Furukawa Hiroshi lifted his teacup and took a sip, watching the man and the girl walk away. A quiet sense of emotion rose within him at the thought of how different people's fates could be.
If demons had not destroyed the happiness that once belonged to him, he might have grown up just like that cherished girl—surrounded by warmth and love. His father would work in the fields each day, his mother would sew clothes at home. There might have been hardships in life, but the family would have faced them together, striving toward a better tomorrow…
A breeze passed by, and inexplicably, the corners of Furukawa Hiroshi's eyes grew moist.
Suddenly, he felt an urge to drink—to drink until he was completely drunk, so he would not indulge in such thoughts.
But he was currently on a mission. He could not drink. Alcohol dulled the mind, slowed reaction and blade speed—any of which could become a fatal mistake when facing a demon.
The faint wind brushed his face again. Watching the man holding the girl's hand as they left, he lifted his head to gaze at the round moon hanging in the dark sky. His expression gradually hardened with resolve.
Perhaps he could choose to leave the Demon Slayer Corps now. He could abandon this path of demon hunting, take the rewards he had earned over the years, move somewhere no one knew him, marry a woman—whether he loved her or not—and live an ordinary, peaceful life…
But such thoughts…
He had never truly considered them.
From the night demons shattered his happiness in a spray of blood, he had never been able to forget it—the demon slaughtering his father, devouring his mother…
For him, once happiness was destroyed that night, there was no going back.
He would kill every demon in this world—one by one. He would never again allow demons to trample upon human happiness.
Silently tightening his grip on the sword at his waist, Furukawa Hiroshi watched the departing figures walking hand in hand toward the city gate—their backs radiating quiet happiness.
Wasn't this the very reason he had joined the Demon Slayer Corps?
Wasn't it to protect ordinary, simple, yet precious happiness like this?
To ensure such happiness would not be destroyed?
Even knowing he might die on this path of demon hunting, not a single swordsman feared or shrank back. Wasn't that the very meaning of the Corps' existence?
…
Soma held Kanao's hand as they walked toward the city gate. He could clearly feel the gaze fixed on his back. His nerves were stretched taut. For a moment, he almost believed the Demon Slayer swordsman had seen through his identity. He nearly scooped Kanao up and fled at once.
But—
He forced himself to suppress the impulse and continued walking calmly like any ordinary passerby.
It wasn't until they passed through the gates and the weight of that gaze vanished that Soma finally let out a long, heavy sigh of relief.
Avoiding a life-threatening battle was always the preferred outcome.
"I have you to thank for that, Kanao."
Lowering his head, he saw the girl looking up at him. He gently tapped the tip of her nose with his finger. It was precisely because Kanao was by his side that people subconsciously overlooked him. After all, how could a human and a demon walk together in harmony?
Kanao blinked, not quite understanding how she had helped her uncle.
But…
Being able to help him made her truly happy.
"The journey ahead is a long one. I'll carry you," Soma smiled, feeling somewhat more at ease. As he spoke, he crouched down in front of her.
Kanao obediently climbed onto his back, wrapping her small arms lightly around his neck, resting her head against his broad, warm back.
Once she was secure, Soma stood and prepared to leave.
Because they were still close to town, he refrained from running at full speed, worried that sudden movement might attract the Demon Slayers' attention. Instead, he walked at a normal pace.
To any outsider, the scene appeared entirely ordinary—
like a father carrying his daughter home after nightfall.
Carrying Kanao on his back and walking at an ordinary pace, Soma kept a careful watch on his surroundings. Quite a few people were leaving the city, and no one seemed to be paying attention to him.
This allowed his inner vigilance to ease slightly. From here on, all he needed to do was find where Tanjiro Kamado lived.
I hope I can find it quickly and start the search for the Blue Spider Lily.
He thought silently to himself. Now that Kanao was with him, even if the Blue Spider Lily only bloomed during the daytime, he could have her pick it for him.
As long as he consumed the Blue Spider Lily, he would overcome a demon's only weakness—he would be able to stand beneath the sunlight without harm.
This was the very thing Muzan Kibutsuji had sought for a thousand years without success. If Muzan were to learn that the object he had yearned for over a millennium had been eaten by him instead—what kind of expression would he have?
Would he explode with rage?
Imagining Muzan's furious face, Soma—who had been tormented lately by his craving for flesh—felt a rare moment of happiness. He even let out a small, involuntary chuckle.
Suddenly, a gust of wind brushed past his face, carrying a faint, sweet floral scent. It felt as if the warmth of sunlight itself had been distilled into a fragrance.
"Urgh..."
The mere scent made Soma gag. His entire body felt indescribably uncomfortable.
Though it was a pleasant fragrance, to him it was like deadly poison.
"Wisteria…"
Almost instinctively, Soma recognized the scent.
To demons, it was lethally harmful. On Mount Fujikasane, the Demon Slayer Corps used wisteria trees to confine a group of demons at the summit, turning it into the Final Selection site for new swordsmen.
He looked ahead.
On either side of the road, two sticks of incense had been planted in the ground. They were burning, and the wisteria-infused fragrance was emanating from them.
Because tales of demons were widely circulated, some places commonly burned incense containing wisteria scent to ward off evil spirits.
Driven by a demon's instinctive hatred and fear of wisteria, Soma almost reflexively stepped off the main road to avoid it, moving to the side.
"Hey! Stop right there!"
Just as he had taken a couple of steps aside, someone came running up behind him, slightly out of breath. The man wore clothing marked with the wisteria crest. He carried no Nichirin Sword—judging by his appearance, he was likely one of the Demon Slayer Corps' support personnel, a Kakushi.
Soma stopped in his tracks. Beneath his lowered brow, his eyes flashed a brilliant, predatory crimson.
"Turn around. Let me have a look at you."
The man panted lightly, having jogged over. He muttered, "Why not walk on the main road?"
He didn't actually suspect Soma of being a demon. After all, a swordsman was stationed at the city gate specifically to watch for demons. And this man was carrying a child on his back—it seemed unlikely he would be a demon.
However, orders were orders: if anyone went out of their way to avoid the incense, they had to be checked. Who knew why this person had stepped aside?
Earlier, several people had done the same simply because they needed to relieve themselves in the nearby fields. When he went to question them, he ended up getting thoroughly scolded for it.
There's no way I'm unlucky enough... to actually run into a demon, right?