"Sorry, Tanjiro, I'm afraid it's not possible."
Riku shook his head, keeping it real. His method? With the tech level of this era, there was no way it could be replicated.
"Oh…"
Kamado Tanjiro's face fell, clearly disappointed. But he didn't doubt Riku's words—Riku-san was nothing if not sincere.
"What do you want?"
Urokodaki Sakonji finally spoke up, addressing Riku directly.
He'd caught Riku's drift loud and clear. The guy's words were practically screaming, I'll talk, but it's gonna cost you.
"I need your knowledge—everything you know about oni, and your experience in slaying them," Riku said, his face dead serious.
Finally, a professional he could actually talk to! No way was he letting this chance slip by. As a seasoned oni hunter, and an old one at that, Urokodaki Sakonji had to be loaded with skills and secrets.
After all, being a Kisatsutai member was like being a witcher—low-skill hunters didn't last long. They'd be oni chow in no time. But old-timers like this? Even setting aside their strength, their experience alone was a treasure trove.
"To hunt oni better?" Urokodaki asked, not particularly surprised. He'd seen Riku take down that oni earlier—this guy was no rookie when it came to killing demons.
"Exactly. To hunt oni better, and to keep myself from eating humans. I don't want to turn into some mindless, man-eating oni," Riku said earnestly.
No choice but to play the sincerity card—Tanjiro was right there, and that kid's nose was like a lie detector. Showing off acting skills wouldn't work here; honesty was his only move.
Born with the ability to sniff out good from evil, sense emotions, and detect lies? Man, that's some cheat-level talent!
"Alright, I'll agree to that," Urokodaki said, his response quick and decisive.
He had a similar ability to Tanjiro's, picking up on Riku's sincerity. This guy had been nothing but straight with him.
"Awesome, thank you!" Riku let out a relieved sigh, thanking Urokodaki. But deep down, he couldn't shake a nagging doubt.
Was this old man being too easygoing? Sure, it sounded a bit ungrateful to think that after getting what he wanted, but would a veteran oni hunter who'd survived this long really trust an oni's words so easily?
Unless… did Urokodaki have a cheat-level nose like Tanjiro's? Was that kind of busted talent just that common?
"Let's bury the victims first," Urokodaki said, not explaining further. He got to work. The bodies in the mountain shrine couldn't just be left there.
"I'll help!" Tanjiro jumped in right away. He'd already checked on Nezuko, who was huddled in her basket, poor thing.
"I'll pitch in too," Riku said with a sigh, pinching his nose as he joined them.
Burying bodies felt like burying a feast of fragrant delicacies. Tough gig.
"Riku-san, you okay?" Tanjiro asked, concern in his voice. With his strong empathy, he could imagine how rough this must be for Riku.
"No big deal. If I can't handle this, I might as well end it now and save myself from losing control," Riku said with a grin.
What's this compared to his willpower? Don't underestimate him—he was the kind of workaholic who checked job emails while crossing the street!
Ugh, let's not go there. Thinking about it just brings tears.
Tanjiro nodded, realizing he might've overthought it. Riku-san had been to his house after the tragedy, surrounded by the scent of blood with no one else around, and still held back. Tanjiro shouldn't have doubted his resolve.
"Riku, that kind of determination is admirable," Urokodaki said suddenly. He was kneeling before the fresh graves, hands clasped in prayer, likely performing a small ritual for the victims.
"Kamado Tanjiro, if your sister ever eats a human, what will you do?" Urokodaki stood, approaching the two and directing his question at Tanjiro.
Urokodaki wasn't tall—barely taller than thirteen-year-old Tanjiro, probably under 1.7 meters, Riku estimated. But the old man carried an aura forged from years of slaying oni, a presence that demanded respect.
Tanjiro froze. He'd never even considered that question. His brain short-circuited, unable to respond.
Slap!
Urokodaki gave Tanjiro a light smack—not hard, but enough to leave the boy even more stunned.
"If your sister lacks Riku's resolve, you must kill her first, then take your own life with seppuku. That's the resolve you need if you're going to travel with an oni sister!" Urokodaki's voice was stern, his words deadly serious.
Tanjiro's eyes widened, but he still couldn't find his voice.
Urokodaki didn't let up, hurling cold, hard truths at Tanjiro, shattering the boy's worldview.
"…"
Riku watched, tongue practically clicking. Suddenly, he'd become the "model kid" in Urokodaki's eyes.
From a modern perspective, though, Tanjiro was already doing amazing. The kid was only thirteen. His whole family was wiped out, his sister turned into an oni, and yet he buried his family and set out to save her. That's no small feat.
If it were anyone else in Tanjiro's shoes, they might've been eaten by Nezuko already. There'd be no story left to tell.
Still, Riku kept quiet, not interfering with Urokodaki's lesson. The old oni hunter knew this world far better than Riku, an outsider. When you don't know something, you don't meddle—that's a rule Riku lived by.
Plus, even in his eyes, Tanjiro could stand to toughen up a bit. Being this gentle and kind all the time? That's a recipe for trouble in a world like this.
"Carry your sister and follow me. You want to become a Kisatsutai member, right? Pass my test first. Riku, you come too," Urokodaki said after his stern lecture, addressing both Tanjiro and Riku.
"Huh?" Riku blinked. Wait, what? Me? I can become a Kisatsutai member too? Holy crap, I'd be like Blade, the vampire hunter!
Well, he wasn't exactly a vampire. Or a proper oni, for that matter.
(Chapter End)