After waking up and tidying herself, Nezuko planned to thank Hiru, who had taken her in the night before, before heading home. However, the Kakushi informed her that Hiru had left in a great hurry before dawn and that his whereabouts were currently unknown.
"Huh? He left before dawn?" Nezuko was a little surprised. "It must still have been completely dark then, right? The shops wouldn't even have been open yet…"
"It was probably work-related," the Kakushi replied. "Lord Hiru is extremely sensitive to disturbances as a Hashira. He's disappeared suddenly before at other Wisteria Houses as well, so there's no need to worry."
"I see…" Nezuko fell silent for a moment, then smiled and bowed lightly. "Could you please pass along my thanks to him?"
"Of course. I'll make sure he hears it."
"Thank you very much."
"No, it's nothing. It's part of my job, after all."
After thanking the Kakushi once more, Nezuko slung her empty bamboo basket over her back and started toward home. Along the way, she stopped by the shops that had just opened for the day to buy necessities for her family.
But when she returned to the mountain carrying her purchases, the sight before her left her frozen in place.
Takeo, who was clearing broken debris from the wall, noticed her standing there in a daze.
"Big sister?"
"Ta-Takeo…" Nezuko rushed over, gripping his shoulders with worry. "What happened? Was it a bear attack? Is everyone all right? Are they hurt?"
"Mom and the others are fine," Takeo said, pressing his lips together. "But big brother… he was injured protecting us."
"Oh no…"
Nezuko covered her mouth.
"How badly was he hurt? Do we still have medicine at home? Should we call a doctor? I'll go down the mountain to the clinic right now!"
As she spoke, she set down her basket and turned to run, but Takeo quickly grabbed her.
"It's okay, sis. Someone already took big brother away."
"Huh? Someone came up the mountain that early?" Nezuko gradually calmed down, though the worry never left her face. "Was it a doctor gathering herbs? What exactly happened?"
"Well… it's like this. Last night…" Takeo carefully recounted everything that had happened before dawn. "Mom fainted and still hasn't woken up. And big brother was taken away by the swordsman who came to help last night…"
"The swordsman who helped… was it Yoriichi?"
"No. It was the swordsman who came to see Father before, the one Father chased away." Takeo scratched his head. "He also came by during the New Year, but you probably never saw him. You were sick back then and weren't allowed out of your room."
"Ah… was he tall, with gentle features and a black low ponytail? And did he like wearing a light green kimono with pine patterns?"
"Huh? You've met him?"
"Yes."
Nezuko nodded.
"I was planning to come back during the night, but that swordsman asked me to stay at the Wisteria House instead. And when I left this morning, I heard the Kakushi say that Hiru suddenly left at dawn… That must have been when it happened."
She lowered her head slightly.
"I'm sorry. Everyone was in danger, and I was still sleeping down the mountain… I should've rushed back last night. Then I could've faced it together with everyone."
"Don't say that."
Takeo shook his head.
"If that swordsman hadn't come, you would've died with us. Compared to that, I'd much rather you stayed alive."
He recalled the image of Tanjiro lying lifeless on the ground at dawn, his lips tightening.
"Besides… some things are better not seen."
Seeing the expression on Takeo's face, Nezuko stepped forward and gently hugged him, patting his back.
"Don't be afraid. It's already over… I'm back now. And Takeo, you have to believe in big brother. Tanjiro is really strong, you know?"
"Let's clean things up together first, and then pray for him, okay? I'm sure things will get better."
Takeo, who had been forcing himself to stay composed, finally broke down, though his sobs were still subdued.
"Why… why did this happen to our family? We were just living normally here. Why did something like this have to happen to us?"
Nezuko held him as he cried, gently patting his back, unsure of what she could say.
Just then, faint footsteps sounded behind them. Nezuko turned around to see a black-haired young man in a dark crimson haori approaching. When she recognized his attire, realization dawned on her.
"Are you… a swordsman from the Demon Slayer Corps?"
The young man nodded slightly. His pale blue eyes swept over the surroundings before settling on Nezuko and Takeo.
"My apologies. I arrived late."
"No, actually, we were saved by a swordsman from the Demon Slayer Corps," Takeo said, wiping his tears and looking up at him. "Um… may I ask—are you a Hashira? The swordsman who helped us said that detailed information should only be given to a Hashira."
The young man tilted his head, thinking for a moment.
"I… suppose I am."
"Then does your sword have an inscription?"
"It does." He drew his blade and showed them the characters carved into it. "Can you tell me now?"
Takeo stepped forward cautiously. "Sorry, but I need to confirm one more thing. Which Hashira are you?"
"Water Hashira, Tomioka Giyu." He paused, then added, "One of them."
"Tomioka Giyu…" Takeo searched his memory. After a moment, he nodded. "Yes… that matches."
Nezuko tilted her head, confused. "Matches what?"
"The swordsman from yesterday said that, aside from Yoriichi, only two Hashira could make it here," Takeo explained. "He told me to pay attention. One is a swordsman with a scarred fox mask, a loud voice, and medium-length flesh-colored hair. The other is a black-haired, blue-eyed swordsman who looks… very hard to get along with."
"He also said both are Water Hashira, and that their Nichirin Blades are different shades of blue."
"…I'm not hard to get along with."
"Eh?!" Takeo waved his hands in a panic. "I didn't mean you were! I just meant—you look like you might be! No, wait, that's not what I meant either! I was just repeating what I was told!"
At that, Tomioka fell silent.
Just as Takeo began to worry that he had truly offended him and was about to apologize again, Tomioka spoke once more, looking slightly puzzled.
"Is there anything else you need to confirm? Ask quickly. I want to understand the situation as soon as possible."
Takeo: …So he really is exactly as hard to deal with as he looks, isn't he?