As the first light of dawn pierced through the darkness, gentle sunlight spread across the land, and the demons had long since retreated.
One by one, the survivors who had endured the harrowing night atop Mount Fujikasane stepped out from their hiding places, standing beneath the sunlight. For the first time in what felt like forever, they truly felt its warmth.
"If only sunlight could reach every corner of the world… If every demon could be exposed to it, burned away completely… wouldn't that be wonderful?"
One swordsman sighed as he stepped out into the open.
"There's no helping it. Where there is light, there is always shadow. There will always be places the sun cannot reach."
Another lowered his voice, his tone heavy.
"And that's exactly why demon slayers exist. When those creatures lurk in the darkness and prey on humans, we step forward to hunt them down and protect others. That… is the purpose of the Demon Slayer Corps."
Yet for many others, the horrors of the night had left too deep a mark. Fear lingered in their hearts. As the sunlight touched their bodies and memories of the previous night surfaced, they silently chose to descend the mountain, abandoning this perilous trial—and with it, the dangerous path of hunting demons.
…
While others celebrated the arrival of daylight, laughing and basking in the sun, Makomo slowly opened her eyes, still weighed down by the remnants of her drunken haze.
Her head throbbed faintly, and her body felt sluggish and uncomfortable.
"Here, drink some warm water."
Just as she pushed aside the thick clothing draped over her, a gentle voice reached her ears. She looked up to see Soma standing before her, holding out a bamboo container filled with steaming water.
"Thank you."
Makomo accepted it softly, cradling it in both hands as she took small, careful sips.
"I can't believe I drank that much last night… and actually got drunk."
She spoke under her breath, still finding it hard to believe her own actions.
"Feeling any better?"
Soma smiled.
"Much better."
She lowered her gaze and took another sip, the rising warmth brushing against her face. Compared to before, her body felt noticeably lighter—less burdened, somehow.
"When you keep everything bottled up for too long, it starts to weigh you down. Sometimes, just talking to someone about it can help… it makes things easier."
Soma's tone was calm, almost reassuring.
"Mm."
Makomo nodded, though a hint of confusion lingered in her eyes.
The people she had once known—her companions—had either died during the trials of Mount Fujikasane or fallen along the path of hunting demons. Now, aside from her beloved teacher Urokodaki… the only person left was the man standing before her.
And strangely enough… she felt like she could open up to him.
But many of the things she carried in her heart were deeply personal—things a girl might find difficult to share with a man. Some thoughts simply couldn't be spoken aloud.
As she took another sip of water, she suddenly noticed that there were now several unfamiliar figures gathered near the campfire. A flicker of surprise crossed her face.
"They arrived during the night while you were asleep," Soma explained gently.
"I slept that deeply…? I didn't even notice anything."
A trace of frustration crept into her voice. If a demon had appeared during that time, it could have been disastrous.
"I made sure to tell them to keep quiet when they came, so they wouldn't disturb you."
Soma offered a simple explanation.
Makomo nodded.
She reached back and gathered her long hair, smoothing it neatly before lifting her fox mask—the one with the serene, closed-eyed smile—and placing it back over her face, concealing the gentle, familiar features beneath.
Nearby, the newcomers had gathered around another freshly lit campfire, quietly eating rice balls.
As Soma and Makomo approached, they all stood up.
At the front was a black-haired boy with blue eyes, a magatama pendant hanging at his neck—Kaigaku. When he saw Soma, he lowered his head slightly in acknowledgment.
The commotion from the previous night had not gone unnoticed. Especially for Kaigaku, who had come close enough to sense it clearly—he knew just how terrifying the demon that had appeared had been.
And yet, such a powerful creature had been slain.
That alone spoke volumes about the strength of the group before him.
Soma nodded to the group, then smiled as he spoke.
"I've already introduced myself yesterday, so I won't repeat it. Instead, let me introduce the person beside me."
Everyone's attention shifted to Makomo.
They had actually caught a glimpse of her face the night before—strikingly beautiful—but now she wore her fox mask again, the one with its closed, smiling eyes. Even so, she still gave off a playful, gentle charm.
"This is Makomo, a disciple of Urokodaki-san. You all should have heard the commotion last night—there really was an extremely powerful demon here."
He paused briefly, then continued with an easy smile.
"And it was Makomo who cut it down with a single strike."
Makomo couldn't help but lift her head and glance at him.
She knew very well that she hadn't been the one to kill that demon.
The others, however, were visibly startled upon hearing that she was Urokodaki's disciple. His students were infamous around Mount Fujikasane—though not for strength, but for tragedy. Ever since he became a trainer, not a single one of his disciples had successfully passed the trial… many hadn't even survived.
It was an almost unbelievable record.
Because of that, most people assumed Urokodaki's disciples were weak—among the weakest, even. But now, hearing that such a powerful demon had been slain by one of them, they couldn't help but question whether the rumors had ever been true.
After introducing Makomo, Soma also introduced Kanao, who remained quietly by his side, and Tanjiro, who had just woken and walked over.
Then Kaigaku spoke up.
"Kaigaku. From Momoyama. A disciple of Jigoro Kuwajima. I practice Thunder Breathing."
One by one, the others followed.
"Izumi Shinichi. I use Wind Breathing."
"Watanabe Masashi. Flame Breathing."
"Nishimura Kenichi. Stone Breathing."
"Inoue Akio. Wind Breathing."
"Ono Masaki. Water Breathing."
Soma swept his gaze across them. They were all young, their faces still carrying traces of immaturity. Perhaps it was their first time facing demons—fear still lingered in their expressions from the previous night.
And yet, despite that fear, none of them had chosen to descend the mountain.
That alone spoke volumes—they intended to walk the path of demon slayers.
As soon as the introductions ended, Nishimura Kenichi could no longer hold himself back.
"We'd like to follow you for the next few days… if that's alright?"
The others looked at Soma with similar anticipation. It was clear they had already identified him as the leader of the group.
Instead of answering immediately, Soma turned to Makomo.
"What do you think?"
"I'll follow your lead." Makomo replied softly. Without realizing it, there was already a subtle trace of reliance in her tone.
"In that case, you're welcome to come with us for the next few days," Soma said at last. "But I can't guarantee your safety."
He made that clear upfront. After all, once they passed the trial and officially became demon slayers, they would likely form teams anyway—traveling together now wasn't much different.
After exchanging a few more casual words, he told them to continue eating and led Makomo, Tanjiro, and Kanao back to their own campfire.
However, one of them—Nishimura Kenichi—followed along.
When Soma glanced at him, the young man immediately put on a slightly ingratiating smile.
Soma chuckled lightly and gestured for Tanjiro to share some of their prepared food with him.
Nishimura accepted it nervously, then, at Soma's invitation, sat down by the fire.
To his surprise, the portion he received even included some dried meat.
"It's a shame there's no sake left," Soma said with a smile as he warmed the rice balls over the fire. "Otherwise, I'd offer you some."
"This is more than enough, really," Nishimura replied quickly, almost flustered.
Soma smiled, placing a warmed rice ball into Kanao's hands before glancing back at him.
"You're… Nishimura Kenichi, right?"
"Yes, yes! Your memory is impressive, Soma-san."
Soma gave a faint smile, then poured some freshly boiled water into a bamboo tube and set it aside to cool slightly—so Kanao could drink it comfortably later.
While continuing his tasks, Soma glanced at Nishimura Kenichi. The young man was chewing on dried meat, yet his eyes kept drifting over, hesitation clearly written across his face.
"If there's something you want to say, just say it," Soma spoke softly as he added another piece of wood to the fire. "Everyone here can be trusted."
Tanjiro and Makomo also turned their attention toward Nishimura.
Nishimura let out an awkward chuckle. After a brief, nervous glance back toward the other campfire, he shifted closer, lowering his voice.
"Soma-san… there is something I wanted to tell you."
"Go ahead."
Soma set aside what he was doing and looked at him calmly.
"I… I just wanted to remind you… to be careful of that guy—Kaigaku."
His voice dropped even lower as he spoke.
"Oh?" Soma showed a hint of curiosity.
Nishimura glanced back again before leaning in further.
"There were quite a few people following him before… but not a single one survived. I suspect…"
He trailed off, clearly unwilling to say the rest out loud—but the implication was obvious enough.
"I see."
Soma smiled faintly. "Thank you for the warning."
"N-no, it's nothing."
…
After Nishimura returned to his group, Makomo moved closer to Soma and asked in a low voice,
"Should I… drive Kaigaku away?"
She had leaned in a little too close. As she spoke, her soft breath brushed lightly against his neck, carrying a faint warmth that made the moment feel strangely intimate.
Realizing this, Makomo stiffened slightly and quickly shifted back, pretending nothing had happened. If not for the mask covering her face, the faint redness on her cheeks would have been impossible to hide.
"Why would we drive him away?" Soma asked in return.
"That person just said… Kaigaku isn't a good teammate."
Makomo hesitated slightly, clearly uncomfortable speaking ill of someone. In the end, she only described him that way—
Someone you couldn't entrust your back to.
"Perhaps he isn't," Soma said softly, repeating her words before continuing. "But tell me… are there really that many swordsmen you can fully trust with your back?"
"And even if you do trust them—are they truly strong enough to protect it?"
Makomo frowned slightly, a hint of dissatisfaction rising within her. Even if one were to choose companions, it shouldn't be someone like Kaigaku. The thought of allowing someone so calculating and self-serving to remain with them made her uneasy.
"Leaving aside what may or may not have happened before," Soma continued calmly, "the Hand Demon's strength was undeniable. Choosing to run from something like that… isn't exactly incomprehensible."
Seeing that she still held her ground, chin slightly raised, he went on,
"If you drive away everyone like him, then the ones who stay by your side—are you certain they'll truly be people you can entrust your back to?"
"That's not guaranteed either, is it?"
Makomo fell silent.
"And besides," Soma added, his tone steady, "Kaigaku is a disciple of Jigoro Kuwajima. His strength is already evident, and you've now seen his personality clearly as well."
He looked at her.
"Would you still choose to drive away someone whose abilities you understand—someone strong—just because of that?"
Makomo's brows knit together slightly.
Soma's voice softened as he continued,
"In the future, you'll keep walking this path of hunting demons. As your strength grows, you won't remain just an ordinary swordsman. You may lead teams… perhaps even become a Hashira one day."
"When that time comes, you'll need to lead others into battle against demons."
He paused, then spoke more gently,
"For someone like Kaigaku—strong, even if flawed—as long as he can be used effectively, he's someone you can tolerate. As for his character… you just need to keep it in mind."
As he spoke, Soma reached out and lightly patted Makomo's shoulder.
"What do you think?"
Makomo's brows drew together slightly. For her, this was the first time she had ever heard such a perspective. In the past, everything her teacher had taught her revolved around training—how to hone her sword, how to strike faster, how to react to sudden danger.
But matters like this—how to judge people, how to deal with them—
No one had ever taught her.
Only now, after hearing Soma's words, did she feel as though she had been lifted to a higher vantage point, seeing things from a broader perspective than before.
And when she truly tried to think from that position, then looked at him again…
She couldn't help but feel that this man was filled with a kind of quiet wisdom—someone she could learn so much from.
Deep within her heart, a faint sense of admiration began to take root.
Soma, however, had no idea what was going through her mind.
In truth, he had long known what kind of person Kaigaku was. Even without Nishimura's warning, it made no difference. In the future, Kaigaku would go so far as to submit to Kokushibo, becoming one of the rare Demon Slayer swordsmen who abandoned his humanity and turned into a demon.
Whether that choice had come from desperation, from being cornered with no escape, or from facing overwhelming power—it didn't change the outcome.
In the end, Kaigaku had abandoned the ideals of the Demon Slayer Corps and chosen to become a demon.
At his core, he was simply someone who lived for himself.
But then again…
Wasn't everyone the same?
Soma himself was no different. He didn't possess the kind of lofty ideals that someone like Kyojuro Rengoku embodied. Because of that, he didn't truly see Kaigaku's choice as something incomprehensible.
Of course—
If it came down to choosing a companion, he would still prefer someone like Rengoku—someone willing to sacrifice themselves for others, to protect their comrades, to shield those who came after them.
Those were the kinds of people he admired.
After all, he would much rather have others sacrifice for him…
…than be the one making sacrifices himself.
And yet—
His gaze shifted unconsciously toward Kanao, who was sitting quietly beside him, eating her rice ball in silence.
Though he had never liked the idea of sacrificing himself for others, if there truly was someone he would be willing to do so for…
It would probably be this quiet, obedient girl in front of him.
Come to think of it, he had never imagined he would harbor such a thought. He had always believed himself to be someone who lived only for his own sake.
But no matter what—
The feeling of having someone you would willingly sacrifice yourself for…
Even if it meant giving everything, it didn't feel like suffering.
Having someone like her in his life…
It brought a quiet kind of happiness.
But that was only true under one condition—
That this girl…
Was worth it.