It was like a stranger coming to your door, telling you that aliens would attack soon, asking you to take refuge with him, and subtly gesturing to the gun at his waist.
Are you sure this isn't a threat?
How can someone who has never seen a ghost believe in their existence?
But looking at her delicate and serious expression, Kie Kamado couldn't detect any falsehood in her words, and even felt a faint sense of agreement in her heart.
Nezuko felt the same way. Her rationality told her that this person was most likely a liar, even though she was very beautiful and gentle.
But emotionally, she felt that someone who showed such an expression couldn't be a bad person.
She was truly worried about them.
Seeing their hesitant expressions, Mizuki, of course, understood.
She took two steps back.
"Please wait a moment."
Mizuki slowly drew the Nichirin Blade from her waist. Her movements were very slow, maintaining a safe distance and giving everyone time to react.
Even so, Kie Kamado instinctively shielded the children.
"Don't be nervous," Mizuki explained, focusing her attention on the blade.
"Please look, Madam."
As Mizuki's voice sounded, a faint orange-red aura exhaled from her mouth, and the blade in her Hand suddenly turned into a scarlet blade, red like a fire poker.
"Wow~" The two children, who had never seen such a sight, widened their eyes and gasped in astonishment.
Kie Kamado hesitated to speak, but then saw Mizuki suddenly begin to wield a Sword Form in the snow.
Gradually, Kie Kamado's eyes widened in surprise.
This is... "It's Father's Hinokami Kagura Dance!" Nezuko exclaimed first, surprised.
The orange-red flames, accompanied by the scarlet blade, were exceptionally dazzling. The scorching heat melted the accumulated snow on the ground, and even those several meters away could feel the warmth.
As the eldest daughter of the Kamado Family, when she was old enough to remember, her father's body had not yet weakened to the point of being unable to move.
She had also witnessed her father performing the ritual dance to the Fire God on snowy nights, the dance performed to worship the Fire God.
This was the dance passed down through their family for generations.
Mizuki endured the discomfort and completed an entire set of Sun Breathing. The surrounding snow steamed and turned into white vapor due to the intense heat, slowly rising into the sky.
Mizuki casually executed a sword flourish, cutting through the steam cloud that enveloped her, and emerged from the white vapor. Ethereal white mist swirled around her, and the Nichirin Blade slowly returned to its sheath.
"So cool!!!"
Stars practically shone in the eyes of the two children.
Although Nezuko didn't speak, her wide eyes clearly showed her astonishment.
Mizuki's lips were a little pale as she gave them a gentle smile.
Kie Kamado asked in surprise, "You, who are you?"
Mizuki smiled slightly, a hint of nostalgia in her expression, and said softly, "My family and the Kamado Family, we have some connections, you could say."
"To gain your trust, I had no choice but to do this."
The Hinokami Kagura Dance is a custom passed down through the Kamado Family for generations, and its difficulty is evident. Without years of continuous practice, it is impossible to master.
When Mizuki performed the Hinokami Kagura Dance, Kie Kamado already believed her words.
Kie Kamado's brows furrowed slightly, and she hesitantly asked, "Then, are the demons you mentioned real?"
Mizuki explained, "Yes, demons have always existed. What I just demonstrated, the ritual dance you call the Hinokami Kagura Dance, is actually a certain Sword Form for slaying demons."
Hundreds of years have passed since the Sengoku Period. It is truly difficult, even miraculous, for a family to pass down such a complete Sword Form from Hand to Hand for generations.
"A demon-slaying... Sword Form..." Kie Kamado murmured twice. She had never imagined that the Hinokami Kagura Dance passed down in her family had such an origin.
But the unusual phenomena caused by Mizuki's Sword Form made it impossible for her to ignore.
Mizuki continued, "I have a residence in the town down the mountain. Madam, you and the children can take refuge there first, and return after the demons are eliminated."
Kie Kamado now believed Mizuki's words and nodded to her: "Please wait a moment."
She turned to Nezuko: "Nezuko, you take Hanako and Shigeru and quickly pack a few things. I'll go find Takeo."
Takeo, she means the second son of the Kamado Family, right?
Although Mizuki hadn't interacted with Tanjirou's family much in the past two years, she had secretly kept an eye on them.
He was Tanjirou's brother, who looked remarkably similar to him.
This family's appearance was almost on par with the Rengoku Family next door.
Tanjirou's appearance was almost identical to his ancestor, Sumiyoshi.
Nezuko nodded quickly: "I understand."
Kie Kamado bowed slightly to Mizuki: "Please wait a moment, Miss. My son went out to chop wood, and I will go find him immediately."
Mizuki smiled and nodded.
Kie Kamado then left and headed into the forest.
She wasn't worried that Mizuki would harm the children, because the Sword Form the other party had just displayed already surpassed their understanding.
Compared to the Hinokami Kagura Dance that Tanjuro performed back then, besides similar movements, they were almost two completely different things.
It was a more powerful Sword Form, not a ritual dance.
After Kie Kamado left, Nezuko took her younger siblings back into the house to pack clothes.
Seeing her busy figure with her younger brother on her back, Mizuki said, "If you don't mind, you can let me carry the child."
Nezuko's movements paused for a moment. After a while, she hesitantly came before Mizuki and gently handed the sleeping infant on her back to Mizuki.
She said softly, "His name is Rokuta."
Mizuki skillfully held the child, smiling as she nodded.
Nezuko smiled back. She truly was a very gentle person.
She returned to the house to pack her things with peace of mind.
Speaking of which, she learned the skill of holding a child in the Kamado Family as well.
Mizuki suddenly chuckled softly. It seemed she had always been helping the Kamado Family with childcare.
But this time, she wouldn't be drooling disgracefully.
Mizuki gently held Rokuta, her gaze falling upon Nezuko, who was bustling about.
She was very different from the Nezuko she remembered; equally cute, but even more gentle.
Perhaps it was because she couldn't speak when she was a demon.
Mizuki suddenly fell silent, her eyelids drooping. She averted her gaze, looking at the distant, snow-white forest.
She actually didn't know if what she was doing was right.
If Nezuko didn't become a demon, it would mean a missing piece of battle power, a missing piece of the storyline.
Many of Tanjirou's difficulties in the story were overcome with his sister, and even with his deceased family.
Is such a change truly right?
From a broader perspective, is such gentleness truly right?
Is it truly right to potentially cause more people to be harmed for the sake of one person?
She didn't want to think about these things, but the more she tried not to, the more they rushed into the depths of her mind.
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