The winter sunset slowly sank.
At some point, night gradually arrived.
In this world where demons existed, whenever night fell, evil demons would always appear to devour humans and destroy the happiness that belonged to them.
But ever since Muzan Kibutsuji was slain, the night was no longer such a terrifying place. Demons still existed, but without Muzan Kibutsuji, the source who created them, every demon killed meant one fewer demon in the world. One day, they would all be purged.
There was no longer any need to worry about demons.
On such a winter night, one house was lively and warm.
Everyone sat around a long table.
Soma sat at the head. Beside him were Kanao and Nezuko. Next to them sat Makomo, followed by Kie Kamado, Tanjiro, Hanako Kamado…
Once Soma picked up his chopsticks, everyone began eating as well.
Although there were many children in the Kamado family, they were all well-behaved and not the kind of troublesome brats people disliked.
The atmosphere in the room was very warm.
Soma first placed a chicken drumstick into Kanao's bowl, then placed one into Makomo's and Nezuko's bowls as well. Afterward, he picked up the cup of wine Nezuko had filled for him and drank quietly.
As he drank, he watched this warm moment shared by everyone.
Originally, the Kamado family would have suffered the tragedy of being slaughtered. Tanjiro would have endured countless dark moments in life while still preserving his gentle nature. Nezuko would have become a demon and would have had to constantly suppress her demonic urges.
But none of that had happened.
Muzan Kibutsuji had also been completely annihilated.
And for Soma himself, he had gained the lovely and beautiful Nezuko.
...
The simple dinner ended amid warmth and liveliness.
Kie Kamado took her youngest daughter, Hanako Kamado, to wash the dishes. Tanjiro went to teach his younger brother swordsmanship. Nezuko pulled Makomo into the room beside them, quietly whispering about something unknown.
At Soma's side, Kanao remained with him just as before. Compared with the past, however, the emotions on the girl's face had become richer and richer, no longer as monotonous as they once were.
The wounds she had suffered in childhood were slowly healing as she was surrounded by happiness.
Perhaps the only thing that had not changed was the way she looked at her uncle.
It had remained the same from beginning to end.
...
Night
grew deeper and deeper.
Soma had Kanao, who was still staying beside him, return to her room to rest.
In truth, Kanao still wanted to remain by her uncle's side for longer. She even wanted to stay beside him at every moment, just as she had before.
But it seemed she could no longer be the same as before.
As she gradually became less withdrawn than she used to be, Kanao probably also understood many things. As she slowly grew up and her figure developed more and more, there were many things that needed consideration and many things she needed to pay attention to.
Although she herself did not really care.
But her uncle did.
At first, Kanao had always felt that this was because her uncle was distancing himself from her. But now, she already understood that it was precisely because he cared about her that he always considered these things for her.
But—
to Kanao,
she truly wished that every night, she could be with Soma the way Nezuko was.
...
Tap, tap.
Soma knocked lightly on the door.
The woman in a kimono opened it. Seeing Soma, she placed her small hands over her abdomen and bowed slightly.
As Nezuko's mother, Kie Kamado was always gentle and placed great importance on etiquette.
Soma had actually told her there was no need to be like this, but Kie Kamado always agreed verbally and still did the same every time. Perhaps gentleness and respect for rules and manners were engraved into this woman's very bones.
Otherwise, she would not have been able to raise such an outstanding daughter as Nezuko.
Soma also smiled gently, then brought Kanao before Kie Kamado.
Recently, Kanao had become very close to Kie Kamado. Almost every night when it was time to rest, she would stay with Kie Kamado.
"Please rest early as well, Soma."
Kie Kamado pulled Kanao into the room and spoke gently as she closed the door.
"All right."
Soma nodded.
...
At some point, the full moon had risen into the night sky, scattering soft moonlight.
The moonlight fell upon the snow-covered ground, as though laying a layer of silver radiance over it.
Soma followed the cleared path through the courtyard toward his own residence. His steps were not fast. Earlier today, while he and Nezuko had been busy in the kitchen, Nezuko had said that Makomo should stay here tonight.
There had been a faint implication in her words, as though she wanted him to take the initiative.
However, after dinner, Nezuko had pulled Makomo away again. He did not know what the two of them had gone to do, and even now, neither Makomo nor Nezuko had appeared.
Vaguely, Soma had some kind of premonition, and his heartbeat began to quicken.
As he walked out of the courtyard, he heard shouts from outside. Looking over, he saw Tanjiro practicing swordsmanship with his younger brother, Takeo.
Even now, after the source of all demons, Muzan Kibutsuji, had been slain, and demon slayers were gradually withdrawing from the stage of history, Tanjiro still maintained a certain level of training.
Soma glanced at them, then continued forward.
Because his relationship with Nezuko had changed, the two of them always had intimate moments at night and did not like being disturbed. For that reason, Soma's room had been built separately, some distance away from the Kamado family.
It was a small courtyard of its own.
He walked in softly.
The snow that had fallen in the courtyard had already been swept clean. The light inside the room was lit, its swaying glow spilling through the window and into the courtyard. Faintly, a figure could be seen sitting upright inside.
It was not Nezuko's figure.
Soma's breathing quickened slightly. He took a breath, then walked to the door.
When his steps stopped at the doorway, he could clearly feel that the person sitting inside the room was breathing very quickly. With his sharp hearing, he heard it distinctly.
It seemed the girl inside was very nervous.
Soma's heartbeat also quickened somewhat at this moment, but it was still manageable.
After calming himself a little, Soma gently pushed open the door.
As the door opened, it seemed to bring the cold wind from outside into the room as well, causing the girl sitting upright on the chair to tremble visibly.
Soma turned back and gently closed the door.
Only after closing it properly did he turn around and look at the girl sitting in the chair.
Her pale blue robe was like frost condensed from morning mist, thinly draped over her figure.
Her sash was a deeper shade of autumn-water blue, narrowly tied around her waist, yet loosened at the middle into a curve like a crescent moon.
Her black-blue hair was loosely pinned up with a plain wooden hairpin, and a few stray strands rested against her ears, adding a softness that did not quite follow propriety.
When she lowered her head slightly, her lashes cast fan-shaped shadows beneath her eyes.
It was Makomo, looking just like the childhood friend next door.
At this moment, besides Soma, there was only Makomo in the room.
Late at night.
A man and a woman alone.
Together in one room…
He did not know what Nezuko had said to Makomo to make her come here alone.
Soma walked toward her with slow steps. He could clearly feel that as he drew closer, the girl's body trembled noticeably once more.
Probably…
Makomo also knew that tonight would change something for her.