Patience... I still had to be patient... patient, as always...
If I could have kept my patience and stayed with them for a few more years, helping them perfect their Breathing Style and further hone their skills... perhaps things wouldn't have come to this.
Urokodaki Sakonji walked ahead, dressed in a striped haori with a white cloud pattern against a blue background...
Roy followed behind with Tanjiro, taking his time.
Behind them, a crowd of lingering souls watched them go. The scene was indescribably eerie.
"Slurp~" Makomo seized the chance as Tanjiro passed by her and stuck out her little tongue to lick the rabbit. Naturally, she licked at empty air.
"I've never hated being a ghost as much as I do today." Sabito seemed to hear her thoughts. He gave her a helpless look, then started after Roy.
The boy was far taller than anyone his age ought to be. As he walked with the basket on his back, every step seemed precisely measured, each movement deliberate and controlled. Clearly... he was no ordinary person.
"He must have undergone rigorous training, and... judging by the speed he just displayed, his physical abilities far surpass mine. He's already approaching Giyu's level..."
Amateurs watched the spectacle; experts saw the details. If even Sabito could tell, Urokodaki Sakonji would see far more.
"Master's tempted." Makomo hadn't gotten a bite, but she wasn't disappointed. Instead, she said happily, "Master has someone to keep him company."
"And we have someone to keep us company, too..."
With Mount Sagiri towering behind him, Sabito gripped the sword at his waist and cautioned, "Don't celebrate too soon. They still have to pass the test."
Whether they were donkeys or horses, they had to be brought out for a trial. The traps hidden deep in Mount Sagiri weren't just for show. Speed alone... would never be enough to pass.
"Creak~" Urokodaki Sakonji opened the wooden door, set the carving knife in his hand on a nearby rack, shook the snow off himself, and went inside.
Roy and Tanjiro stamped their feet, followed him in, and took off their baskets, handing him the rabbit.
A skilled swordsman wasn't necessarily a good cook, but he was sure to be good with a knife... The half-roasted rabbit landed in Urokodaki Sakonji's hands. In a few quick strokes, he cut it into evenly sized pieces, then added rice wine to remove the gamey smell, stir-fried it with sauce, and served it over greens. Soon, a rough version of braised rabbit was ready.
Then he pushed aside the floorboards and lit the sunken hearth. After letting the stew simmer for a while, it would be ready to eat.
"Sniff... sniff..." Makomo sniffed the air, looking eager.
She knelt beside Urokodaki Sakonji, while Roy and Tanjiro sat across the hearth from them.
Sabito and the other lingering souls slipped in through the walls in twos and threes. They didn't crowd close, simply settling wherever they could. Before long, they had "packed" the small cabin full, filling it with an unusual warmth.
"Glug-glug..." The pot bubbled over the fire.
Only after finishing all that did Urokodaki Sakonji properly examine Roy and Tanjiro.
The Kamado brothers looked somewhat alike, but there was a clear difference in their builds.
Perhaps because he had inherited Life Energy from Minamino Hirotomo, Roy was stronger than before. Sitting cross-legged by the hearth, he had the imposing air of a mountain that would not budge, deep and tranquil as an abyss.
By comparison, the innocent Tanjiro seemed a little immature.
He imitated Roy's solemn posture, looking every bit the "little adult."
"He won't do." After a moment's silence, Urokodaki Sakonji glanced at Tanjiro and spoke bluntly. "He's too young to withstand the training. Go home and recuperate for three years first."
"I'm not too young!" Tanjiro heard that he might be separated from Roy and protested, flexing his biceps. "I've already helped Nii-san kill a demon!"
What?!
In an instant, every gaze in the room turned toward him. The unseen stares made Tanjiro's scalp prickle, even though he couldn't see Sabito, Makomo, or the other lingering souls.
"You've already run into a demon?" Shinsuke had been lazily lying in a corner. At those words, he let out a startled cry, flew straight to Tanjiro's head, and circled around him.
A gust of cold wind swept through the room, chilling Tanjiro to the bone and making his back go cold.
The foolish little brother noticed Urokodaki Sakonji's gaze lock onto him for an instant. He swallowed, then forced himself to say, "I couldn't help with the one we met in the mountains, but I did help with the one we ran into at the shrine last night..."
"Not only did I help, I nearly got myself killed because I hesitated, and Nii-san had to smack it with an axe..."
Tanjiro added silently. Now that he thought about it, his right cheek still ached faintly.
Urokodaki Sakonji said nothing. He gave Tanjiro a long look... then turned his head, and all his disciples behind him followed suit, staring at Roy.
It seemed Tanjiro had said everything, and yet nothing... What did he mean by "I couldn't help with the one we met in the mountains"?
Shinsuke and Fukuda wanted to grab him by the ears and make him explain himself... This was no laughing matter. If he wasn't lying, it meant—
The quiet boy sitting silently across from their master had single-handedly killed a Demon!
And without even learning the Breathing Style!
"Oh~ He seems stronger than you, Sabito." Makomo's eyes sparkled as she finally tore her gaze away from the pot.
"He's even stronger than Giyu." Sabito watched Roy with undisguised admiration, silently adding to himself...
Roy patted Tanjiro on the back, signaling that he didn't need to rush. Then he put his hands together and looked sincerely at Urokodaki Sakonji. "The demon ate people first. People only killed the demon afterward."
"My little brother's a straightforward boy. I hope you'll forgive him, Master Urokodaki."
Urokodaki Sakonji still didn't speak. He studied Roy again, having already gathered from their brief exchange that the boy was nothing like Sabito or Giyu...
He was too calm... too composed... too patient. His maturity was completely at odds with his age. It was astonishing!
"Although I hate to admit it..."
"I have to say, you're an exceptionally talented boy."
"Perhaps you really can kill it..."
Urokodaki Sakonji let out a faint sigh after a long silence...
Roy glanced at Sabito, understanding perfectly. The "it" in question was none other than the Hand Demon, imprisoned by the Demon Slayer Corps on Mount Fujikasane. It had devoured every one of Urokodaki Sakonji's disciples there, including Sabito and Makomo!
The Hand Demon was Urokodaki Sakonji's captive, and the culprit behind his years of despair.
Urokodaki Sakonji stirred the rabbit with a wooden spoon to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
He spoke as if to himself. "You're patient and talented, and you know when to advance or retreat. If any other trainer were here, they'd have already taken you on as a student. But I'm different..."
He covered the pot, raised his head, and looked straight into Roy's eyes, trying to see through him and make sure not a single lie slipped past him.
In a solemn voice, he asked, "Tell me your resolve. What drives you to choose to kill demons..."
Roy smiled...
The boy met his gaze fearlessly and answered with easy candor, "To be honest, I think that's a stupid question..."
"If a demon chooses to eat people, then it deserves to die."
"Of course I should kill it."
"Oh~" Makomo's eyes flickered. She turned to Sabito and said, "That guy's even cooler than you..."
Sabito's pink hair draped over his shoulders. Behind his fox mask, his eyes suddenly blazed with twin flames, shining brightly!
Before you continue