The cherry blossoms at the Ubuyashiki Estate fell their last petal this morning.
It wasn't that the season had arrived, but rather that Higashino Makoto said the tree needed to rest, and so it did.
The tree roots no longer absorb nutrients, the trunk no longer transports sap, and the petals that had fluttered in the moonlight for hundreds of years all turned to dust overnight.
Nobody found it strange.
Or rather, after all that had happened, no one found the man's words strange anymore.
He said the cherry blossoms needed a rest, so they rested.
He said that when the sun shines, the dark clouds will disperse.
He said Muzan Kibutsuji kneel down, and that monster who had lived for a thousand years knelt down.
The news of the Demon Slayer Corps' disbandment spread throughout the entire island nation three days ago.
Kagaya Ubuyashiki sat under the cherry blossom tree, gently tapped his knee with the folding fan he had used for half his life, and said, "The demons are gone. You should live for yourselves now."
Then the pillars dispersed.
Kyojuro Rengoku returned to his hometown, saying he wanted to take over his father's dojo.
Sanemi Shinazugawa and Obanai Iguro left together, and no one knows where they went.
Mitsuri Kanroji said she was going to find a boyfriend, Muichiro Tokito said he was going back to farming, Tengen Uzui said he was going to take his wives on a trip, Giyu Tomioka stood there for a long time, and finally left silently.
No one cried.
After all, this was their wish.
But on the night Shinobu Kocho left headquarters, she sat in her room all night without turning on the light.
When Kanae Kocho pushed open the door, she saw her younger sister sitting on the windowsill, the moonlight shining on her face, her purple eyes appearing red.
"Tolerate."
"Sister, I'm fine."
You're lying.
Shinobu Kocho remained silent.
She simply sat there, gazing out the window at the sky that Higashino Makoto had changed, a sky now devoid of ghosts.
"I just..."
She paused.
I don't know what to do next.
Kanae Kocho walked over to her and sat down beside her on the windowsill.
"Me too. But Mr. Higashino said we should follow him."
Shinobu Kocho turned her head and looked at her older sister.
"You believe him?"
"Letter."
Kanae Kocho's voice was very soft.
"He's not a good person, but he's not bad either. And he saved you, he saved me, he saved Kanao, he saved everyone. Without him, we'd all be Doma's meal by now."
Shinobu Kocho remained silent for a long time.
"You're right."
She stood up and dusted off the hem of her skirt.
"Let's go. Let's find that bastard."
Kanae Kocho smiled.
What did you call him?
"Damn it, what's wrong?"
"It's nothing, but you're the first person who dared to call him that."
Shinobu Kocho snorted, pushed open the door, and walked out.
That night, Higashino Makoto stacked the three butterfly sisters together.
Momo helped from the side.
The specific process is not worth going into detail about.
It was nothing more than a soft touch, a sweet hum, and skin glistening in the moonlight.
But the result was that the next morning, Shinobu Kocho's legs were trembling as she walked, Kanae Kocho had several red marks on her neck, Kanao Tsuyuri's eyes were even redder.
Kanae Kocho lay to his left, her long purple hair scattered on the pillow, her eyes closed, her eyelashes trembling slightly.
Her breathing was so light it was almost inaudible; she was pretending to be asleep.
Shinobu Kocho lay to his right, her eyes also closed, but her hands were gripping the sheets tightly, her knuckles white.
Kanao Tsuyuri lay sprawled at the foot of the bed, her long, jet-black hair disheveled, her purple eyes half-open and half-closed.
She seemed completely dazed.
Like a cat that's been petted too many times, it has given up on thinking.
Momo stood by the bed, holding a teapot in her hand. Her purple eyes curved into crescents, and a sly smile played on her lips.
Its black tail swayed gently behind it, the heart-shaped end curling slightly.
Her maid outfit was neat and tidy, without a single detail out of place.
Because she was just watching from the sidelines last night.
Offer help, such as handing over water and towels.
"Cheng-san, you really are..."
Momo lay on the bed, her purple eyes looking at him, her tail swaying gently behind her.
"What's wrong?"
"It's nothing. I just feel that your pursuit of beauty has remained consistent throughout."
Higashino Makoto reached out and ruffled her hair.
Are you praising me?
"I was merely stating the facts."
Momo smiled, leaned against him, and closed her eyes.
"Cheng-san."
"Um."
I'm leaving tomorrow.
"I know."
Will you miss me?
Higashino Makoto was silent for a moment.
"... meeting."
Momo's smile deepened.
"That's enough."
For the next few days, Higashino Makoto lived a life of extravagance.
It's not the kind of extravagant spending that involves throwing money around.
Gold coins no longer held much meaning for him.
It is a different kind of extravagance—a luxury of time, energy, and attention.
He sleeps until he naturally wakes up every day, then lies in bed in a daze, watching the sunlight stream in through the window and fall on Kanae Kocho's eyelashes.
She would open her eyes before he woke up, but wouldn't move; she would just lie there quietly, waiting for him to speak first.
"Morning."
Good morning, Mr. Higashino.
What should we eat today?
"Miss Momo said that breakfast is ready. It's your favorite congee and side dishes."
"Um."
He would sit up, his long hair slipping off his shoulders, his bare feet touching the floor, and walk to the dining table to sit down.
Shinobu Kocho was already there; her legs had stopped trembling, but her gaze still held a complex emotion.
It wasn't hate, it wasn't love, it was more like the kind of confusion I felt about why I was here.
What are you looking at?
Higashino Makoto picked up a piece of pickled radish and put it in his mouth.
"Look at you."
Is it pretty?
"... nice."
Higashino Makoto's lips curled up slightly.
"Then let's keep watching."
Shinobu Kocho blushed.
She lowered her head, no longer looking at him, but her ears remained red.
Kanao Tsuyuri sat in the corner, holding a book in her hands.
She rarely spoke, but Higashino Makoto noticed that when she was reading, she would secretly look up at him with her purple eyes, and then quickly look down.
Momo sat beside him, her tail wrapped around his wrist, the heart-shaped tip gently rubbing against his palm.
She would refill his tea when he drank tea, massage his shoulders when he read, and quietly keep him company when he was lost in thought.
"Momo."
"Exist."
Are you happy following me?
Momo's fingers paused for a moment.
"Happy."
"Why?"
"Because Cheng-san makes you feel needed."
Higashino Makoto looked at her, his face reflected in her purple eyes.
You are needed.
Momo smiled.
"Cheng-san, you're not very good at talking."
"I know."
"But I like it."
During those days, Higashino Makoto did nothing.
He had no plans, no goals, and no world affairs to worry about.
All I did was eat, sleep, read, daydream, and stack the three butterfly sisters together.
Momo once told me that if you continue like this, you'll become a cripple.
Higashino Makoto said that would turn him into a useless person.
Momo didn't say anything more.
She could sense that Higashino Makoto was relaxing.
It's that calm and relaxation before the Tempest.
He is gathering his strength, preparing for something.
Momo knew about that.
To become a god.