Su Mu remained where he stood, studying the character panel in his mind.
But no matter how closely he examined it, he could make nothing more of it. It seemed to be nothing more than a character panel that recorded his current condition.
Aside from giving him a clearer understanding of his own condition, it served no purpose.
Though he felt somewhat dissatisfied, Su Mu could only withdraw his attention in disappointment.
Kenshin Himura thought Su Mu was still basking in the joy of his breakthrough in swordsmanship, so he did not interrupt him. Only when Su Mu came back to his senses did he smile and say, "Congratulations on your breakthrough. Why don't we have a drink together to celebrate?"
Su Mu paused, not having expected Kenshin Himura to be so friendly, then nodded.
The town bustled with life, and even at night, plenty of small taverns remained open.
Kenshin Himura brought Su Mu and Kanao Tsuyuri to a small tavern in a relatively quiet spot. Shortly after they took their seats, someone brought over sake and side dishes.
Su Mu specifically ordered a bowl of meat porridge for Kanao Tsuyuri and placed two side dishes in front of her.
Seeing how attentively Su Mu cared for the child, Kenshin Himura smiled. He picked up the sake flask beside him and poured a cup for Su Mu and himself.
"Congratulations on mastering Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu."
Kenshin Himura looked delighted, his smile sincere. He seemed genuinely happy that Su Mu had mastered Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu.
"And thank you for your help."
Su Mu raised his cup. During their sparring, Kenshin Himura had offered him sincere guidance, for which he was deeply grateful.
"Even without me, you would have mastered Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu on your own before long."
Kenshin Himura took a small sip of sake.
Su Mu smiled and raised his cup for a sip as well. But the sake was utterly tasteless as it slid into his stomach. Clearly, as a demon, he could no longer enjoy fine liquor the way humans did.
After a few drinks, the atmosphere between them grew less stiff and began to liven up.
"What do you think of the current situation, Mu?"
Kenshin Himura suddenly asked after another cup.
Su Mu shook his head. He knew little about this place and had no idea what the current situation was. Most of what he knew concerned the plot of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, rather than the era in which it was set.
"Wars rage everywhere now. Innocent people die by the blade every day, and countless others have been driven from their homes. There are even rumors of demons prowling about..."
Kenshin Himura was clearly unhappy with the state of affairs.
Su Mu merely smiled and drank, listening quietly. He had little interest in what Kenshin Himura described. Right now, all he wanted was to find where Tanjiro Kamado lived as soon as possible and locate the legendary Blue Spider Lily, remedying the weaknesses of being a demon and freeing himself from Muzan Kibutsuji's control.
"Now that I've attained some skill with the sword, I want to leave the mountains and bring an end to this age of strife, to stop the killing. I just want people to stop dying in war. Now is the time to use Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu to save people..."
Su Mu looked up at Kenshin Himura, then lowered his head and sipped his sake. "You've already made up your mind, haven't you?"
"My master doesn't agree."
Kenshin Himura gave a bitter smile. "My master says one person alone cannot change an era. A sword is a weapon for killing, and swordsmanship is the art of killing. Once you draw your sword, all that follows is endless slaughter..."
Su Mu reached out with his chopsticks and gently placed some food from a side dish into Kanao Tsuyuri's bowl. She had been focused solely on eating her meat porridge. He listened in silence.
"But I don't agree with my master."
Su Mu glanced at Kenshin Himura. His swordsmanship was extraordinary. Even with a demon's physical capabilities, Su Mu could barely withstand his blade. There was no doubt that he was immensely powerful.
Now that he wielded such a formidable blade, he naturally felt he would be different.
He believed his abilities could change everything.
His dream was both utterly innocent and supremely arrogant.
But...
He was still only human.
And humans grew tired, suffered injuries, and felt hunger and thirst.
After another cup of sake, Kenshin Himura raised his head and looked at Su Mu. "I'd like you to join me. Together, we could change all of this."
Su Mu fell silent.
"Your physical abilities are incredible, unlike anything I've ever seen. Even my master may not be as physically powerful as you. Though your swordsmanship still falls a little short, if we work together, we needn't fear any difficulty. I'd like you to come to Kyoto with me, and together..."
Before Kenshin Himura could finish, Su Mu shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I can't agree."
Kenshin Himura froze for a moment. He had not expected such a direct refusal, and his eyes dimmed. "Do you agree with my master, too?"
"One person's strength is limited, after all. No matter how skilled you are with a sword, you might defeat ten people or a hundred, but could you defeat a thousand? Ten thousand?"
"It's hard for one person to stand against the tide of the times. If you want to change things, you'll have no choice but to join some faction. But once you do, those in power will inevitably use you. What awaits you may be endless slaughter among your own people in the name of justice. And once you throw yourself into it, your sword style will only help you kill countless people."
Su Mu spoke as he drank another cup. The sake flowed down his throat into his body, but it had no flavor at all.
Kenshin Himura fell silent. Just as Su Mu had said, he was indeed planning to go to Kyoto and join a faction. Perhaps his future would unfold just as Su Mu had described, too.
"So we should do nothing at all?"
Kenshin Himura looked at Su Mu, then at the girl beside him, who was eating her porridge in small mouthfuls. As though sensing his gaze, Kanao Tsuyuri lifted her head slightly and glanced at him before lowering it again to concentrate on the food in her bowl.
He lowered his head again and took a sip of sake, his eyes resolute. "Someone has to do it."
Smiling, Su Mu raised his cup to Kenshin Himura.
Seeing this, the despondent Kenshin Himura gave a bitter smile and raised his own cup, drinking deeply.
But Kenshin Himura did not seem to hold his liquor very well. After a few more cups, he was already drunk.
Su Mu asked the tavern staff to help take the thoroughly drunk Kenshin Himura home, then took Kanao Tsuyuri's hand and headed back to the little inn.
As they walked, he seemed to sense something and looked up. At a wonton stall at the end of the bustling street, several men sat scanning their surroundings.
Though they were not wearing the Demon Slayer Corps' standard uniform, there was no doubt that they were its swordsmen.
The long objects wrapped in strips of cloth beside them gave off an aura he found utterly repulsive. Those were Nichirin Blades, weapons used to slay demons.
Having noticed the Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen, Su Mu lowered his head and led Kanao Tsuyuri into the crowd by the hand.
After avoiding the Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen, he continued holding Kanao Tsuyuri's hand and soon drew near the little inn.
But as they passed a relatively secluded alley in front of the inn, Su Mu stopped and raised his head to look ahead.
Not far away, a powerfully built man leaned against the wall with his arms folded, staring at him coldly.
And from him, Su Mu sensed the deeply familiar aura of one of his own kind.