmth, combined with his poker face and dead fish eyes… it looked like he was being sarcastic!
Genya, who had almost given up, bit his sore gums and held on tightly. He had to get through this half hour!
Tomioka Giyu looked at Sabito with an innocent expression.
I was indeed telling him to take care of his body, so why did he train even harder?
I'm going to die… I'm going to die… All my muscles are screaming in pain, my heart feels like it's going to burst out of my throat… Genya blinked rapidly, and a kaleidoscope of images began to flash in his mind.
His mother, his brother… the people important to him flashed quickly before his eyes, finally settling on his teacher's exquisite and handsome face.
"Hah… hah…" He gasped for breath like a broken bellows, a harsh, ugly sound.
"Hah… hah…" His teacher also gasped along with him, but much more gracefully.
Hmm? Isn't this a kaleidoscope?
Haruto watched with amusement as Genya's dazed eyes gradually filled with shock, then he slowly lifted the not-so-heavy log and threw it to the ground, "Hey, you guys are going too far! He's still so young!"
As the weight was released, unstoppable sweat drenched his entire body like a stream, then pooled at his feet.
Genya was breathing heavily, his hands trembling so much that he couldn't even hold the cup of water his teacher offered him.
So Haruto held up the cup and fed him water, "Drink in small sips, swallow little by little, otherwise it's not good for your body."
After a few sips, Genya took the cup, and Haruto put his hands on his hips to tickle Sabito's abdomen, who was still training.
"Stop it, stop it!"
Sabito hurriedly carried the much larger log and ran, the white-haired youth chasing behind him.
"I told you to take care of my little disciple! Is this how you take care of him?!"
Haruto poked Sabito's butt repeatedly with his nichirin blade scabbard, "The kid is almost going to be an idiot from all this training!"
"It's Giyuu! We agreed that one would play the bad cop and one would play the good cop—he kept a straight face, making Genya unable to back down!"
Giyuu pursed his lips, looking very innocent, "I was indeed speaking properly."
Hmph, even that sentence was so bland, no wonder Genya misunderstood.
As the boys were still making a fuss, Haruto suddenly frowned and glanced swiftly towards the mountain.
"What's wrong?" Giyuu, who was watching him, sat up straight and looked in the direction of his gaze.
"It seems like something…" is lurking in the shadows.
Haruto sheathed his nichirin blade, "I'll go check."
"I'll go too." Sabito dropped his weights and gripped the sword he had placed aside.
"One of them is exhausted, and the other has an injured leg, so you stay here and watch over them."
Haruto shook his head in refusal, said nothing more, and dashed off in the direction where he had sensed the gaze.
Ever since so many swordsmen had moved into Mt. Sagiri, no reckless demon had dared to approach.
Moreover, the gaze he had just sensed… did not carry obvious malice. Rather than plotting evil in the dark, it was more like a curious peep.
Haruto frowned.
Who could it be?