19 Vol. II Demon Slayer: Floating Comment

No good—his words seemed to make her even angrier.

A glimmer of a tear shimmered in her beautiful violet eyes before falling onto the pristine white fabric of her robe. Yet, Shinobu Kocho didn't appear to cry. Instead, she raised her eyebrows, her signature stubbornness gleaming in her gaze.

"If sacrifices must be made, let it start with me—a swordswoman who can't even sever a demon's head."

She gritted her teeth, spitting the words out like venom, and stormed into the Butterfly Estate.

Their conversation had ended with Shinobu's sudden and furious departure, an outcome that completely blindsided Haruto.

Stretching out his legs, he thumped his knees, which ached from being bent too long.

He could understand her anger. If someone close to him held such a reckless mindset, he'd think they were out of their mind too. But how could he possibly explain the idea of rewinding time? Even he found it absurd.

Sigh… What a mess. He had only intended to explain why he couldn't return her feelings. Who would've thought it'd end like this, ruining their relationship entirely?

But what did she mean by "start with me"? What was that stubborn girl planning?

A few days later, Haruto received two letters.

One was from Kanae Kocho, detailing Shinobu's current state.

"Although her emotions are a bit unstable, overall, she's doing fine," the letter read. "However, it seems she's more worried about you, Haruto. She's been fighting demons recklessly, as if wagering her life."

Haruto picked up a pen and wrote back, assuring Kanae he would be careful.

The other letter came from Asakusa. Tamayo had made progress with her demon transformation elixir, which meant it was time for Haruto to fulfill his promise to test it.

He glanced back and picked up a small silver butterfly pin from his cabinet, clutching it tightly in his palm.

"Sensei?" Genya's breathless voice interrupted his thoughts. The young swordsman, sweaty from training on Sagiri Mountain, set his blade down. "Where are you going?"

"Hmm…" Haruto sidestepped the question. "What's today's date?"

"July 27th."

"Do you remember where Kamado's house is? You know, the one who headbutted you?"

Genya winced, rubbing his head at the memory. That bump had taken over a week to heal—a "memorable" experience indeed.

"...Mount Kumotori," he grumbled.

"Good. Then you'll head to Mount Kumotori," Haruto said, ruffling Genya's spiky hair. "As his senior, check if that iron-headed kid has improved."

"And you?" Genya quickly pieced things together. "It's about Lady Tamayo, isn't it?"

"What nonsense are you imagining?" Haruto teased, hands on his hips. "I'm just fulfilling an old promise, that's all."

Genya stayed silent but stared intently at him.

"What's with that look?" Haruto chuckled, shaking his head. "Hey, don't look at me like I'm running headfirst into death!"

"I have a request," Genya said, extending his pinky. "Promise me you'll come back safely."

Haruto smirked and linked his pinky with Genya's, indulging in the childish gesture.

"Fine. I'll be back before you even return. Satisfied?"

Genya grinned, nodding firmly. "Deal!"

"Oh, for heaven's sake. I'm too old to be making pinky promises like some kid…"

...

The next day, Genya climbed Mount Kumotori.

Before he even saw the Kamado house, he heard the sharp whistle of a Nichirin blade slicing through the air.

Peeking around a tree, he spotted Tanjiro Kamado practicing in front of his wooden house. The young swordsman's bare torso glistened with sweat as he swung his blade, its edge radiating a faint blue-violet glow.

Though his Nichirin blade was still black, the shimmering light meant he had already unlocked the techniques of the Breath of Stars.

Impressive. This kid's got talent, Genya thought, begrudgingly envious.

Originally, he planned to spar with Tanjiro, but now, a better idea struck him. He pulled out a small box from his pocket. Inside were pills made from demon flesh, a creation of Lady Tamayo's. These pills allowed Genya to briefly transform into a demon-like state.

With Tanjiro's siblings nowhere in sight, this was the perfect chance to teach the kid a lesson about the harshness of the real world.

Meanwhile, Tanjiro paused mid-swing, his sharp sense of smell catching something.

That scent… it's familiar. Genya?

But why wasn't he approaching?

Tanjiro sheathed his blade and walked toward the mountain path.

"Stop hiding. I can smell you, Genya—"

He froze mid-sentence as a monstrous figure stepped out from behind a tree.

It looked like Genya but with pitch-black, misty eyes and grotesque claws extending from his hands.

"Tanjiro…"

The voice was deep and guttural, like it had crawled out of the underworld. Genya lunged, his claws swiping at Tanjiro with terrifying speed.

"Demon!" Tanjiro yelped, adrenaline surging. He reached instinctively for his blade but remembered he'd left it by the training stump.

"Where's your sword?!" the monstrous Genya growled, his voice filled with rage. "How can you protect your family without it? You swore to protect them, didn't you?!"

Scrambling back, Tanjiro grabbed his Nichirin blade just in time and shouted toward the house.

"Nezuko, stay inside!"

The questions swirled in his mind. Why did this creature smell like Genya? Why did it look like him? Could Genya have turned into a demon?

As despair crept into his heart, Tanjiro steadied his breathing. The forms etched in his memory began to surface.

Breath in... steady... focus.

"Breath of Stars, First Form: First Light!"