Her tone was grave.
Her breathing, the pounding of her heart…
Her words were filled with an inescapable sorrow.
It was not a sound one would expect to come from a young girl's lips.
"Save... Demons?"
"I heard it from the Master. Demons were originally people just like us. It must be the same for you, Mr. Tsukinokami, right?"
Kanae paused and lifted her bowed head.
"They are pitiable creatures. Once human, yet they prey on people and fear the beautiful morning sunlight. If you fell one Demon, you could save all the people that Demon would have killed. And in doing so, you could free that Demon from its own miserable fate."
"You even want to redeem the Demon that killed your parents… Is that really what you're saying?"
"…Yes."
"If that's truly what you mean, you've lost your mind."
The words slipped out harsher than I intended.
Even saints have their limits.
Save Demons? Pitiable creatures? Neither Yoriichi, the kindest man I know, nor Amano ever spoke like that.
And to claim you would save the beings who stole your parents' lives—
I could not comprehend it.
You are...
"So kind."
"Huh?"
I fixed my gaze on her face as I gathered my thoughts.
In an ordinary life, such kindness would be praiseworthy.
But—
"All the more reason you must never join the Demon Slayer Corps."
That kindness would poison you in a corps where drawing a sword and seeing blood is everyday business.
If you lived as a slayer, your excessive gentleness would destroy you.
"I want to protect the happiness that hasn't been shattered yet. Just as you protected us, Mr. Tsukinokami... just as you protected Shinobu, I want to protect someone dear to me. By doing that, I want to break the chain of sorrow."
…
"And even if that means you or your sister die as a result?"
It wasn't a cruel test, just sincere curiosity.
"…Ugh."
Kanae fell silent at once.
And no wonder.
She might throw away her own life, but her sister's life—she could not gambled that.
Even asking the question felt cowardly.
But—
"I'm prepared."
Kanae said in a trembling voice.
"I made a promise to Shinobu. 'Let no one else suffer what we endured,'" she said resolutely.
Her solemn determination stirred a strange emotion in my chest.
"As long as Demons are in this world, my child will always be in danger. I do not wish to leave such a perilous world to my child."
In her expression, I saw Yoriichi's resolve.
"To save the weak—that is the duty of one born strong."
In her words, I saw Amano's spirit.
…Well.
It's not as if she won't kill Demons at all, so perhaps it matters little…
I swung the axe with one hand.
The log split apart with a loud, heavy thud that reverberated around us.
Still—
"Don't die."
"Huh?"
I ignored her question and struck the firewood again and again.
If the person I'd saved perished consumed by their own conviction, they would haunt my dreams.
Suppressing those words, I brought the axe down once more.
@@@
Just as Kanae had said, just as I expected, Shinobu soon returned.
"I'm back."
She said it unhesitatingly, thrusting a handful of wild greens and mushrooms she'd likely picked on the way home into my arms.
"I thought we could use these for dinner. Thoughtful, right?"
As I took the mountain's bounty from her, a sense of unease settled over me.
A feeling that they might not go home tonight.
Well… it was already dusk, and I couldn't very well leave two girls outside.
Besides, the temperature here drops sharply after sunset.
I sighed and let Shinobu inside.
"Thanks, but Demons can't eat this."
"What's that supposed to mean? I went and gathered them!"
Shinobu stuck out her tongue at my mild reproach.
I forced a wry smile and headed to the kitchen.
As I stoked the hearth with the wood Shinobu and I had split, the scent of burning logs mingled with the savory aroma of miso and rice.
Of course, I wouldn't partake.
"Mr. Tsukinokami."
A youthful voice drifted down from above.
That blasted nickname…
I turned around with a sigh to find Shinobu and Kanae had already set the table.
"We made dinner."
"I'm sorry. We used some of your rice and miso without asking."
Kanae added the apology with a guilty look.
I shook my head in response.
"No need to apologize. I can't eat it anyway, and I saved it for guests like you."
Kanae looked downcast at my words, while Shinobu shot me a glare as if to say, Why say such needless things?
I closed my eyes to avoid their stares.
Ah, but it's true… what can I do?
With no choice, I sat with Kanae and Shinobu around the hearth.
The sisters' dinner was composed of seasoned wild greens, grilled pond smelt, miso soup with mushrooms, and rice balls.
Sparks popped from the firewood with crack crack.
I reached for the miso soup first.
"Didn't you say you couldn't eat that?"
Shinobu grumbled at me.
"Still, it's the thought that counts."
I lifted the bowl to my lips and sipped.
It was miso soup.
A comforting aroma and savory saltiness.
If I were human, I would have found it delicious.
My mind recognized it as miso soup.
But I wanted to vomit.
My body rebelled at accepting it.
It felt like gulping muddy water with raw earth in it…
But it was the thought that counted.
I forced it down.
"It's good."
I muttered.
"Shinobu made that."
Kanae replied with pride.
"Shinobu's very skilled. She's been gathering plants from the courtyard since she was little, pretending to be an apothecary—and she actually makes medicine sometimes."
Really…?
A child making medicine?
That's impressive.
"And besides, my sister's good at everything."
Shinobu said in a rough tone.
It wasn't anger so much as shyness.
"My sister's the most beautiful in the village. Flower arrangement, kimono dressing, the tea ceremony—she's perfect at everything, and all the village men were smitten with her."
"Shinobu, that's enough."
"But it's true. You think so too, don't you, sir?"
Shinobu gave me a challenging stare.
Ah, why.
Hey, young lady, there are limits to flattery.
Still, she looked like she'd keep glaring until I answered.
I nodded in response.
"Yes… when she grows up, she'll break plenty of hearts. No doubt about it."
"That's so half-hearted!"
Shinobu poked fun at my lame compliment.
But it was true.
She felt like Amano yet different—definitely a beauty.
When she matures, she'll be called "incredible beauty!"
You too… but let's not say that aloud.
I reached for the grilled pond smelt.
It was better than the soup.
At least I could eat this.
"What do you like to eat, Mr. Tsukinokami?"
"Rolled omelet? Simmered dishes? Or tempura? Tomorrow I'll make it with my sister."
"I don't know… meat of any kind will do. Demons can't eat human food, after all."
I said that and returned my attention to the smelt.
This didn't taste like earth—just grilled fish.
Maybe because it was an animal, it was far less offensive.
"Who cooked this?"
I asked, pointing at the smelt, and Kanae beamed as she answered.
"That was Shinobu, too."
Oh?
I allowed a faint smile.
"It's delicious."
This was fine.
Perhaps…?