"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."
"That's so cool!" Much to Aomori's surprise, both Tanjiro and Giyu had sparkling eyes after hearing this declaration and expressed their sincere admiration.
"To eliminate evil, enduring loneliness, bearing the pain of leaving home, year after year—that is incredibly noble!" Tanjiro wiped his eyes, moved by his own imagined scenario.
"Going on this path alone, facing the onslaught of Demons alone—is that why you are so powerful? No wonder you could defeat Muzan." Giyu clenched his fists, his eyes shining as if he had found the correct path to strength.
"Mm, something like that," Aomori coughed twice, steering the conversation back on track. "As I just mentioned, because Muzan got away, he might send his subordinate Demons here. Therefore, this place is not safe. Tanjiro, you and your family should leave with me and find a secure location."
"I agree," Giyu concurred. "Just in case, you can never be too careful when it comes to safety."
"Yes!" Tanjiro nodded firmly. "I'll go talk to Mom and the others right away."
Watching Tanjiro turn and head back into the house, Aomori said, "The safest place is undoubtedly the Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters. I want you to take us there. I need to speak with your Master about hunting Muzan."
"Hunting Muzan?" Giyu Tomioka took a deep breath. "The Headquarters is the most vital location for the Demon Slayer Corps. Even as the Water Hashira, I don't have the authority to bring outsiders there. I must report to the Master first."
"It's fine, go ahead and report. If he is the man I remember, he should already be able to 'see' some things now."
"?" Giyu was puzzled and paused for a moment before recalling his Kasugai Crow. He quickly wrote down the details of the situation and had the crow deliver it back to Headquarters.
After some thought, Giyu added, "I'll go hire a carriage in town. It's quite a distance to the Headquarters."
Aomori nodded slightly and watched Giyu Tomioka leave, then sat cross-legged on the ground himself.
Concentrating and clearing his mind, the closed-eyed Aomori "saw" a grayscale world.
Aside from the monochrome color, this world perfectly matched the real one.
Aomori's sight swept past Absol and Pidgeotto beside him, went through the wooden house, observed Tanjiro talking to his family, and extended outward, spotting Giyu moving through the forest.
Quickly moving past him, Aomori's perspective continued to stretch far into the distance until it could go no further.
This was the new skill Aomori had awakened during his battle with Muzan, Mind's Eye, which allowed him to detect distant sights, replacing his physical eyes.
This skill was key to recapturing the hiding Muzan.
Afterward, Aomori attempted to use it in upward and downward directions until his Spirit felt too weary to continue.
'The detection range on the ground is roughly a hemisphere with a 200-meter radius. Underground, due to the obstruction of the soil, the range is only about one-quarter of the surface area. The duration is about 10 minutes.'
At this rate, one or two days would be enough for Aomori to completely scout a small town. Finding Muzan was only a matter of time.
The next challenge would be how to control Muzan and prevent him from escaping again.
Aomori tilted his head toward the sun, his eyes slightly closed, deep in contemplation.
…
Tanjiro's mother was reasonable and immediately agreed when Tanjiro explained the situation.
"Tanjiro is a good boy, and I trust you. Everything you do is for our sake, isn't it?"
Tanjiro's eyes were moist, and he nodded vigorously.
Half a day later, the Kamado family was packed and ready, just as Giyu returned, having hired a large carriage from town.
Everyone loaded the heavy items into the carriage. Nezuko took the mother and the younger siblings inside, while Tanjiro, like yesterday, rode Absol. Giyu sat in the front of the carriage beside the coachman.
Seeing that everyone was seated, Giyu said to the coachman uncle, "Let's go."
"Right-o, hold tight, everyone! Giddy up!" The coachman uncle shouted and cracked his whip onto the horses' flanks. The two old horses whinnied and started moving.
In the air, Pidgeotto soared with widespread wings.
Tanjiro looked back at the wooden house, the place that held all his memories. A deep feeling of reluctance swelled up from his heart as they left.
"Once Muzan is dead, you can return here. It will be soon," Aomori came over to comfort him.
"Yes, I know." Tanjiro suppressed his reluctance, returning to his usual passionate self. He raised his right hand and shouted, "Charge, Absol! Catch up to Mom and the others!"
"Sol!" Absol moved with a whirlwind at its feet, racing forward.
"Hahaha." Tanjiro spread his arms, enjoying the wind washing over him.
"Aww, Tanjiro-niichan is cheating! I want to ride the doggy too!"
"Me too, me too!"
"Wait, I have to ask Absol first."
Laughter and cheer filled the journey, making them seem like a family going on vacation. Aomori, jogging behind them for exercise, subtly allowed a small smile to appear on his face.
…
As night fell, Aomori's group failed to reach the next town and had to camp outdoors.
The weather was cold, but Giyu and Tanjiro gathered dry wood and built a fire. Combined with the clothing and blankets they brought, they weren't worried about freezing.
Aomori used Mind's Eye to catch a few hibernating snakes, adding extra food for everyone.
After eating their fill, Giyu asked Aomori for sword instruction.
"I know I am weak and entirely unworthy of the title of Water Hashira. I was completely useless in the operation to eliminate Muzan. So, I want to become stronger, even if it only increases our chance of victory by a little bit."
Giyu Tomioka, despite being the Water Hashira, felt deep self-loathing. However, his desire for revenge surpassed everything. He wanted to contribute more and atone for his past weak and cowardly self.
Aomori nodded. "Alright."
Since there were others nearby, the two excused themselves to fetch water and went to a slightly more distant spot.
Tanjiro watched Aomori and Giyu leave. Though curious to follow them, he looked at Nezuko and the others beside him and decided to stay put.
'Aomori-nii and Tomioka-san are gone. I need to keep a close watch here.'
Ever since learning about the existence of evil creatures like Demons, Tanjiro had constantly worried that his family might be harmed. He even had a nightmare during his afternoon nap.
In the dream, he hadn't met Aomori and chose to stay in town overnight. When he returned home the next day, he found his mother and Nezuko lying in pools of blood.
Waking up from the nightmare, Tanjiro felt immense relief that he had met Aomori. His gratitude toward the hero grew, as did his focus on his family's safety.
'Father, I will definitely protect Mom and the others well.' Tanjiro reaffirmed his vow.
"Sol." Absol gently nudged Tanjiro with its head.
Tanjiro smiled and stroked Absol. "You're right. With you here, Absol, I'm not worried anymore."
"Pidgeo!" Pidgeotto, standing on the carriage roof, flapped its wings and let out an arrogant cry.
"Yes, Pidgeotto is great too."
With Absol and Pidgeotto distracting him, Tanjiro felt much lighter. He looked in the direction Aomori and Giyu had gone, considering whether he should also learn swordsmanship.