Steaming white rice, tempura fried golden and crisp, and richly fragrant miso soup.
The dinner the old woman had prepared was as lavish as a holiday feast.
For the boys who had just survived a life-or-death battle, this was nothing short of heaven.
"It's so good! I'm alive again!"
Zenitsu shoveled rice into his mouth, tears and snot streaming down his face with gratitude.
Tanjiro carefully moved Nezuko's box into place before picking up his bowl, a contented smile on his face.
Sasuke sat quietly in his seat, his graceful movements completely at odds with the ravenous eating around him.
Inosuke, meanwhile, took his "beastly" instincts to the extreme.
He did not use chopsticks at all.
His two hands were the best utensils he had.
He grabbed a piece of shrimp tempura and stuffed it whole into his mouth without even stopping to dip it in sauce, a satisfied rumble rising from his throat.
"Mmm! Delicious!"
Then his gaze settled on the food on everyone else's plates.
"Hey! Blondie! Yours looks pretty good too!"
His long arm shot out, snatching a piece of fried pumpkin from Zenitsu's bowl with perfect accuracy.
"Ah! My pumpkin!"
Zenitsu let out a cry of anguish.
Inosuke ignored him completely, swallowed the pumpkin in a few bites, and set his sights on Tanjiro.
Tanjiro hurriedly shielded his plate.
"Inosuke! You can't steal other people's food!"
"Hmph! The strong get to eat what belongs to the weak!"
Inosuke declared the law of survival he had learned in the mountains and forests.
As he spoke, he snatched the largest piece of fried fish from Tanjiro's plate before anyone could react.
Tanjiro could only sigh helplessly.
After enjoying his spoils, Inosuke finally turned his gaze to the black-haired boy who had remained quiet the entire time.
A plate