The Belated Graduation Gift

The meeting room fell silent. Every Hashira stared in disbelief as Makomo threw herself into the arms of the young man standing outside the door, like a little girl.

Nearly every Hashira knew that the Demon Slayer Corps' strongest fighter and chief instructor had a mysterious master of her own. In private, they had often wondered who Makomo's master might be.

After all, the accomplishments of Makomo and her fellow disciples' master were almost beyond imagining. He had trained a swordswoman as formidable as Makomo and four Shogunate generals who had overthrown the emperor. Sunset Country had never seen anything like it.

They had imagined their teacher must be an elderly man of vast knowledge and immense power.

Even when his statue was erected, they had assumed the generals had modeled it on their teacher's appearance in his youth.

But now they realized how wrong they had been. The person outside the door was no old man. He was clearly a boy of seventeen or eighteen. How could someone so young be their teacher?

The same question filled every mind in the room.

Could it be...

Their thoughts stopped there, and they all looked toward Xunri and his fellow disciples, who were just as visibly excited.

Could Makomo's master truly be a god walking among mortals, as the generals claimed?

Once that thought arose, none of them could shake it.

"Come on! How old are you now? Why are you still throwing yourself into your master's arms like you did as a child?"

Hane stroked Makomo's head. His scolding carried the fondness of a father.

Makomo slowly raised her head to look at the face she had not seen in so long. Her eyes reddened.

"I thought I'd never see you again, Master! Last time you visited my juniors, you