"So this is what happened…"
Yuichiro frowned as he looked at Tanjiro, who had three small bundles clinging to him. "You actually had the courage to pick up a sword and fight against such a powerful demon?"
"Because I had no choice but to fight… didn't I?"
Tanjiro looked down at Hanako, Rokuta, and Shigeru, all sleeping soundly on his lap. His voice was light and gentle.
"I'm truly grateful Hiru arrived at my home in time and stopped me from doing something that would've hurt my family. And you two as well—when I realized your target was actually me, I was honestly relieved. Thank you for protecting my family."
"Hey, what's it like being a demon?" Muichiro sat close beside Yuichiro, his eyes filled with curiosity.
"And how do you control your appetite? I've never seen a rational demon before."
[Never seen one? But isn't Hiru one?]
Tanjiro looked confused, but he still answered seriously.
"A demon is still a demon. If I had to describe it, I guess I just feel stronger… As for controlling my appetite, that's because Mr. Hiru put me through special training. Honestly, that training was really harsh…"
"What kind of training?"
"Um… he kept making me smell this demon-attracting agent that carries the scent of Rare Blood."
Recalling the smell made Tanjiro swallow unconsciously.
"Just thinking about it now makes me feel starving… I really hope I never run into someone with that kind of Rare Blood, because even at the very end, I was still drooling."
"So for these past two months, that's all you trained?"
"That training was only during the daytime. At night, Mr. Hiru had me practice swordsmanship. He'd point out flaws in my movements and help me get used to my body that way. It's been like that for two months straight—that's why I was able to react so quickly just now."
The moment he said that, Yuichiro and Muichiro both showed expressions of disbelief. In the end, they spoke in unison.
"You let Hiru teach you swordsmanship? You've got to be kidding. He doesn't know anything about that."
"That's not how it was." Tanjiro waved his hands hurriedly. "I'd repeat the movements over and over, and Mr. Hiru would tell me where I went wrong. Then I'd start again. He just told me to treat him as a target and spar with him."
"Even if Brother Hiru was your sparring partner, he still doesn't understand swordsmanship at all," Muichiro said with his arms crossed. "How could he possibly point out mistakes? That's suspicious. You're not lying to us, are you?"
Yuichiro didn't say anything, but the doubt on his face was obvious.
"I'm not lying." Tanjiro smiled. "If I really had to explain it, it's probably because my swordsmanship comes from Mr. Yoriichi. Mr. Hiru and Mr. Yoriichi are brothers, after all—they know each other's styles very well. It's normal for him to notice mistakes during practice."
"You're using Yoriichi's sword style?" Muichiro's eyes widened. "Really?"
"Yes. It's the sword technique passed down from Mr. Yoriichi. My father originally taught it to me, but whenever I used it, something always felt off. It wasn't until Mr. Yoriichi personally guided me again that I truly learned it."
Tanjiro smiled faintly.
"Even so, I'm still far from reaching the standard Mr. Yoriichi expects. Honestly, it feels like an incredibly distant goal."
"That's amazing! Just trying that Breathing Style made my whole body feel like it was burning!" Muichiro finally dropped his doubts. "You're incredible!"
"When you blocked our Nichirin Blades earlier, was that the Breathing Style you used?" Yuichiro also grew curious. "So when Shigeru and the others talk about the Fire God, they're referring to the form attached to the blade?"
"I think so…" Tanjiro lowered his gaze to the three sleeping children, his smile gentle and warm.
Then, as if remembering something, he suddenly looked up.
"Actually, there's something else I've been wondering about…"
"What is it?"
"It's about Mr. Hiru and Mr. Yoriichi…" Tanjiro looked as though he were facing an impossibly difficult puzzle, his expression deeply conflicted. "Why do you call them 'brother'?"
"Oh, that's because Brother Hiru saved us from demons," Muichiro replied immediately. "From the very beginning, he kept saying 'my children, my children.' I guess that means we've basically been adopted by him and Brother Yoriichi?"
Tanjiro looked troubled.
"No… even if that's the case, you still shouldn't be calling them 'brother'…"
Their ages just don't line up at all.
But the twins clearly had no idea what Tanjiro was struggling over. Instead, they found it strange that he was even troubled by such a thing.
[They don't seem to know that Mr. Hiru and Mr. Yoriichi are demons… but why?]
Tanjiro instinctively felt this wasn't something he should reveal lightly, so he remained caught in his own internal conflict.
Meanwhile, Yuichiro and Muichiro began chatting with Nezuko and Takeo, who had just finished helping Kie with chores, about the demon they encountered on this mission.
They talked about how skilled that demon was at pretending to be pitiful to win sympathy.
"Nezuko, Takeo—once you become Swordsmen, you need to be very careful," Muichiro said angrily. "Demons are really good at lying. If it weren't for the constant malice leaking from their aura, I almost would've been fooled."
Yuichiro nodded as well.
"That's right. Tanjiro's case should be an exception. In the future, you must never go easy on demons. That's something Yoriichi always emphasizes."
Nezuko and Takeo both nodded, committing those words to heart.
Tanjiro couldn't find a chance to join the conversation, so he stood up and helped Kie carry the three sleeping children back to the inner room.
After settling them down, Kie turned to Tanjiro, her eyes filled with unconcealed concern.
"These past two months must have been really hard on you, haven't they?"
"No. Mr. Hiru took very good care of me."
Tanjiro smiled softly.
"Aside from the beginning, when I'd often lose control of my appetite and get knocked unconscious, he was always reminding me how to maintain my true self and avoid doing things I'd regret."
Kie simply reached out and hugged him again.
"Do your best, Tanjiro. Mom and everyone else will stay with you. No matter what, you mustn't lose."
After a brief moment of stunned silence, Tanjiro lifted his arms and hugged her back, a gentle smile on his lips.
"Yeah. Don't worry. For everyone's sake, I won't lose."