The three chatted as they continued walking down the Yamashita.
As you pass through the gate halfway up the mountain, a figure dressed in a two-colored haori stands quietly on the stone steps.
Upon hearing the footsteps of the group, the figure turned around and looked at them.
Shinobu Kocho broke the silence first, her eyes filled with surprise and curiosity as she looked at Giyu Tomioka and asked:
" Tomioka, you haven't left yet?"
She remembered that when they were waiting for Teiichi in the courtyard Teiichi morning, Giyu Tomioka had just walked away right in front of them.
They never expected to see Giyu Tomioka again when they came down the mountain.
Upon hearing this, Giyu Tomioka merely glanced at Shinobu Kocho without giving a direct answer, instead turning his gaze to Teiichi.
This action caused Shinobu Kocho's lips to twitch slightly.
Damn it, can't this guy speak human language?
Seeing that Giyu Tomioka was looking at him, Teiichi confusion, "Looking for me?"
"Hmm." Giyu Tomioka nodded.
"What is it?" Teiichi asked.
However, Giyu Tomioka did not answer immediately. He first looked around at the three people, then fixed his gaze on Teiichi again, and said solemnly:
I'd like to talk to you alone!
Upon Teiichi, Teiichi nodded after a moment's thought, then turned to Kanae and Shinobu Kocho and said gently:
"You guys go down first, I'll talk to Tomioka, and I'll catch up with you later!"
Despite her doubts, Kanae nodded and waved to Muichiro.
" Muichiro, let's go down first!"
When his master's wife called him, Muichiro silently followed.
Teiichi and Giyu Tomioka remained where they were, standing quietly on the stone steps, watching Kanae and the other two walk away into the distance.
Giyu Tomioka's gaze lingered on Muichiro's retreating figure for a moment before turning to Teiichi and asking:
Who is that boy?
Teiichi replied, "Your newly accepted apprentice will be your colleague from now on!"
Giyu Tomioka nodded, asking no further questions, but also saying nothing else.
Teiichi didn't rush to ask, and the two of them stood there silently.
At this moment, Giyu Tomioka's brows were furrowed.
Even though he had come this far, he was still conflicted, unsure whether he should ask the question.
During this time, he kept thinking about whether it was the right thing to save Tanjiro and his sister.
The Demon Slayer Corps is strictly ordered to kill all demons.
but...
After a long while, Giyu turned to Teiichi and said:
You might not believe it, but I recently encountered a ghost that didn't eat people!
After speaking, Giyu Tomioka stared intently at Teiichi's face, as if trying to discern something.
However, Teiichi simply looked back calmly at Giyu Tomioka, nodded, and asked:
"Then what?"
"You believe what I'm saying?"
Teiichi nodded and said, "Yes, I believe you!"
Why do you believe that?
Giyu Tomioka was puzzled.
If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I probably wouldn't have believed anyone else who told me that ghosts don't eat people.
After all, over the years, I've encountered countless monsters, let alone those that don't eat people.
I've never even encountered a ghost with a modicum of humanity.
Teiichi retorted, "Didn't you tell me that ghosts don't eat people?"
Teiichi's words left Giyu Tomioka speechless for a moment, unsure of what to say.
Seeing this, Teiichi spoke up, "In a population, as long as the base number is large, it's not surprising that any kind of being will appear, right?"
Just like humans, most babies are born normal, but some babies are born with defects.
This is normal, it's just that it might be relatively rare.
Upon hearing Teiichi's words, Giyu Tomioka nodded thoughtfully.
In that sense, Nezuko's situation does seem quite normal.
Giyu Tomioka asked, "Have you ever seen a ghost like this before?"
"Never seen it before."
Aren't you curious?
I'm just curious!
Although he said he was curious, Giyu couldn't tell from Teiichi's face what was so curious Teiichi him.
After thinking for a moment, Giyu Tomioka finally spoke:
They were a brother and sister.
The one who became a ghost was my younger sister.
When I encountered them, the younger sister was attacking the older brother.
I originally intended to kill my sister outright.
Unexpectedly, his brother stopped him.
After learning about the boy's past, I originally only wanted to test him.
Let's see if you have the determination and potential to join our Demon Slayer Corps.
I never expected that after I knocked that boy unconscious...
His sister actually ran up to the boy, trying to protect him.
Teiichi, "So you finally let them go."
Giyu Tomioka nodded slowly. "Yes, I released them. I introduced that boy to my former trainer, Master Urokodaki."
"So, what do you want to ask me?" Teiichi asked.
Giyu Tomioka hesitated for a moment before speaking:
"I'm not sure if I'm doing this right, so..."
Teiichi gazed into the distance, seemingly deep in thought.
After a moment, he asked softly:
So you want to ask for my opinion?
Giyu Tomioka nodded. "Yes, after all, you don't seem to care much about being a demon."
Teiichi chuckled lightly, "Since you already know, why did you ask?"
"So you mean... support?" Giyu Tomioka asked uncertainly.
Teiichi, "Well, as long as we're sure her heart is inclined towards humans, and that she won't eat people in the future, that's fine."
Although he had roughly guessed Teiichi's opinion before coming, Giyu Tomioka still felt relieved when he confirmed it.
Teiichi, "More important than my opinion is what you truly think in your heart."
"What do I... think?"
Giyu Tomioka repeated the sentence in a low voice, then said:
"I just don't know if this is the right thing to do, that's why I came to you!"
Teiichi asked softly, "Then what is right, and what is wrong?"
Giyu Tomioka replied without hesitation, " The Demon Slayer Corps has rules, right? Of course, killing demons is the right thing to do!"
"Oh? Then why don't you kill her instead of asking me?"
"I..." Giyu was momentarily speechless.
Teiichi said softly, "Perhaps there is such a rule in the Demon Slayer Corps, but at least you don't think that way, do you?"
Giyu remained silent.
Teiichi continued, "You've always known what you're thinking; you've only come to me to get the answer you want!"
Giyu remained silent for a long time before nodding firmly.
"Yes! I don't want to just kill that sister like that either."
Teiichi smiled, turned his head and asked, "Is this situation only known to you and Senior Urokodaki?"
Giyu Tomioka nodded. "Yes, given how others treat demons, if they knew, even if my sister didn't eat people, they'd probably still want to kill her! And..."
At this point, Giyu Tomioka paused for a moment before continuing:
"At that time, it might not just be his sister, but also his brother, myself, and Master Urokodaki who took them in and raised them..."
Teiichi raised his hand and rubbed his chin twice, suggesting:
"Why don't you leave the team too?"