Such an enormous blue stone was far larger than the one on Mount Sagiri that Tanjiro Kamado had once split. Yet this stone had also been cleaved apart, and the cut was so smooth—clearly showing the strength of the person who did it.
Soma even suspected that Tanjuro Kamado might have already entered the legendary Transparent World. If someone reached the Transparent World, even if Tanjuro had never encountered demons before, he would still be able to see that Soma was different from ordinary humans.
After all, in the Transparent World, one could easily see the flow of blood inside another person's body, and even the slightest breath would be completely clear.
I still need to be careful.
Thinking about Tanjuro Kamado made Soma somewhat cautious. Originally, he had planned to go directly to the house, but now that seemed too dangerous.
Besides, he had only come here to search for the Blue Spider Lily. There was no real need to visit the house.
After casting a long look at the house where the lamp still flickered, Soma turned away, carrying Kanao. They skirted the perimeter of the dwelling and headed toward the mountain slope behind it.
Kanao's pink-purple eyes were wide open as she searched the surrounding area under the gentle moonlight, trying to find flowers.
Most of the flowers along the way had already been picked for her uncle earlier. Only those she hadn't collected before might possibly be the Blue Spider Lily he was looking for.
"The Blue Spider Lily is a flower that only blooms during the day. We likely won't find it tonight," Soma said softly, sensing Kanao's intense focus.
"When daytime comes, I'll definitely help Uncle find it," Kanao replied, her voice firm with resolve.
"Alright," Soma nodded as he continued carrying her forward.
Soon, rows of grave mounds appeared before them.
Some of the graves were new, recently built, while others were old, their inscriptions gradually fading with time.
Carrying Kanao on his back, Soma walked quietly past the graves, observing them.
Almost every gravestone bore the surname "Kamado."
Clearly, this was the burial ground for members of the Kamado family.
One of the newest graves still had incense burning before it, suggesting that someone had recently come to pay respects.
Kanao also looked curiously at the grave mounds.
Soon Soma stopped in front of a particular grave.
This grave appeared very old but had clearly been well maintained. It stood roughly in the center of all the graves, suggesting it either held the highest status or was the most ancient.
Soma placed Kanao down from his back and walked up to the gravestone.
The writing on the stone had faded with time, yet the name carved there was still barely recognizable.
Uta.
The character seemed to have been carved stroke by stroke with a sword. Even after so many years, the simple carving still carried a sharp and powerful feeling.
It was clear that the person who carved it had been a master swordsman.
If I recall correctly, the name of Yoriichi Tsugikuni's wife was Uta.
Right next to Uta's grave was another gravestone.
But this one had no name at all.
Still, since it was buried alongside with Uta, it likely belonged to the legendary Yoriichi Tsugikuni himself—
The man whom Muzan Kibutsuji had feared for hundreds of years.
Even now, Muzan Kibutsuji still feared the sword strike delivered by Yoriichi Tsugikuni back then. Even after countless years, he had never been able to forget it.
Soma carefully examined the gravestone here. On it he noticed several small lines of text, seemingly carved with a sword as well. Even at a glance, they carried a grand and majestic feeling.
"Those who follow the same path arrive at the same destination."
These simple words seemed to sum up the lifelong insights of the man known as Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
Looking at these words, Soma slowly closed his eyes. He felt that they contained the ultimate mastery of the sword, even a deep, almost unfathomable insight. Yet after pondering for a long time, he gained nothing.
Clearly, without reaching a certain level of swordsmanship and without standing at a certain height, it was impossible to truly understand the meaning behind this sentence.
Opening his eyes again and looking at the inscription, Soma felt somewhat disappointed.
After all, this was the man whose name alone still filled Muzan with fear even after hundreds of years.
A being who had essentially broken through the limits of this world.
If Soma could learn even a little from him, it would already be worthwhile.
But that was clearly just wishful thinking.
Still, thinking about it—such a powerful swordsman ultimately could not defeat the passage of time. Now he had merely become a handful of earth. In this world, very few traces of him remained.
Once someone died, they were truly gone.
No matter how powerful a person had once been, once they died, the traces of their past gradually disappeared from the world until nothing remained.
Meanwhile, the very demon who had been terrified by Yoriichi—Muzan Kibutsuji—still ruled over the darkness of the world, plunging countless people into fear and despair.
...
Beside him, Kanao Tsuyuri tilted her head as she looked at the words on the stone. Then she looked up at her uncle.
Imitating him, she quietly closed her eyes as well.
After a moment she opened them again, tilted her head, and looked at him with a face full of confusion.
Soma couldn't help but chuckle at her antics. He tweaked her nose, and then the two of them—the demon and the girl—began searching for flowers among the graves.
Under the heavy darkness of the night, their two silhouettes wandering through the graveyard, coupled with the cold, dim moonlight, created a scene that was undeniably eerie.
...
Not far from the graveyard stood a house where the lights were still on.
Inside, the room had been kept very clean.
A woman wearing a purple outer robe and a long white-collared garment stood beside the bed. She looked gentle and beautiful, yet her face was full of worry and fear as she gazed at the man lying there.
Beside her were a sensible young boy and a well-behaved little girl.
"Cough… cough…"
The man coughed violently. He looked at his wife with guilt and then at his well-behaved children, his eyes filled with concern.
"I... I'm afraid I won't make it," He spoke softly.
He could feel his life force slowly draining away. His body felt like a leaking balloon, weakening rapidly.
"Tanjuro, you'll definitely get better. Tomorrow I'll go to the town again to find a doctor. The doctor will surely have a way."
The woman stepped forward, tears already streaming down her face.
"You were so healthy before. You'll definitely recover. You will."
Tanjuro Kamado shook his head. Feeling the changes in his body, he sighed with a trace of unwillingness.
"I won't get better. It's useless to see a doctor. Don't waste the money."
Before the woman could say anything more, the man broke into another violent coughing fit. Their obedient daughter quickly stepped forward and gently patted her father's back.
"Cough…"
Tanjuro coughed again. Looking at his daughter who was patting his back, his eyes were full of tenderness.
"If I'm gone… Nezuko, as the eldest daughter, you must help take care of your younger brothers and sisters."
"I will, Father."
"Cough…"
Tanjuro coughed again. With difficulty, he removed the earrings hanging from his ears and beckoned to his son.
"Tanjiro, these are the Hanafuda earrings passed down through generations of the Kamado family. Now I'm giving them to you. You are the eldest son of this family. From today on, you are no longer a child. You must act like a man and shoulder the responsibility for this family... and above all, do not forget the Breathing."
"Father, I will," Tanjiro said, tears streaming down his face.
Finally, the man looked at his wife. There were countless things he wanted to say and countless feelings of guilt in his heart.
But in the end, he only said softly:
"Kie… I'm so sorry… for everything… for leaving you like this."