Butterfly Dream, Zhuang Zhou's Return

No one told Tanjiro the answer, and not even Tanjuro himself could provide one.

He only knew that the Hinokami Kagura had been passed down from his ancestors, and as long as he wished, he could dance it tirelessly for an entire night.

He did not understand the principles behind it, but Roy could see it clearly through "Gyo"—

It was the Sun Breathing that granted Tanjuro strength.

It helped him resist the cold and maintain his stamina.

It was a pity that Tanjuro did not know how to utilize this power, or rather... his frail body could not withstand the might of such a force.

Even if Roy were to teach him the method, he would perish on the spot, unable to endure the scorching heat of the sun's power.

Once... twice... three times... five times... six times...

As his sleeves fluttered and kicked up snow, Tanjiro could no longer keep up with the movements and plopped down onto the ground.

On this night of swirling snow, only Tanjuro and Roy remained, dancing.

From initial clumsiness and stiffness to barely managing, and finally to a fluid, seamless grace, Roy danced with increasing ease until he could perfectly match Tanjuro's rhythm.

Tanjuro noticed his movements; his initial surprise gave way to an intentional increase in speed to test him, and a smile gradually bloomed at the corners of his mouth...

A thought flickered in his mind: "If Eiichiro's grandfather could see this, he would surely be astonished by his talent for learning the Hinokami Kagura..."

Alas, the ancestors had passed, and Eiichiro's grandfather was destined never to see it... and Tanjuro already had a premonition that he, too, would soon be joining them below...

"Whoosh..."

A gust of wind blew by, stirring Tanjuro's thoughts...

Snowflakes drifted through the mask and landed on Tanjuro's face.

The man felt both comforted and melancholy. As he returned to his senses, his heart was filled with guilt and regret...

His mother was old and could no longer labor.

He had contracted tuberculosis in his early years and could not perform heavy work.

In recent years, the family had grown with more children, and they could not do without Kie.

From here on, the heavy burden of the entire family would fall upon Roy's shoulders.

Yet, as a father, it seemed all he could do now was pray...

"Then, I shall pray earnestly..."

"A prayer..."

"Oh, Great Fire God, please protect Eiichiro and the children from illness and disaster, and grant them a safe and smooth life..."

With a sweep of his long sleeves, Tanjuro danced with devotion, only stopping when he reached the eighth repetition.

He lifted a corner of his flame-patterned mask, revealing his pale, sickly face.

Roy followed half a beat behind, stopping with a sense of lingering desire. He reached out to support Tanjuro and helped him back.

Tanjuro patted his hand and sat down against a pillar.

The children cheered and swarmed around them, chattering incessantly.

Some praised how beautifully Tanjuro danced, others complimented Roy's skill, and some teased Tanjiro for being as clumsy as a toad.

Tanjiro did not get angry; he grabbed Takeo, who was mocking him, and tried to pull the cowlick on his head, but Takeo dodged and ducked behind Roy.

"Big Brother Eiichiro, it's just that Tanjiro is too clumsy~" Takeo clamored.

"Call him Brother Tanjiro."

Roy gave Takeo a light chop on his little head, glared at him with amusement, and sat down to reflect on the movements he had just performed.

One knows one's own affairs best; what the children saw was merely the surface, not the truth.

Roy knew it wasn't that he was smarter than Tanjiro.

On the contrary, he had the advantage of a head start. First, he could use "Gyo" to analyze Tanjuro's movements more clearly than Tanjiro could.

Second, thanks to the devilish training of the Zoldyck family, his physical strength far exceeded Tanjiro's, making it naturally easier for him to imitate the form.

Furthermore, Tanjiro was destined to learn the Sun Breathing.

But he himself still needed to pass the most crucial test—enduring the "Weight of the Sun"!

If he could endure it, he would master the Sun Breathing completely; if he could not, it would all be for naught.

The youth calmed his heart, neither sad nor joyful. Once he finished reflecting, he stood up and ducked into the kitchen. Before long, he returned with two plates of dumplings... white rice wrapped in vinegar-soaked cloth and drizzled with sauce; this was the main meal for tonight's Full Moon Festival.

Of course, there was also the miso soup Kie had prepared.

There was a piece of pork rib in the soup, so meager that Roy was momentarily dazed...

Since his birth into the Zoldyck family, he had never eaten anything so humble. Not only was there always an abundance of meat and fish, but because of his training, the family would also provide medicinal supplements.

Looking at Tanjuro's condition now, and then at the faces of Kie, the grandmother, and the children... Roy deeply understood—

In an era where man-eating demons ran rampant, merely staying alive was a luxury.

In fact, two years from now, apart from Tanjiro and Nezuko, every one of these vibrant faces before him would eventually fade away.

This... was not what Roy wanted to see.

"To receive their grace is to ensure their future; since I have learned Sun Breathing, I ought to provide something in return."

"At the very least, I must ensure they can afford to eat meat."

Roy had made up his mind. As Kie smiled and announced that dinner was served, he pressed his palms together, picked up his bowl and chopsticks...

Eating by the light of the night, he devoured his meal in large mouthfuls. Before long, the battle was over.

After helping Kie clean up the remnants of the meal and coaxing the younger ones to sleep, he took off his shoes and socks, found his bedding, and lay down, shedding the exhaustion of the day.

By now, the night was deep, yet the snow made the night as white as day.

Roy, Tanjiro, Takeo, and Shigeru, the children, all slept on a single large communal bed.

Closing his eyes, he could still hear Takeo grinding his teeth and Shigeru letting out soft farts from time to time...

The sounds and smells were so incredibly real, so real that Roy began to wonder if, once he fell asleep, he would truly leave this place and return to the real world.

Beside him, Tanjiro was tossing and turning like a salted fish, unable to sleep. Finally, he had no choice but to open his large, amber-colored eyes wide, wiggle over to Roy's side, and whisper, "Brother, are you asleep?"

"Brother" was the unique title Tanjiro used for him; the others, including Nezuko, all called him "Big Brother Eiichiro."

Roy kept his eyes closed and lied, "I'm asleep."

Tanjiro: "..."

He let out an "Oh~," pulled the quilt over his face, and lay flat.

Roy knew what he wanted to say.

Tanjiro also knew that Roy didn't want to talk right now.

In truth, what he didn't know was... Roy simply hadn't figured out a suitable explanation yet.

After all, who could blame him? This Big Brother Eiichiro was also pushing open the door of perception and encountering this world for the very first time.

So, my foolish little brother, please give me a little more time...

Just a little will do...

Roy thought to himself as he gradually quieted down.

He drifted into a dream.

Until—

"Awoo!"

A familiar bark jolted him awake.

The owner of the bark was none other than Mike, the magical beast kept by the Zoldyck family, whose primary duties were to devour humans who trespassed on Zoldyck grounds and—to crow at dawn.

That's right, at three-fifty in the morning, Roy woke up.

He rolled over and sat up in bed.

Seeing the grandfather clock in the corner of the room, along with the familiar desk and wardrobe... he knew he had left the world of Demon Slayer and returned to the Zoldyck estate.

One moment he was huddled in that simple wooden shack, resisting the bitter cold, and in the blink of an eye, he was back in the solemn castle, enduring the torment of the sweltering heat... Was this the butterfly dreaming of Zhuangzi, or Zhuangzi dreaming of the butterfly?

Roy sat in a daze, lost in a long, deep contemplation...