Half a month had passed since Sakonji Urokodaki's death, and most of those who had come to pay their respects had already left.
Genya Shinazugawa was taken away by his brother, the Wind Hashira, Sanemi Shinazugawa, stepping onto the path of demon hunting that belonged to the two of them.
Kanae Kocho set out to investigate the Eternal Paradise Cult, looking into the cases of missing women and the possible involvement of one of the Twelve Kizuki.
Shinobu Kocho returned to the Butterfly Mansion, continuing to treat the injured while, with the Demon Slayer Corps' strong financial support, deepening her research into wisteria-based poisons that could kill demons.
Others, like the Sound Hashira, Tengen Uzui, and the Stone Hashira, Gyomei Himejima, also resumed their respective missions.
Makomo took her teacher's place, continuing to guide the boys and girls training in Water Breathing on Mount Sagiri.
Everyone had something they needed to do.
…
When a person dies, the traces of their existence slowly begin to fade, and people gradually grow used to days without them. Before long, everyone became accustomed to Mount Sagiri without the presence of the man who always wore a tengu mask—Urokodaki.
…
Giyu Tomioka had recently been on leave and was no longer taking missions.
Because of his quiet, withdrawn nature, he wasn't good at interacting with others. Perhaps he had already grown used to the fact that people seemed to dislike him, so he remained alone most of the time.
After finishing his training, he would sit by Urokodaki's grave for hours.
Every day, he pushed himself through intense training. Only through such exhaustion could he enter a numb state, one that left him no room to think about anything else.
For Giyu, it seemed this was the only way to keep his thoughts at bay.
Before his passing, Urokodaki had told him to learn from Kyojuro Rengoku—to embrace his warmth and smile. But for Giyu, that was incredibly difficult.
He couldn't even remember when he had last smiled. Even forcing one felt impossible.
The deaths of his sister and Sabito were regrets he could never make up for. They weighed on him like a mountain, pressing down so heavily he could barely breathe.
"Tomioka-san."
A bright, cheerful voice called out from behind him.
Giyu turned his head. It was a boy with reddish hair and a warm, radiant expression.
He remembered him—Tanjiro Kamado, the one who had split the massive boulder. Every time Giyu saw him, the boy seemed full of energy and light.
"…Mm."
Giyu lowered his head slightly, his hair falling forward to cover half his face.
To Tanjiro, who could sense emotions through scent, Giyu always smelled like someone who was quietly crying.
"Soma-san asked me to bring you over for a meal." Tanjiro stepped closer.
"No… need."
Giyu refused almost instinctively.
But before the words had fully left his mouth, Tanjiro had already grabbed his hand. Before Giyu could react, he was being pulled along.
"Everyone's waiting for you," Tanjiro said with a smile. "Soma-san said if I don't bring you back, I won't be allowed to eat."
Giyu Tomioka was being pulled along when Tanjiro suddenly turned his head and looked at him with a bright smile.
"Tomioka-san, you can't refuse me, okay?"
Before long, they arrived at a spacious courtyard. A long table had been set up, and at the head sat a tall man named Soma. When he saw Giyu approaching, he revealed a gentle smile. After inviting him to take a seat, the meal began.
It wasn't a grand feast, but it was plentiful and nourishing, more than enough to replenish the energy everyone had spent on their intense training.
There were many people gathered—Tanjiro's family, Soma, Kanao, Makomo, and the boys and girls training on the mountain. Laughter and conversation filled the air, creating a warm and comforting atmosphere.
"Sensei said you probably like simmered salmon with radish," Tanjiro said, placing a dish in front of Giyu. "So I caught the fish in the stream myself, and my mother cooked it."
"…Thank you."
Giyu lowered his head and quietly began to eat.
He didn't speak much, and when he did, his words were often blunt or out of place, sometimes dampening the mood. Yet Tanjiro didn't seem bothered at all. The boy, bright as a flame, kept chatting with him, sharing bits of his own life and asking about Giyu in return.
For some reason, Giyu felt that today's meal tasted especially good. It wasn't just because of the simmered salmon he loved, but more because of the atmosphere surrounding him.
Urokodaki's death had once cast Mount Sagiri into deep sorrow. Giyu had thought that with his teacher gone, and no familiar presence left, the mountain would become increasingly unfamiliar.
But that wasn't the case.
Instead, it felt like a forest reborn after a wildfire, brimming with new life. Tanjiro had become like Sabito once was—warm, passionate, training hard every day while helping others. Makomo had taken on the role of a senior, guiding the younger trainees. And Soma… this powerful man had quietly taken Urokodaki's place.
Mount Sagiri had changed, and yet, in some ways, it hadn't changed at all.
"Giyu."
The man's voice suddenly reached him, pulling him out of his thoughts.
Giyu looked up and realized it was Soma calling him from the head of the table. A hint of confusion flickered in his eyes.
"How far have you progressed with your Water Breathing forms?" Soma asked, taking a sip of his drink.
Makomo also looked over at that moment. She had already mastered up to Ninth Form: Splashing Water Flow, Turbulent, and couldn't help but wonder how far her junior had come. The last she remembered, before he went to Final Selection, he had reached Fifth Form: Blessed Rain After the Drought.
"I've reached Tenth Form: Constant Flux," Giyu replied, setting down his chopsticks.
Makomo's eyes widened slightly. Even she hadn't reached the Tenth Form yet. That meant Giyu had already surpassed her in sword forms during this time.
Soma nodded faintly. "Then… have you thought about the next form?"
Giyu frowned slightly. His teacher had only ever taught up to Tenth Form: Constant Flux.
"Water has no fixed shape," Soma said calmly. "It follows the flow. It can be a roaring waterfall or a still, silent pool. It can cut through the hardest stone, yet it can also gently embrace everything that comes its way. Water can carry anything—no matter how heavy the sorrow, no matter how overwhelming the pain—it can hold it all with quiet softness."
As he spoke, he looked directly at Giyu.
"You may seem calm on the surface, but inside, your heart is in turmoil. So I wonder… can you bring your heart to absolute stillness, like water that contains all things?"
"If Constant Flux is like a never-ending waterfall, then could there be a form like a tranquil, unmoving lake?"
"When your heart reaches perfect stillness, could you become like that silent water—dissolving every attack that enters your range into nothingness?"
"A state of absolute calm…"
After finishing, Soma met Giyu's gaze and said quietly,
"I call this the ultimate technique of Water Breathing—Eleventh Form: Dead Calm."