Half an hour later.
The two sat in a private seat by the window on the second floor of the confectionery shop.
On the table were several desserts: nerikiri shaped like bellflowers, bracken starch mochi coated in soybean powder, and two cups of piping hot matcha.
Shinobu used a bamboo pick to cut a small piece of nerikiri and put it in her mouth, squinting her eyes in satisfaction.
The sweet but not cloying taste spread on the tip of her tongue.
"Try this, it tastes really good."
She cut the other half and, very naturally, held it to Yamada's lips.
Yamada did not refuse. He opened his mouth to take the dessert, the tip of the bamboo pick brushing against his lips and teeth.
"Too sweet." Yamada gave his assessment.
He wasn't really into sweets. By comparison, he preferred tomatoes and bonito flakes.
"It's only good if it's sweet." Shinobu cut another piece of bracken starch mochi and stuffed it into his mouth.
"We eat bitter medicine and wound medicine every day, there has to be some sweetness in life."
Yamada chewed the soft, glutinous dessert in his mouth, watching her bright smile.
Shedding the shackles of hatred, she no longer forced herself to imitate her sister's gentleness but had truly found her own happiness.
This change was exactly the path to survival he had carved out in this desperate world with his power.
In the afternoon, the two strolled through the town's commercial street.
Yamada bought Shinobu a uniquely designed hairpin and picked out a few sets of casual clothes at a Western-style clothing store. His payment was quick and decisive, with absolutely no awareness of feeling stingy about the Ubuyashiki family's activity budget.
It wasn't until the sun went down that the evening glow in the sky dyed the entire street orange-red.
The two walked side by side on the path leading from the town into the deep mountains.
The surroundings were quiet, with only the chirping of insects and the rustling of the breeze through the leaves.
Shinobu, carrying several beautifully packaged paper bags, slowed her pace.
"Yamada." She stopped and turned to look at him.
The glow of the sunset fell on her face, gilding her silhouette with a soft golden edge.
"Actually... I've never been able to properly say thank you."
Shinobu lowered her head, looking at her toes, her voice soft. "Thank you for waking me up, thank you for destroying those poisons. If it weren't for you, I might have lived in that self-destructive nightmare for the rest of my life, until I died."
She looked up, Yamada's reflection mirrored in her purple eyes. "It was you who let me know that I could actually live like this."
Yamada listened quietly until she finished. He stepped forward, took the somewhat cumbersome paper bags from her hands, and then, with his free hand, pulled her into his embrace.
He rested his chin on the top of her head, feeling the warm, soft sensation coming from her in his arms.
"Moved already?"
Yamada's voice sounded from above, low and husky, carrying a hint of his usual domineering manner.
"There are still plenty of things for me to worry about in the future. If you want to thank me, just live well. When you become an old lady, you can thank me slowly then."
Shinobu leaned against his broad chest, listening to his steady heartbeat, her eyes feeling a bit hot. She closed her eyes, reached out to wrap her arms around his waist, and a relieved smile appeared on the corners of her lips.
"Okay."
The two embraced in the afterglow of the sunset, their elongated shadows overlapping.
— — —
Autumn in the Taisho era already carried a biting chill in the wind.
Over a month had passed since that heartwarming date in the town.
For this past month, the entire Demon Slayer Corps had experienced a peace unseen in a century.
There was no news of Upper Rank demons appearing. Even the activity frequency of ordinary lower-level demons had dropped significantly, as if all the rats had scurried back into the gutters overnight.
Yamada knew well that Muzan, that old fox, was undoubtedly holed up in the Infinity Castle, frantically boosting his combat power or plotting some even more insidious trap.
However, peace or not, the backyard of the Butterfly Mansion was getting livelier by the day.
Bang!
With a dull thud, Zenitsu drew an arc in mid-air before landing in the koi pond in the backyard, splashing up a huge spray of water.
"Fortieth time! Too slow! Even though Thunder Breathing emphasizes a single killing blow, your footwork isn't stable enough. If you encounter a Blood Demon Art with area-of-effect defense, and you don't take down the opponent with your first strike, you'll immediately become a living target."
A voice exploded across the training grounds.
Standing in the center of the field was the energetic Kyojuro, with his long yellow and red hair.
"Next! Tanjiro! Let me see your progress over this past month!" Kyojuro gripped his wooden sword with both hands, his eyes burning with intense fighting spirit.
"Yes! Rengoku-san! Please take care of me!"
Tanjiro took a deep breath, visible heat waves rising around him. He pushed Hinokami Kagura to its limit and charged forward, wielding his wooden sword.
On the corridor not far away, Yamada sat cross-legged on a cushion, holding a cup of steaming roasted tea.
Watching the heated special training in the courtyard, he yawned with satisfaction.
Ever since the battle at the Swordsmith Village, he knew deeply that relying on himself alone to ferret out Muzan through a carpet search of all Japan was akin to looking for a needle in a haystack.
Since Muzan wanted to hide, the overall strength of the Demon Slayer Corps had to be raised by a notch so that in the future decisive battle, these Hashira wouldn't be killed in an instant upon meeting him.
Thus, he proactively proposed the "Hashira Special Training Plan" to Kagaya.
The content was simple: all the Hashira who were free would take turns acting as sparring partners at the Butterfly Mansion.
On one hand, it was to train newcomers with great potential, like Tanjiro.
On the other hand, it was to allow these Hashira, in the process of sparring with each other and even receiving "beatings" from Yamada, to attempt to activate the Demon Slayer Mark.
Kyojuro was the first to volunteer to come to the Butterfly Mansion.