The Oyakata-sama's residence.
Kagaya Ubuyashiki raised his head slightly.
The light shone on his pale skin, making it almost translucent.
His lips still held that gentle expression, and his clear eyes were watching the world slowly awakening in the courtyard.
Lady Amane stood quietly to the side, the black lacquered medicine bowl in her hand steaming with bitter heat. Her gaze never left her husband, as if she were guarding a lighthouse swaying in the wind.
Just then, the sound of flapping wings broke the silence.
A dark shadow flashed across the courtyard, passing precisely through the open paper door and landing on the beam.
The crimson scarf drew a conspicuous trail in the morning light.
The Kasugai Crow folded its wings, its dark feathers still ruffled, clearly indicating it had just finished a frantic flight. It raised its head, its throat tightened, and it began its report, both clear and urgent:
"Gah! Urgent battle report! The Hachijōjima mission is complete! Gah!!"
Kagaya's fingers trembled almost imperceptibly.
Amane held her breath.
"Water Hashira Giyu Tomioka! And Flame Hashira Shinjuro Rengoku! They've successfully defeated Upper Rank One! Gaa!!"
A deathly silence.
Only the lingering cries of crows echoed in the air of the Japanese-style room, along with the barely audible calls of birds from the courtyard.
Then...
Kagaya closed his eyes.
When he opened his eyes again, stars lit up in those eyes that had been as calm as a lake.
The curve of his lips, that gentle curve he always had, began to widen little by little.
"Very good."
Kagaya's voice was filled with barely concealed excitement.
Amane bowed slightly, the water in the medicine bowl trembling slightly due to her trembling hand.
"My lovely and powerful swordsmen... in the end, they did not disappoint this trust."
Kagaya's gaze drifted into the distance, seemingly passing through paper doors, courtyards, and layer upon layer of mountains, until he saw the desperate battle taking place on that island.
"We have not let down those eyes that watched over us in the darkness, nor those souls who gave their lives for the Nichirin Blade, nor... this world that still believes in the light."
The crow shifted its claws on the beam and added:
"Both of them are seriously injured! They've already gone to the Wisteria House! Gaa! Lord Water Hashira's Nichirin Blade is shattered to pieces! It needs to be reforged! Report complete!"
"Seriously injured... but still alive! It's good that he's alive!"
The stars in Kagaya's eyes dimmed for a moment, but quickly brightened again.
He turned to the crow, his voice regaining its usual steady tone, but with more force:
"Upper Rank One! The strongest demon under Muzan, a sword hanging over the Demon Slayer Corps for four hundred years. His defeat... means that the first crack has appeared in that seemingly insurmountable wall."
Amane softly replied, "The Demon King's arrogance should subside somewhat."
"At least we'll be more careful."
Kagaya nodded, tapping his fingers lightly on his knee—a little habit he had when he was thinking.
"The demons' activity will likely decrease in the coming days. This is a chance to catch their breath, and we must seize it."
He raised his head, his eyes becoming clear and resolute:
"Order: All team members who have recently participated in high-intensity combat are to take a mandatory one-week leave. The duty roster for each pillar's assigned area will be readjusted to allow everyone time to recover."
"Gah! Got it! Mandatory leave!"
"And the Giyu sword."
Kagaya looked at Amane.
"I remember, didn't they find a batch of 'Moon-Reflecting Steel' in Swordsmith Village three months ago?"
Amane nodded:
"Yes! It's said that the steel there shimmers like ripples on water under moonlight; it's extremely rare."
"Use that one! Tell Tecchin Tecchikawahara that there's no need to rush the construction, but he must put in every ounce of effort! I want him to forge a sword worthy of the Water Hashira, worthy of this victory!"
The crow flapped its wings and cried, "Caw! The best materials! The most professional craftsmanship!"
Kagaya smiled, then coughed.
He bent over, his thin shoulders trembling in the morning light. Amane hurriedly stepped forward, gently patting his back with one hand and offering him a silk handkerchief with the other.
It took a long time for the cough to gradually stop.
"There's one last thing."
Kagaya's voice was a little hoarse from coughing, but it was still clear.
"Please tell Giyu for me..."
He looked out the window; the morning light had already bathed the entire courtyard.
Tell him: Thank you for his safe return.
Tell him, "Don't think about anything for this month, just get some rest."
"Tell him..."
Kagaya paused, his voice becoming incredibly gentle.
"Tell him to occasionally look at the scenery outside of battle. The morning mist of Mount Sagiri, a bowl of hot tea after training... these are also important things in life."
The crow tilted its head, as if trying to figure out how to remember such a long sentence.
Kagaya laughed, "Just pass on the message like this. Now, go."
"Gah! Message me! A month's vacation! Let's go!"
With a flap of its wings, the purplish-red scarf drew an arc in the air before disappearing into the morning light.
The Japanese-style room fell silent again.
Amane handed the medicine bowl back to Yaozai. The medicine had cooled down a bit, and the black liquid was as calm as a mirror, reflecting Kagaya's pale but smiling face.
He took it and downed it in one gulp.
The bitter taste spread in his mouth, but he didn't even flinch.
"Amane."
"Exist."
"That boy, Giyu... he must be different now that he's back compared to when he left."
Amane was silent for a moment. "Defeating Upper Rank swordsman will always bring about some changes."
The wind rustled through the yard, and the pine needles whispered softly.
As the morning light grows brighter, a new day begins.
Wisteria House!
The wooden houses, constantly exposed to the sea breeze, have developed a grayish-white hue.
For those who risk their lives in the dark, this place means safety, means they can temporarily put down their knives and relax their tense nerves.
"That's enough for now."
Shinjuro Rengoku stood at the entrance of the Wisteria House, his right arm slinged in a specially made frame, and the bandage on his left hand wrapped from his palm all the way to the middle of his forearm.
Those eyes, which always seemed to be burning with fire, still held a light, but deep within them lay an unconcealable weariness.
It wasn't just physical exhaustion, but also the feeling of collapse from being constantly on edge and then suddenly being able to relax.
Giyu stood three steps away from him.
The hem of her blue haori was whipped up violently by the sea breeze, like a flag struggling to fly away.
"You really aren't staying?"
Shinjuro frowned, his voice slightly muffled by the sea breeze.
"The Kakushi Division says you'll need at least ten days of rest to recover from this injury."
Giyu shook his head.
"I'm going home."
The sea breeze ruffled his black hair, with a few strands sticking to his forehead.
He looked silently at Shinjuro, his icy blue eyes devoid of emotion, but Shinjuro understood the meaning behind them:
No matter how comfortable the bed is here, it's not my home.
Shinjuro remained silent for a few seconds, then finally sighed.
"Fine! You won't listen to anything I say anyway."
He took a step forward and lowered his voice, saying:
"Regarding your body... I've instructed the Kakushi Division Brigade to keep what happened on Hachijōjima a secret. But be careful, if anything seems amiss—"
"Yes! I know!"
He knew what Shinjuro was talking about.
A severed arm regenerating, a body severed at the waist growing back, the silver light of Moon Breathing, a body perfectly intact under the sunlight... If these things were to get out, how much of a storm, even panic, would they cause within the Demon Slayer Corps?
Obanai stepped out from behind Shinjuro.
The boy changed into the light blue clothes given to him by the Wisteria House; they were a bit too big, making him look even thinner and smaller.
The dirt on her face was washed away, revealing her originally delicate features, and her heterochromatic eyes were particularly clear in the morning light!
His right eye was golden, like melted amber, while his left eye was emerald green, the same color as the water in a deep pool.
But there was something more in his eyes.
It felt like something hard and unyielding had taken root and sprouted in his heart during that bloody battle.
Obanai walked up to Giyu and stopped.
He looked up at the Water Hashira... this boy who fought monsters to the death under the moonlight, was reborn in the morning light, and tore the sky apart with a streak of azure light.
Then, he bowed deeply.
"Lord Water Hashira."
The boy's voice was steady, and he pronounced each word clearly.
"I will go to Abyssal Lake! I will find Mr. Kirisawa Seijuro! I will pass his test and become his apprentice!"
He straightened up, his heterochromatic pupils burning with two small, yet exceptionally determined flames.
I will learn the Water Breathing.
He paused, then added, his voice more forceful:
"And then... I'll prove it."
To prove I deserve it.
This proves that I am not a burden that can only be protected.
This will prove that I too can wield a sword and fight alongside you.
Giyu looked at the thirteen-year-old boy.
A sea breeze blew by, lifting the hems of their clothes. Giyu's blue haori and Obanai's light blue sleeves fluttered in the wind in almost the same arc.
After a long while, Giyu nodded.
"Um."
Just one word.
There was no encouragement, no instructions, no expectations.
But Obanai's eyes lit up.
The door to the Wisteria House opened, and members of the Kakushi Division came out, helping Shinjuro and Obanai.
Just as the door was about to close, Shinjuro suddenly turned around, made a gesture with his uninjured left hand, and shouted:
"Tomioka! See you at the Hashira Meeting in a month! I'll treat you to ramen then... the kind that's all you can eat!"
Giyu did not answer.
He simply turned around and walked down the path along the cliff edge.