Early the next morning.
After a night of slumber, Teiichi's body gradually recovered from deep sleep.
He slowly opened his eyes, and the world before him gradually came into focus. His eyelids still seemed a little heavy, but his mind had begun to clear.
"Sniff, sniff."
Teiichi sat up in bed. Feeling somewhat unwell, he sniffed hard several times. Feeling the fluid running through his nose, he couldn't help wondering.
Did I catch a cold? Was I careless about the change in seasons yesterday and got chilled?
He gently shook his head, casting these stray thoughts out of his mind.
After getting out of bed, Teiichi methodically straightened his clothes and checked himself in the mirror. Once he was sure nothing was amiss, he opened the door and walked out.
After leaving the inn, he bought some dango from a roadside shop for breakfast and ate as he walked toward the outskirts of the city.
He made his way to the woods outside the city. The morning forest air carried a hint of chill and the fragrance of earth, leaving Teiichi feeling refreshed. He took a deep breath of fresh air, and even his previously heavy mood seemed to lighten.
Teiichi stretched out his arms, took a deep breath, then loosened up his body, ready to begin the day's training.
Another four days passed like this.
"Cough, cough, cough..."
Bouts of coughing drifted from the dim room from time to time.
A hazy figure lay quietly in bed. The figure slowly drew his right hand out from under the covers, raised it, and pressed the back of it to his forehead.
The scorching heat against the back of his hand, the weakness throughout his body, and his slight headache all told Teiichi one thing-he had a high fever.
The intense discomfort in his body truly made it impossible for Teiichi to keep up the training he had done day after day, year after year. He had no choice but to rest for two days to give his body some time to recover.
"This shouldn't be happening!"
Teiichi lay in bed, filled with confusion.
Anyone could catch a cold or develop a fever, but he was a member of the Demon Slayer Corps, after all. His physical fitness far surpassed that of ordinary people.
Teiichi had considered that he couldn't beat Muzan or the Upper Ranks, but he had truly never imagined that his first defeat would come at the hands of a cold and fever.
He seemed to have thought a little too much, as waves of pain swept through his head again. Teiichi had no choice but to empty his mind.
Soon, nothing remained in the room but intermittent coughing and somewhat heavy breathing.
After an unknown amount of time, hunger woke Teiichi.
He opened his eyes groggily, catching sight out of the corner of his eye of the brilliant sunlight shining through a gap in the curtains.
Is it this late already?
Although he had little appetite, his body's instincts drove him to get up. With difficulty, he pushed himself up from the bed with both hands, draped his Demon Slayer Corps uniform over himself, opened the door, and headed downstairs.
At the inn's front desk.
Mimiko sat behind the tidy front desk, lightly propping her chin on one hand. Her gaze drifted unconsciously toward the inn's entrance. Her eyes were somewhat vacant, as though her mind had wandered far away.
Suddenly, a low, continuous bout of coughing broke the brief silence.
Mimiko looked toward the sound and saw a black-haired boy slowly coming down the stairs.
His face was deathly pale, as though he had just recovered from a serious illness. His black trousers and white shirt made him look even frailer. His jacket was draped loosely over him, seemingly liable to slip off at any moment.
As he descended, the boy's steps paused with each bout of coughing. Every time he coughed, he promptly covered his mouth with his hand, afraid of disturbing anyone else.
Even so, Mimiko could still hear his bouts of coughing clearly from the front desk.
Only when the boy reached the front desk did Mimiko get a clear look at him. Her eyes couldn't help lighting up, but concern over his frail appearance immediately followed. She asked with a smile:
"Sir, is there anything I can help you with?"
The boy raised his head and answered in a hoarse voice:
"Hello, I have a fever. Do you..."
"Cough, cough, cough..."
"Do you offer meals here, or a service to order food for guests? I can pay you in advance."
"We don't serve meals here, but we can order food for you. Would you like it delivered to your room?"
Mimiko asked with concern.
Teiichi nodded weakly. His exhausted body left him unwilling to speak much.
After giving a firm nod, Mimiko continued:
"Do you have any preferences for the food?"
"No particular preferences, but I have a pretty big appetite. Have them send ten portions each time..."
Remembering that he had a cold and little appetite, Teiichi corrected himself.
"No, six portions will be fine."
With that, he took 5,000 in cash from inside his clothes and handed it to Mimiko.
"This is for my meals and room for the next few days. Just deduct the costs from this. If it's not enough, I'll pay the difference."
Mimiko took the money and nodded in understanding. She asked:
"Which room are you staying in, sir?"
"409."
"All right."
After waiting a few seconds and seeing that the attendant seemed to have nothing else to say, Teiichi turned and headed upstairs.
"Um..."
The attendant's voice behind him made Teiichi turn to look back.
"What is it?"
Mimiko hesitated, then asked softly:
"Sir, you look seriously ill. Would you like me to find a doctor to examine you?"
Hearing the girl's concern, the corners of the boy's mouth lifted slightly. He smiled and shook his head.
"No need, thank you."
Teiichi felt there was no need. The subtle sensations in his body told him that, under the effects of his continuously running Breathing Style, his body had been getting better, little by little, even if that improvement was rather slow.
With that, he turned and walked toward the stairs.
Two days later.
A knock at the door woke Teiichi from his slumber.
"Hah..."
Startled awake from a dream, Teiichi gasped for breath as though he had just surfaced from the depths of the sea. His eyes were unfocused, as though he was still struggling to adjust to the sudden noise.
The knocking at the door continued.
Teiichi struggled to push himself up from the bed with both hands. His movements were slow and labored, as though each one demanded an enormous amount of strength.
He staggered to the door, where the attendant stood holding a bag of food. Seeing Teiichi appear, she gave him a warm smile, lifted the food with both hands, and said softly:
"Sir, here's your lunch for today."
Teiichi nodded gratefully and took the food from the attendant. He tried to make his voice sound steadier:
"All right... cough, cough, cough..."
The sudden coughing broke up his words. He hurriedly covered his mouth with his hand, trying to stop the sound from echoing through the empty room.
"Thank you."
He barely managed to force out those two words, his voice hoarse and weak.
Back in his room, he set the food on the table and sat down in a chair. He caught his breath a little and began unwrapping it. Although his appetite was poor, he knew that he had to force himself to eat for his body to recover.
He brought the food to his mouth one bite at a time, each mouthful like a struggle against his illness. Yet just as he focused on eating, another violent bout of coughing struck. He instinctively covered his mouth with his hand, trying to keep the coughing from being heard.
Once the coughing eased a little, Teiichi lowered his hand.
Crimson blood slowly dripped from his palm.