The sunlight shone down as Aomori, Absol, and Pidgeotto sat on the ground.
Tanjiro, who had rushed over, breathed a sigh of relief: "Aomori-nii, I'm so glad you're alright!"
He looked around and whispered, "What about that Demon King? Is he dead?"
Aomori shook his head and replied, "He got away."
He then pulled out the earrings and handed them to Tanjiro. "Thank you. These two earrings helped me greatly."
"Really? That's good." Tanjiro accepted them with both hands and happily put them back on his ears.
These earrings were a heirloom of the Kamado family. Tanjiro had hesitated for a long time before agreeing to lend them to Aomori, so he was extremely relieved they hadn't been lost.
"Aomori-nii, you must be hungry too. Why don't you come back to my house for a meal? Nezuko's cooked rice is incredibly delicious!" Tanjiro proudly made a large circle with his hands as he spoke.
Aomori nodded. He hadn't eaten for nearly a day and was indeed a little hungry.
"Wait a moment." Aomori walked into the deeper part of the forest. In front of a wide-eyed Tanjiro, he soon returned, carrying three wild pheasants and one wild boar as tall as himself.
They were all unfortunate creatures affected by the shockwaves of last night's battle.
"Extra food."
"Oh, oh, okay." Tanjiro nodded, dumbfounded.
…
Not long after the two left, another person arrived at the location.
He had a stern expression, and the jacket he wore had two halves with different patterns. Beneath it was a black uniform-style outfit. As he walked, the sword at his waist was faintly visible.
Arriving at the spot where Aomori had just been sitting, he stood there and looked around. Seeing the devastated scene, his breath hitched. He could easily imagine the kind of battle that had taken place here last night.
"What is this..."
Slightly crouching down, he noticed a fresh set of footprints on the path. Clenching the sword at his waist, he decided to follow them.
Tracing the footprints, the stern young man reached the edge of the forest, where a wooden house stood ahead.
Outside the house, several small children were playing with a large dog. Amidst the sounds of laughter, the stern young man's guard dropped significantly, and the hand gripping his sword hilt involuntarily relaxed.
Suddenly, his body stiffened. He looked up and saw a large bird staring intently at him, its sharp, intelligent eyes filled with unconcealed disdain.
Disdain?
'I was insulted by a bird?' The stern young man shook his head. It must be a mistake; there was no reason for him to be disliked.
Just then, a boy sprang out of the wooden house and shouted towards the forest, "Hey! We spotted you, come on out!"
Spotted me? Was it because of that bird? The stern young man looked up again. The large bird was busy preening its feathers, not sparing him a glance.
He thought for a moment, then stepped out of the forest, greeting them with a natural nod.
"Come with me, Aomori-nii is waiting for you," Tanjiro said with a cheerful smile, waving the stern young man forward.
Aomori? The person who created that terrifying battlefield? He appeared benevolent, not malicious, now.
The stern young man nodded and followed the somewhat goofy-looking Tanjiro into the house.
As he walked inside, the stern young man saw a young woman sitting by the bed mending clothes, a lovely girl tending the fire while soothing a child, and a handsome young man skillfully preparing chicken by the stove.
Aomori, having adopted the local customs, had changed into one of Tanjiro's father's old shirts, perfectly blending into this world without any sense of incongruity.
He placed the plucked and washed chicken on the cutting board. With a flash of the knife, the large chicken was uniformly sliced into small pieces.
'So fast with a blade,' the stern young man's pupils contracted. 'It's him? It's definitely him!'
"Have a seat first. Aomori-nii is still busy. We can talk when we eat later," Tanjiro, the young host, offered.
"N-No, thank you," the stern young man was a little reserved and subconsciously refused.
"A friend of Tanjiro's? Please don't be shy. Treat this like your own home," Tanjiro's mother, Kie, said with a smile.
"Ah, yes."
Tanjiro paid no mind. After pouring the stern young man a cup of hot water, he slapped his forehead and said, "I forgot to introduce ourselves! My name is Tanjiro. That's Mom, that's Nezuko, the baby on her back is Rokuta, and the one over there is Aomori-nii."
"And," Tanjiro pointed outside, "playing out there are Takeo, Shigeru, and Hanako, along with Absol and Pidgeotto. Everyone here is a good person."
Seeing Tanjiro's simple, honest smile, the stern young man completely let down his guard and quietly said, "Giyu Tomioka. That is my name."
"Hello. Oh no, I need to go help Aomori-nii!" Tanjiro hurriedly went to assist Aomori.
The stern young man, Giyu Tomioka, held the hot water cup in his hands. Surrounded by the rising mist, his expression gradually softened, as if he were recalling his life before.
…
Aomori, accustomed to cooking for himself during his long single residency, had surprisingly good culinary skills. He stir-fried a large pot of chicken that was excellent in color, aroma, and flavor, earning high praise from the entire Kamado family.
Giyu, after eating a piece of chicken, declared, "It's truly delicious," and joined the scramble for food.
After everyone had eaten their fill, Aomori led Giyu and Tanjiro to the edge of the forest to begin their conversation.
"Um, can I listen too?" Tanjiro suggested that he was just an ordinary charcoal seller and perhaps shouldn't be involved in such "mysterious" discussions.
Aomori had briefly mentioned Giyu Tomioka's identity, so Tanjiro knew he was a member of the legendary Demon Slayer Corps.
Giyu looked at Aomori. He, too, did not want this seemingly simple boy to be dragged into the terrifying world of Demons.
"He's already involved," Aomori seemed to read their thoughts. "The person I fought last night was the Progenitor of Demons, Kibutsuji Muzan. Though I defeated him, I couldn't eliminate him completely; he escaped. If I were Muzan, I would send a Demon back here to investigate, no matter what..."
"Wait!" Giyu Tomioka grew agitated just hearing the name "Kibutsuji Muzan," interrupting Aomori. "What did you just say? Kibutsuji Muzan? Was it Muzan? Was it that bastard?! Yes, it must be him! Only he possesses that kind of evil and terrifying Demonic aura."
"Where did he go?" He tried to grab Aomori's collar, but Aomori deftly dodged and subdued him with a counter-move.
"Calm down!" Tanjiro quickly interjected.
"What do you know!" Giyu yelled hysterically, his voice choked with emotion. "Damn it! How could he have escaped! If only I had arrived a little sooner, if only I had arrived a little sooner..."
"Tomioka-san..." Seeing Giyu in this state, Tanjiro finally understood what the name Muzan truly represented.
'If Aomori-nii hadn't been here, I might have ended up like him.'
Tanjiro crouched down, clasped Giyu's hands, and said sincerely, "I apologize, I cannot understand your grief. But if it were me who died, I certainly wouldn't want Mom or Nezuko to be sad all the time. I think your family feels the same way."
"Sister..." Giyu's emotions began to settle.
Seeing that he was slowly ceasing to struggle, Aomori released his grip and said, "As the Water Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps, you shouldn't be more irrational than a young boy."
Giyu lifted his head, his eyes red, and asked, "You know my identity?"
"Of course. I know far more than you can imagine."
"Who exactly are you?"
Aomori said with a solemn expression, "I am the light of the righteous path, and the nemesis of evil. I wander the world, cleansing the defilement of humanity. My name is Aomori, a hero just passing by."