Later in the day, Taka, sitting alone in meditation on the veranda, sensed movement above him through his Reiatsu Perception.
"Um... Why did Shinobu-senpai bring us up here?"
"...You were all very seriously injured. As a recovery facility, this place has the best techniques."
The voices of Shinobu and Tanjiro came from the rooftop, seemingly chatting idly.
Her voice sounded somewhat deep, her tone no longer so light: "....And also, I wanted to entrust my dream to you."
"The dream of getting along with demons. If it's you, you can surely achieve it."
"....Shinobu-senpai, are you angry?"
"Eh?"
"I feel... although you're always smiling, you give off a feeling of being angry...."
'So Tanjiro had noticed it too.' Taka opened his eyes, feeling it would be better to avoid this topic.
If it were him, he wouldn't like someone overhearing things he didn't want known either.
But just as he was about to get up and leave, Shinobu's voice came through:
"....That might indeed be the case. Ever since my beloved older sister was brutally killed by a demon...."
'Older sister... Was that the woman?'
Taka walked towards his room, but thinking of that day's dream, his usually swift steps were much slower.
"Whenever I see others having someone important taken from them by demons, seeing those tears, cries, and pain, the anger in my heart just keeps accumulating, swelling...."
"My older sister was a gentle person like you. Even at the moment of death... she was still mourning for the demon..."
"....I can't think that way."
Closing the door to his room, Taka withdrew his Reiatsu Perception and heard only up to this point.
He sat quietly on the tatami, thinking again of Muichiro's words.
[Something is constantly pulling at your will, preventing you from truly wholeheartedly committing to battle....]
'Everyone has a reason they must fight demons. Do I lack that resolve....'
Gazing at the Asauchi-Nichirin Sword before him, Taka remained silent for a long time.
"....No way. As long as I can get revenge, as long as I can become stronger, just keep fighting like this...."
But when he recalled the night his emotions were most intense, his will to fight strongest, or even earlier, that reckless, desperate battle....
The feeling of connecting emotionally with Tonan without reservation, releasing the power of the Zanpakuto, wasn't born from swinging his sword for those reasons.
He felt he might have found the answer, but he was very uncertain. This troubled his simple mind.
"Eavesdropping on my conversation, and now sulking all by yourself, Taka-san?"
Lost in his troubled thoughts, Taka sensed a fragrance near his nose.
Without needing to look, he knew Shinobu had mysteriously appeared in the room again.
"Hello? Ignoring me?" Seeing he didn't speak, Shinobu smiled and sat opposite Taka. "Why did you leave without hearing the rest of my talk with Kamado-kun? Have you come to dislike me?"
"....No. I just didn't want to eavesdrop."
"Haha, so Taka-san has that kind of consideration."
"Hmm. I didn't want to see you cry." Taka said calmly, meeting Shinobu's surprised gaze.
"I felt that if you continued with that topic, you might cry, so I left."
"..." The smile Shinobu had been forcing froze.
'Eh? Was Taka-san this direct? So sudden?'
Although she often teased the young swordsmen, it was always from the position of a Hashira and an older sister. This was the first time someone had turned the tables and said something like this to her.
'But, how did he know what I looked like crying?'
Shinobu was momentarily at a loss, unsure what to say. Taka, not oblivious to the strange atmosphere, felt that since they had come this far, he might as well continue:
"I think your older sister... she probably didn't want you to get hurt either. She didn't want you to remain immersed in this, crying all the time. That's why she wanted you to leave the Demon Slayer Corps, isn't it?"
"You... how do you know?"
"I dreamed it."
"Dreamed it? Taka-san, that's a bit too—"
Such a claim was hard for Shinobu to believe rationally.
But looking at Taka's as always calm gaze, she knew it wasn't a lie.
'Could such things really happen in the world?'
As if stirred by the memory, Shinobu's smile finally faded.
".....You really are tactless, Taka-san." She spoke somewhat lowly. "Saying you didn't want to see me cry, then you shouldn't have brought it up, idiot...."
"Is that so... Sorry."
"....It's not your fault. I'm just too angry."
She let out a long breath, as if it had been a long time since she had last spoken without a facade.
Shinobu's brow furrowed slightly, her gaze turning cold and hard: "When it comes down to it, demons are just utterly detestable!"
"Completely irrational for self-preservation, full of lies... They only rely on base instincts to survive and kill..."
"And after killing, they want to act pitiful? They want to repent and ask for my forgiveness? Don't be ridiculous... It's best if these things are completely wiped out...."
As she spoke, tears welled in Shinobu's eyes. Her slender hand clenched tightly, her nails digging into her palm.
"I'm really a bit tired... If it weren't for maintaining the smile my sister loved so much... I really would..."
"Then let's kill them all."
"Ah?"
Taka reached out, linking his pinky finger with Shinobu's, which had clenched until it was white.
Just like that day, when Shinobu had reached out to him.
"I'll help you kill that demon with blood on its head, wielding twin fans."
"That way, you won't be so angry every day, right?"
"I promise you. I will definitely do it."
Taka couldn't say why he suddenly felt compelled to make such a promise to Shinobu, but he felt he should do it.
Just like Tanjiro helping others, just like Oyakata-sama sparing everything to fight against evil demons-
This kind of promise made him feel that the sword he wielded would have more power, or rather, more value.
Shinobu's hand trembled. Not only because she had again confirmed from Taka's mouth that he had truly dreamed the details of her sister's death.
But also because Taka's words reminded her of many years ago—
One day, a demon had broken into their home and killed their father and mother.
If Gyomei hadn't arrived in time and slain the demon, both she and her sister might have died as well.
At that time, she had been crying uncontrollably, terrified to the extreme.
Kocho Kanae, her older sister, had also reached out then, gently linking their pinky fingers:
[We will slay more demons, Shinobu]
[We must never let this pain befall others]
[We promise each other]
Plop.
A tear uncontrollably rolled down her cheek.
Shinobu lowered her head, her slender wrist trembling uncontrollably, but her finger tightly held onto Taka's pinky.
".....Taka... you really are an annoying person."
"Saying things like that, making a girl cry...."
Tears flowed continuously, as if emotions suppressed for who knows how long had finally collapsed, preventing Shinobu from raising her head to meet Taka's gaze:
"Then it's settled! Neither of us is allowed to die before that day!"
She trembled, pressing her thumb firmly against Taka's, her crying voice laced with a smile:
"From now on, don't call me senpai. We're not that far apart in age... Just call me Shinobu."
"Shinobu? Isn't that a bit disrespectful?"
"It's fine. We're good friends now, Taka."