In the wilderness…
Soma had carried Kanao Tsuyuri across several villages and towns. They had asked many households, but no one knew anything about Tanjiro Kamado.
So they could only keep moving toward the next place.
The night was pitch black, and a cool breeze blew gently.
Soma walked silently along the road with Kanao on his back. . Occasionally, the wind would catch the girl's hair as she rested on his shoulder, brushing it against his face like soft feathers. It felt light and ticklish against his skin.
He puffed a breath of air, blowing away the strands that had drifted near his lips.
The movement caught Kanao's attention, and her beautiful eyes curiously looked at him.
Realizing his little action had been noticed, Soma smiled awkwardly.
Kanao stared at him with her big large for a while, then leaned her head against his cheek.
"Uncle, why are you looking for that person named Tanjiro Kamado?"
"Because I'm searching for a flower," he replied. "A flower that is very important to me."
"A flower?"
Kanao's eyes blinked. She had seen many flowers along the way; in fact, she remembered seeing several just moments ago.
The girl raised her head and looked around. Her pink-purple eyes brightened slightly. She tapped Soma's shoulder with her small hand.
"Uncle, put me down."
"Alright."
Soma nodded, thinking she had simply grown tired of being carried.
As soon as Kanao touched the ground, she ran quickly toward a patch of flowers nearby.
"Uncle! Uncle! There are flowers here!"
She picked one and ran back, holding it out to him.
"Uncle, is it a flower like this? This one is for you…"
A breeze swept past, causing a stray lock of hair to fall across the girl's nose, a single drop of dew clinging to it.
Soma smiled warmly and reached out, gently tucking the strand of hair behind her ear.
"It's not this kind of flower," he said softly. "It's a blue flower."
"A blue flower?"
"Yes. A flower that only blooms during the daytime."
He sighed lightly. "You know Uncle can't stand in the sunlight. If we find that flower, I'll need Kanao to pick it for me."
"Okay!" Kanao nodded firmly, clenching her small fist. "Kanao will definitely pick that blue flower for Uncle!"
"Then… I'll look forward to the day you find it."
He smiled and patted her head before crouching down to carry her again.
"Uncle~"
"Yes?"
"I want to walk for a while."
Soma looked at her in surprise.
The girl seemed to be starting to form her own thoughts and decisions.
Just like earlier when she said "Put me down", and now when she said "I want to walk."
It seemed ordinary, but for a withdrawn girl like her, it was actually a very good beginning.
In the story of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Kanao had been rescued from traffickers by Kanae Kocho and raised for many years. Yet she still had no sense of her own will and only acted according to instructions.
It wasn't until she met Tanjiro Kamado that her inner world slowly began to open.
But Soma quickly realized something.
In the original story, Kanao had already suffered many hardships before being rescued. Those experiences had likely sealed her heart even more tightly.
However, Soma had encountered her much earlier.
She had endured far fewer hardships.
Her world might still be closed off, but it wasn't completely sealed. With just a gentle push, a small crack had already appeared.
"Alright."
Soma nodded.
He was happy to see Kanao starting to develop her own thoughts.
Besides, they had already visited several villages today, and they were close to the area he expected to search.
He felt that finding where Tanjiro Kamado lived would probably happen within the next few days.
There was no need to rush.
...
The wilderness at night was very dark, with only the gentle moonlight providing a faint glow.
Without torches to light the way, it would be very difficult for ordinary people to walk in such darkness.
But for Soma, who had already become a demon, it was not a problem.
So when he agreed to let Kanao Tsuyuri walk on her own, he kept watching her carefully.
He was worried she might step into a hole or trip over something.
However, what surprised him was that Kanao had no trouble walking in such dark conditions. She could even avoid the uneven pits along the road in advance.
Soma was surprised.
Then he remembered that in the original story, Kanao actually possessed remarkable talent.
She was one of the people who successfully passed the Final Selection at Mount Fujikasane together with Tanjiro Kamado.
Later, she even fought in the Infinity Castle alongside Tanjiro.
At that point, she had already reached a level where she could battle Doma, one of the Upper Rank demons of the Twelve Kizuki.
In fact, together with Inosuke Hashibira, she ultimately defeated and killed Doma in the Infinity Castle.
Without a doubt, Kanao's talent wasn't much lower than Tanjiro's.
As he continued observing her, he realized that even at night, Kanao's eyesight was excellent.
If he remembered correctly, she possessed extraordinary eyesight. She could predict an opponent's next move simply by observing subtle motions—such as their shoulders, gaze, fingertips, elbows, and knees.
All of these traits were extremely suitable for learning Hiten Mitsurugi-style swordsmanship.
Once her body has recovered a bit more and returned to a healthy state, I'll begin teaching her, he thought silently while watching her.
Kanao walked slowly through the fields, looking around curiously.
From time to time, she would look up at Soma, her eyes filled with trust and dependence.
"Uncle, what exactly does the flower you're looking for look like? Besides blooming during the day…"
"I don't know either," Soma sighed. "I don't even know what the flower looks like."
"When the time comes, it will probably take a lot of effort to find it."
"It's okay, Uncle. Kanao will help you find it." Kanao clenched her small fist.
"Alright."
He nodded.
But suddenly he looked up.
In the darkness far away, flames suddenly appeared. Soon the fire grew larger and larger.
Soma narrowed his eyes.
What he saw were houses burning.
Faintly, he could hear desperate cries—screams of pain and despair.
At the same time, he sensed the presence of his own kind.
Kanao also looked up and saw the distant firelight.
She turned to look at her uncle.
Soma stood there for a long moment before finally turning to her.
"Let's go another direction."
"Okay."
Kanao nodded.
Holding her hand, he led her around the area where the flames were rising and continued walking through the wilderness.
"Uncle, what happened over there just now?"
Soma was silent for a moment before speaking quietly.
"Whenever the sun sets and darkness falls, demons come out to devour humans."
"What happened there just now… was a demon hunting people."
Kanao couldn't help turning back.
In the distant darkness, the firelight reflected in her pink-purple eyes.
Through the flames, she vaguely saw a person desperately running—only to be quickly caught and knocked down.
A scream of agony echoed out.
Kanao blinked her eyes.
Then she turned back and looked at her uncle.
Soma looked at her and said softly, "That is why you must stay away from demons. They are cruel and terrifying monsters."
Kanao lowered her head and walked quietly.
After a long while, she finally spoke in a low, muffled voice: "But Uncle is different."