No one had an answer for Tanjiro. Even Tanjuro himself couldn't give him one.
All he knew was that Hinokami Kagura had been passed down through his family, and that he could keep dancing all night as long as he wanted.
He didn't understand how it worked, but Roy could see clearly with Gyo—
It was Sun Breathing that gave Tanjuro strength.
It helped him fight the cold and maintain his stamina.
Unfortunately, Tanjuro didn't know how to use that power. Or rather... his frail body simply couldn't withstand its strength.
Even if Roy told him how to use it, the Sun Power would burn him up, and he'd die on the spot.
Once... twice... three times... five times... six times...
His sleeves swept through the air, kicking up snow. Tanjiro could no longer keep up with the movements and plopped down on the ground.
On that snowy night, only Tanjuro and Roy remained, dancing.
From clumsy and awkward at first to merely passable, then to flowing smoothly without a hint of stiffness, Roy's movements grew more and more fluid. By the end, he was keeping pace with Tanjuro.
Tanjuro noticed his movements. First he was surprised, then he deliberately sped up to test Roy. A smile slowly spread across his lips...
Every now and then, a thought crossed his mind: If Eiichiro's grandfather could see this, he'd surely be amazed at his talent for learning Hinokami Kagura...
Sadly, his ancestors had passed away. Eiichiro's grandfather would never get to see it... And Tanjuro had a premonition that his own time was near, too...
"Whoosh..."
A gust of wind stirred Tanjuro's thoughts...
Snowflakes slipped through his mask and landed on his face.
The man felt both comforted and melancholy. As he came back to himself, his heart filled with guilt and regret...
His mother was old and couldn't work.
He had contracted tuberculosis when he was young and couldn't do any strenuous labor.
Over the past few years, they'd welcomed several more children into the family, and Kie couldn't leave them.
Soon, the burden of supporting the whole family would fall on Roy's shoulders.
But as a father, it seemed the only thing he could still do was pray...
"Then I'll pray with all my heart..."
"I pray..."
"Fire God, please watch over Eiichiro and the children. Keep them safe from sickness and disaster, and grant them peace and good fortune..."
With a sweep of his long sleeves, Tanjuro danced earnestly. He stopped only after the eighth repetition.
The Flame mask lifted at one corner, revealing his pale, sickly face.
Roy stopped just half a beat later, still reluctant to finish. He reached out to support Tanjuro and helped him back to his seat...
Tanjuro patted his hand, then sat down against a porch pillar.
The children cheered and crowded around, chattering noisily.
Some praised Tanjuro's dancing, others said Roy was amazing, and a few teased Tanjiro for being as clumsy as a toad.
Tanjiro didn't get mad. He grabbed Takeo, who was teasing him, and tried to tug the cowlick on top of his head. But Takeo dodged and darted behind Roy.
"Eiichiro, Tanjiro's just too clumsy~" Takeo crowed.
"Call him big brother Tanjiro."
Roy lightly rapped Takeo on the head with his knuckles, then gave him an amused glare. He sat down and began to go over the movements he'd just learned.
He knew his own limits. The children had only seen the surface, not the truth.
Roy knew it wasn't because he was smarter than Tanjiro.
On the contrary, he had a head start. First, he could use Gyo, which let him analyze Tanjuro's movements more clearly than Tanjiro could.
Second, thanks to the Zoldyck family's demonic training, his body was far stronger than Tanjiro's, so he could imitate the movements faster.
And Tanjiro was destined to learn Sun Breathing.
But Roy still had to pass the most important test—to withstand the "weight of the sun"!
If he could bear it, he would master Sun Breathing completely. If he couldn't, it would all be for nothing.
The boy quieted his mind, neither happy nor sad. When he'd finished reviewing the movements, he got up and ducked into the kitchen. Before long, he returned with two plates of dumplings... Rice wrapped around vinegar cloth, with some sauce poured over them, was the main dish for tonight's full moon festival.
Of course, there was also the miso soup Kie had served.
There was a piece of pork rib in the soup. The meal was so meager that Roy stared blankly at it...
Ever since he was born into the Zoldyck family, he didn't think he'd ever eaten so poorly. They usually had plenty of meat and fish, and because of his training, his family even provided medicinal supplements.
Looking at Tanjuro's condition, then at Kie, his grandmother, and the children... Roy finally understood—
In an era overrun by Demons, simply being alive was a luxury.
And in two years, every one of these lively faces before him would be gone, except for Tanjiro and Nezuko.
This... wasn't something Roy wanted to see.
If I accept their kindness, I should repay it. Now that I've learned Sun Breathing, I ought to give something back.
At the very least, I should make sure they can eat meat.
Roy made up his mind. When Kie smiled and announced that dinner was ready, he pressed his palms together and picked up his bowl and chopsticks...
Under the night sky, he ate one mouthful after another. Soon, the meal was over.
After helping Kie clean up and putting the little ones to bed, he took off his shoes and socks, found his bedding, and lay down to rest away the day's exhaustion.
It was late, yet the snow made the night as bright as day.
Roy, Tanjiro, Takeo, Shigeru, and the other children slept together on one large futon.
He closed his eyes, but every now and then he could still hear Takeo grinding his teeth and Shigeru letting out a faint fart...
The sounds and smells felt so real that Roy began to wonder if he would truly leave this place and return to the real world once he woke up.
Meanwhile, Tanjiro tossed and turned like a fish out of water, unable to sleep. In the end, he had no choice but to open his big amber eyes and wriggle over beside Roy to whisper, "Bro, are you asleep?"
"Bro" was Tanjiro's special nickname for him. The younger children, including Nezuko, all called him "Big Brother Eiichiro."
Roy lied with his eyes closed. "I'm asleep."
Tanjiro: "..."
"Oh..." Tanjiro murmured, pulled the blanket over his face, and lay still.
Roy knew what he wanted to say.
Tanjiro knew Roy didn't want to talk right now.
What he didn't know was... Roy simply hadn't thought of a suitable explanation yet.
After all, this Big Brother Eiichiro was opening the Gate of Cognition and encountering this world for the first time, too.
So, my foolish little otōto, please give me a little more time...
Just a little...
Roy thought to himself, and gradually sank into silence.
He fell asleep.
Until—
"Woof!"
A familiar dog bark woke him.
The dog belonged to the Magic Beast kept at the Zoldyck estate. Its main jobs were eating humans who trespassed on Zoldyck land and—acting as an alarm clock. Its name was Mike.
That's right. At three fifty in the morning, Roy woke up.
He turned over and sat up in bed.
He saw the clock in the corner of the room, along with the familiar desk and wardrobe... He knew he'd left the Demon Slayer world and returned to the Zoldyck estate.
One moment, he'd been huddled in that cramped little wooden cabin, keeping out the cold. In the next, he'd returned to the solemn Ancient Castle, suffering through the scorching heat... Was this Zhuang Zhou dreaming of a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming of Zhuang Zhou?
Roy stared blankly for a while, lost in thought...
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