After spending a long time talking with Ubuyashiki Kiriya the previous night and drinking quite a bit, Soma had eventually drifted into a hazy, half-drunken state under the influence of alcohol.
As a perfected lifeform, he could have avoided such a condition entirely—but there was no need to.
In the end, after seeing Kiriya and Hinaki Ubuyashiki off, he had simply returned to his room, holding Kanao as he drifted into sleep.
…
When he woke the next morning, the lingering effects of alcohol had already naturally faded away during sleep.
A light hangover had turned into a refreshing clarity. Soma felt surprisingly energized.
Looking down, he saw that Kanao was still fast asleep. Her long lashes rested gently against her cheeks, and a faint, peaceful smile lingered at the corners of her lips.
He couldn't help but smile as well.
Carefully, he slipped out of her embrace—she had been holding him like a stuffed bear—and made his way to the window.
Outside, several Kasugai Crows circled in the sky. As he pushed the window open, the faint, pleasant fragrance of wisteria flowers drifted in with the breeze.
Tilting his head slightly, he spotted his own crow perched on a nearby branch, looking utterly listless. The moment it noticed his gaze, it immediately tucked its head into its feathers, pretending not to see him.
Soma chuckled softly and beckoned to it.
The crow flapped its wings and took to the air, circling reluctantly for a while before finally landing on his wrist, as if resigned to its fate.
"It seems you really don't like your master, do you?"
With a faint smile, Soma reached out and gently stroked the crow's head.
The crow shrank back, clearly unwilling.
Of course, Soma understood the reason. These crows had been trained specifically to assist in hunting demons, and naturally, they would react to the demonic aura emanating from him.
Still, he didn't mind.
After feeding it, he turned his gaze outward again. In the distance, on a wide training ground, several swordsmen were already practicing together. Among them were Tanjiro and Makomo.
Each of them was surrounded by a small group of about ten people—teams formed during the Final Selection at Mount Fujikasane.
Now, they seemed to be refining their coordination, their movements growing more synchronized with each passing moment. Once the rest of their Nichirin Swords were delivered, they would likely be ready to begin demon-slaying missions.
Elsewhere, similar small teams could be seen training together as well.
"When did Uncle wake up?"
A soft voice drifted from beside him.
Without thinking, Soma reached out, placing his hand atop the girl's head before letting it slide gently to her delicate cheek, giving it a light pinch. "Not long ago."
As her cheek was gently squeezed, Kanao seemed to enjoy it, her eyes narrowing slightly in contentment. She even tilted her face upward a little, as if to better meet his touch.
From patting her head, tapping her lightly, flicking her nose… these had become small, familiar gestures they now shared.
To Kanao, it brought a quiet, unmistakable sense of joy.
Especially the warmth and gentle pressure of his hand against her cheek—it was something she deeply cherished, something that made her feel close to him.
"Uncle woke up and didn't even tell Kanao..."
When his hand withdrew, Kanao puffed her cheeks slightly, muttering her complaint.
Little by little, without even realizing it, she had begun to develop small emotions toward him—tiny frustrations over trivial things, moments of quiet sulking, and bursts of happiness over the simplest gestures.
Feelings she had never known before were gradually taking root within her.
"I didn't want to wake you. You looked like you were sleeping so peacefully."
"But Kanao overslept. It's all Uncle's fault. If Uncle's embrace wasn't so comfortable, Kanao wouldn't have overslept. I should be like Makomo and have started my training already."
"It's fine to sleep in once in a while."
Soma let out a soft laugh.
"No, it's not," Kanao shook her head firmly. "Kanao needs to become very, very strong. In the future, I have to protect Uncle, so how can I be lazy?"
She had never forgotten the dangers he had once faced.
She had watched him being hunted down by Demon Slayer swordsmen.
She had seen him stand before Akaza, utterly powerless, unable to fight back at all.
Those memories… Kanao would never forget them.
Even though she sometimes lost herself in the warmth of being by his side, she would never allow that comfort to make her complacent.
"Then go train for a while first," Soma said softly. "We'll be eating soon anyway."
"Mm."
Kanao nodded, a hint of happiness in her expression. She stepped forward and gave him a quick hug before turning away, taking her Nichirin Sword from the wall and heading downstairs.
Standing by the window, Soma soon spotted her again, already training under the sunlight. She was focused, earnest—almost stubbornly so. Even though he didn't need her protection, she clung to the idea of one day becoming strong enough to protect him.
Not far from her, Makomo stood with her eyes hidden behind a fox mask carved into a gentle, closed-eye smile. She lifted her head slightly, her gaze drifting toward the man at the window—and noticed how his eyes were filled entirely with the sight of the other girl.
Beneath the mask, her cheeks puffed up slightly.
With a soft huff, she raised her Nichirin Sword and let out a light shout, slashing forward into empty air.
"One… two…"
"Three, four, five…"
Her voice remained steady as she counted, each swing precise and controlled.
"…Nine hundred ninety-nine—one thousand!"
As the thousandth strike fell, Makomo finally stopped. Sweat clung to her skin as she lowered her blade, breathing lightly, before lifting her head again to glance toward the window.
The man was still there, standing quietly, watching Kanao's training without once looking away.
From beginning to end, his gaze had never shifted.
And as for her own training… it seemed he had never once paid attention.
A faint sense of frustration rose in her heart.
Unwilling to accept it.
Her cheeks puffed up again beneath the fox mask as she walked toward the window.
Seeing that his attention was still on Kanao, she couldn't help but speak up.
"Hey…"
Hearing her voice, Soma turned his head, his gaze landing on the small girl standing not far from the window, her fox mask still in place.
"Makomo, good morning."
"Good morning," she replied.
After greeting him, she sheathed her blade and walked inside. With light footsteps, she came to stand beside him at the window, looking out together at Kanao as she trained hard, sweat dripping down her face.
"It seems you're very concerned about Kanao," Makomo muttered, her tone carrying a strange, almost sour undertone, like a fruit that had just turned tart. "You've been watching her train the entire morning. Your eyes never left her once."
"…Have I?"
Soma finally pulled his gaze away from Kanao and looked at Makomo, a hint of confusion in his eyes. How had she noticed something like that?
Unless… she had been paying attention to him all this time.
He remembered that Makomo had been training with the others as well. Could it be that even while training, part of her attention had been on him?
Realizing her words might have sounded off, a faint blush spread across Makomo's delicate face—though the mask concealed it completely.
Avoiding his questioning gaze, she clasped her hands behind her back and continued looking outside at Kanao, her voice carrying a subtle, hard-to-define tone.
"It feels like she's been training for a long time now. She must be exhausted… Since you care about her so much, why don't you stop her?"
"Why would I?"
Soma's gaze returned to the girl outside, still swinging her Nichirin Sword again and again. Sweat ran down her pale forehead, her breathing growing heavier with each motion.
She was clearly exhausted.
Utterly exhausted.
And yet… she kept going.
He had seen this countless times before.
Training until she could no longer hold her blade.
Training until every ounce of strength had been drained from her body.
Training until she couldn't even stand back up.
This was Kanao's daily routine.
Such relentless effort… few could compare. Such hardship… even he had no desire to endure it.
At that moment, Soma almost saw a shadow of Akaza in her—a relentless obsession with becoming stronger, one that bordered on the extreme.
Back when he had spent time around Akaza, it had been the same.
Day after day. Night after night.
Training without rest.
Akaza possessed the powerful body of a demon—he did not feel fatigue, nor hunger, nor thirst. No matter how relentlessly he trained, his body would never break down under the strain.
But Kanao was different.
She was human.
Even though her body had begun to properly develop now that her nutrition had improved, she could still feel exhaustion… thirst… hunger…
The only thing that remained the same between them was that unwavering obsession buried deep within—the desire to grow stronger, no matter the cost.
And as for why Kanao's determination burned so intensely…
Soma understood it all too clearly.
If he told her to stop, she would listen.
But now that she had begun to develop her own emotions, her own sense of self, she would inevitably feel unhappy. Worse, she might start to believe that she was of no use to him.
Only through training—through becoming stronger—did Kanao feel her own worth. Only then could she truly feel happy.
Even if she was exhausted.
Even if she was pushed to her limits.
She would still feel happy.
So why should he take that away from her?
She was doing what she loved. Even if it pained him to watch, did he really have the right to stop her?
Makomo, for her part, had only spoken casually. She had no real intention of asking Soma to stop Kanao. After all, when she herself had been preparing for the Final Selection at Mount Fujikasane, she had trained just as relentlessly.
"…I kind of envy you two."
Makomo watched Kanao, who was still tirelessly swinging her blade. "She cares about you so much… and you care about her just as much. It goes both ways. That kind of bond… it's really enviable."
Soma turned to look at her, but Makomo had already turned her head away, making it impossible for him to see her expression clearly or understand what she was truly thinking as she said those words.
In the end, he didn't dwell on it.
Instead, he glanced up at the sky. It was about time.
Without another word, he stepped outside.
Makomo hurried after him.
Before long, Soma arrived at the open training ground where Kanao was still practicing. He raised a hand and called out to her, "That's enough for now. You can stop."
"But… I still have a lot left to do. I still have strength—I can still hold my sword, I can keep going…"
Kanao sheathed her blade, her pinkish-purple eyes filled with reluctance.
"That's enough. If you keep going, it'll be bad for your body."
His voice was gentle, but firm.
Kanao obediently put away her Nichirin Sword and began walking toward him, though her steps were slightly unsteady from exhaustion.
When she reached him, Soma gently slipped an arm around her waist and lifted her into his arms in a princess carry.
Her body was small and delicate, soft and light, like a piece of finely polished jade—warm to the touch and almost weightless.
A thin layer of sweat clung to her forehead, though there was no unpleasant smell. He reached out and wiped it away, then carried her toward a nearby dining area.
It was a place arranged by the Kakushi for meals. The food was fairly ordinary in taste, but varied and nutritious enough.
After ordering some dishes, he sat down and carefully placed Kanao on the bench before sitting beside her.
Makomo also sat nearby with her meal. Watching Soma gently feed Kanao, she lowered her head and took a hard bite of her chicken leg.
She felt a strange mix of emotions.
Kanao was lucky—truly lucky—to have someone treat her so well.
And yet, at the same time, she couldn't help but feel that Kanao truly deserved it, given how hard she worked.
It was a feeling that inspired jealousy…
Yet somehow, not enough to become jealousy.
In the end, what remained was simply envy.
…
After staying at Mount Fujikasane for another two days, Soma, Makomo, and Kanao finally began their journey back to Mount Sagiri.
They weren't in any particular hurry.
Their Kasugai Crow had already delivered the news of their successful completion of the Final Selection, so along the way, whenever they passed through especially beautiful scenery, they would occasionally stop and take in the view.
For those about to step onto the path of demon hunting, danger and the unexpected could arrive at any moment. No one knew when their next battle—or their last—might come.
Moments like these, when they could pause, take in the scenery, and linger in places of beauty… were rare fragments of happiness for swordsmen like them.
As they passed by a small town in the distance, they noticed it was unusually lively.
Makomo moved first, her figure light as a bird as she stepped onto a treetop, then lightly tapped another branch before descending gracefully. In the faint light, her dark hair fluttered softly, and her fitted Demon Slayer uniform outlined her slender, delicate form.
She landed with ease, as gentle as a butterfly.
Pointing toward the town, the fox-masked girl spoke, "It looks like there's some kind of festival going on over there. It seems lively… should we go take a look?"
Seeing that both Kanao and Tanjiro were clearly interested, Soma nodded.
Before long, the three of them arrived.
It truly was a rare festival in a small town—full of life and color. There were vendors selling candied hawthorns, performers showing off acrobatics, stalls offering all kinds of snacks…
For Tanjiro, who had long lived deep in the mountains, and for Makomo, who had spent her days on Mount Sagiri, such a lively scene was something they rarely experienced. Both of them looked around with bright curiosity, unable to hide their excitement.
Soma naturally accompanied them as they wandered through the bustling streets.
When they passed a shop selling konpeitō candies, Tanjiro bought a large bag. It was his sister Nezuko's favorite treat. Back when he had no money, such things had been out of reach—but now, as a member of the Demon Slayer Corps with a steady income, he could finally afford it.
Meanwhile, Soma led Kanao and Makomo to a small shop selling accessories.
He picked out a hairpin and a bracelet for Kanao, then chose a wisteria-patterned hair clip for Makomo as well.
When he handed it to her, Makomo froze for a moment.
"…This is for me?"
"Mm."
Soma nodded, glancing at her dark hair. "Let me put it on for you."
His voice was soft as he gently fixed the butterfly-shaped clip into her hair.
"Sir, you have excellent taste," the shopkeeper said warmly. "That hair clip looks beautiful on your wife."
"You've misunderstood—we're not—"
He started to explain.
"Oh, I understand, I understand," the shopkeeper interrupted with a knowing smile. "You're planning to get married, right? You two look perfect together."
Soma paused, realizing that explaining further would likely be pointless. In the end, he simply let it go—and, somewhat helplessly, ended up buying a few more accessories from the shop.
Throughout it all, Makomo kept her head slightly lowered. With the mask covering her face, her expression couldn't be seen—but the tips of her exposed ears had already turned a deep shade of red.
After leaving the shop, they happened to pass a vendor selling candied hawthorns.
Soma casually bought four skewers and handed one each to Kanao, Tanjiro, and Makomo.
Seeing the bright red, glistening, beautifully colored candied hawthorn, Makomo couldn't resist wanting to taste it. So she lifted her fox mask slightly, revealing a delicate face that looked almost like a childhood friend next door, then opened her lips and took a small bite, licking the syrup off the surface like a little squirrel stealing food.
As the gentle sunlight fell upon them, Tanjiro accidentally caught a glimpse of Makomo's face and looked puzzled.
"…Miss Makomo, why is your face so red?"