The Sound Pillar dropped his twin blades. His fists clenched as he looked around in a daze, caught between laughter and tears.
Tanjiro stared at the scene before him in disbelief. He instinctively moved forward, but Inosuke and Zenitsu Agatsuma held him back.
Kanao quietly came to Tetsu no Sosuke's side and took his hand. Grief showed on her face as she said softly, "Master must miss you. It's time to go home."
"Yeah."
Shinobu Kocho: "?"
Chapter 500: Home! (The Finale)
"Roar, roar! I'm a demon! I'm going to eat you!"
A child sprang out from behind him, waving his arms like claws, only to be scooped up by a large hand.
After setting him down beside him, the man raised a finger to his lips. "Shh. You scared all the fish away."
The child pulled the mask off his face and left it hanging crookedly from his head. "You're never scared. It's no fun."
The man smiled. "Why should I be scared?"
"Because evil demons are scary," the child said. "But that's just what the uncles in the village say. I've never seen one. Dad, do evil demons really exist?"
A light breeze stirred the man's snow-white hair. He smiled gently. "No. They're just rumors."
"Oh." The boy sighed. "So they really aren't real."
"Why do you sound disappointed?" the man asked his son, puzzled.
The boy grinned. "If there were evil demons, I'd have to hurry up and grow big so I could protect you and Mom!"
The man chuckled. "How brave."
"Of course!"
The boy nodded as if it were obvious.
Suddenly, the fishing rod twitched. The boy's attention leaped from protecting his parents to the rod. "Dad! A fish! You've got one!"
"Mm-hmm."
With a flick of the man's wrist, a big fish burst from