The training ground.
Su Mu stopped and looked up at the auburn-haired man standing silently with his eyes closed and a sword in his hand.
As though sensing something, the auburn-haired man abruptly opened his eyes. In that instant, a fierce aura made Su Mu involuntarily take a small step back.
Even a single glance from those eyes carried enough pressure to leave Su Mu struggling to breathe.
The auburn-haired man opened his eyes, saw Su Mu, and gave a slight nod before closing them again. Holding his sword, he continued standing silently, seemingly immersed in his own world, paying no further attention to anything around him.
Su Mu glanced at the man once more, then led Kanao Tsuyuri by the hand toward a room beside the training ground.
He knocked on the door.
Footsteps soon sounded from inside.
The door opened shortly afterward, and Arakawa Akihiro came out yawning. Seeing Su Mu, he said helplessly, "It's so late. I thought you weren't coming."
"Sorry for the trouble."
"It's fine. You did pay quite a bit extra, after all."
Arakawa Akihiro shook his head, but his gaze drifted to the little girl beside Su Mu. He looked puzzled. "Who's this?"
"She's a friend's child. They asked me to look after her for a few days. Since I can't leave her alone, I decided to bring her along."
Su Mu explained.
Arakawa Akihiro did not pay much attention to it.
"By the way, I saw a man when I came in just now. He looked really strong. Who is he...?"
Hearing Su Mu's question, Arakawa Akihiro seemed to know who he meant. Respect appeared on his face. "That's our senior disciple, Kenshin Himura. He's also our master's strongest student, and the one at the Hiko Dojo most likely to defeat our master and claim the title of Battōsai. Right now, he's the strongest person in the Hiko Dojo aside from our master."
"Kenshin Himura!"
Su Mu marveled. No wonder the man had felt so dangerous.
He was a character from Rurouni Kenshin, a protagonist just like Tanjiro in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.
"Now, I'll continue explaining the techniques of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu..."
Arakawa Akihiro spoke up then.
"All right."
Su Mu sat up straight and nodded earnestly.
Time passed swiftly.
Su Mu diligently studied Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu under Arakawa Akihiro. With the Demon Slayer Corps threatening him, he was desperate to master this swordsmanship designed specifically for killing, using it to make himself stronger.
Two hours later, Arakawa Akihiro stopped teaching. "It's too late. Let's leave it here for today."
"All right."
Su Mu nodded and beckoned to Kanao Tsuyuri. The girl, who had been sitting quietly and obediently in a corner of the room, immediately trotted over to him.
"We'll be going now."
He said goodbye to Arakawa Akihiro.
Arakawa Akihiro nodded. After a moment's hesitation, he said, "Why don't you come during the day next time? We'd have more time, and we'd have more energy during the day, too..."
"Sorry, I have too much to do during the day. I can only spare a little time at night."
Su Mu shook his head apologetically.
"Ah, all right, then."
Arakawa Akihiro nodded helplessly. He had no intention of prying into someone else's private affairs. Though he had some complaints, he could grudgingly accept it, considering how much money Su Mu had paid.
Of course, aside from the money, there was another important reason: Su Mu learned very quickly. He was not some thickheaded fool who would drive him to frustration.
Holding Kanao Tsuyuri's hand, Su Mu left Arakawa Akihiro's room. As they passed the spacious training ground, he paused briefly.
The man named Kenshin Himura was still standing there silently with his eyes closed. Everything around him was quiet, save for his faint breathing.
Su Mu nodded toward him, then left the Hiko Dojo with Kanao Tsuyuri by the hand.
An inn in town.
The red lantern hanging above the entrance drove back the darkness of the night, casting a reddish glow over the ground. In its light, a woman wearing a kimono could be seen resting with her head on the front counter.
Su Mu entered the inn, holding Kanao Tsuyuri's hand.
At this hour, no guests were checking in, so the resting woman was the only person in the lobby.
Su Mu walked up to the counter and tapped it with a finger.
The innkeeper woke with a start and opened her bleary eyes. Looking at the two people before her, she clearly had not expected anyone to arrive so late.
"Do you need a room?"
"Yes."
Su Mu nodded. "One room. I'll be staying here long-term, so I'd prefer a nicer one."
"No problem."
The innkeeper glanced at Su Mu and Kanao Tsuyuri. An adult and a child-they did not look like vicious criminals.
Though she was still sleepy, the innkeeper forced herself to stay awake and took Su Mu to see the room.
Since Su Mu had said he would be staying long-term and wanted a nice room, she naturally chose the best accommodation in the inn: a small detached building beside the inner courtyard.
Su Mu inspected the room. It was very clean, with bedding and washing facilities all provided, as well as a large storage chest.
"I'll take this one."
He took out a large sum of money as he spoke. "I'm rather particular about cleanliness, and I don't like being disturbed, so there's no need to send anyone into my room. No one is allowed inside without my permission, either. As for meals, I'll have Kanao come out to collect them during the day. When you see her, just give her the food..."
Although the innkeeper found Su Mu's requests somewhat strange, she did not dwell on them. Every year, guests from all over stayed at the inn, bringing all sorts of peculiar habits and temperaments. Besides, he had paid more than enough.
"All right."
The innkeeper agreed with a nod and handed him the room key.
Su Mu took the key and led Kanao Tsuyuri into the room by the hand. Then he shut the door and slid the bolt into place.
Once inside, Su Mu moved the bed aside, picked up the Nichirin Blade, and began digging in silence.
Digging was strenuous work, but for a tireless demon with immense strength
, it was extremely easy. He simply packed the excavated soil into the chest. Fortunately, it was large enough to hold plenty of earth, saving him the trouble of finding a way to carry it outside.
Within half an hour, he had dug a simple, sizable pit. He found a cover for it, pushed the bed back over it, then cleaned the dirt off the floor. Only after making sure everything was more or less in order did he raise his head and look outside.
Before he knew it, the sun was about to rise again.
For demons, every sunrise meant hiding in the dark corners of the world, like rats concealed in underground tunnels.