27 Vol. II Demon Slayer: Floating Comment

Haruto descended from the mountain, casually draping his haori over his shoulders. As he passed the area where the younger swordsmen were training, he was about to call out to Genya when he heard voices coming from the peach grove.

Peeking through the gaps in the trees, he saw three young swordsmen, including Genya, walking down a narrow path. Kaigaku was at the front, his face cold as usual. He nonchalantly bit into a peach while effortlessly stepping over what appeared to be a suspicious patch of grass.

Following closely behind, Genya also noticed the questionable patch. Like Kaigaku, he deftly avoided it without breaking stride.

Trailing behind them was Zenitsu, his face sporting a fresh collection of scratches. He trudged along with an air of misery, sighing heavily and completely oblivious to the actions of the other two.

Predictably, the patch of grass turned out to be a trap.

The moment Zenitsu's foot landed on it, he lost his balance and tumbled into a pitfall.

Haruto heard the faint sound of bones creaking, followed by the blond boy's wailing.

"Help! There's a trap here! I twisted my ankle!"

Tears mixed with the dust on his face, leaving him looking utterly pitiful.

Kaigaku, however, didn't rush over to help as Zenitsu had hoped. Instead, he scowled, visibly annoyed.

Unable to endure Zenitsu's pathetic cries any longer, Kaigaku whipped around and hurled his half-eaten peach at him.

"Shut up already!" he snapped.

The peach sailed through the air, aiming directly for Zenitsu's head—only to be obliterated mid-flight by a well-placed kick. Juice splattered everywhere.

Genya, now looking irritated, glanced at the peach remnants on his shoe before turning to Kaigaku with a scowl.

"If you're not going to help, you could at least walk away quietly. No one's forcing you to deal with him."

Kaigaku's expression darkened. "And who the hell do you think you are? Do I need your permission to do anything?"

His words dripped with venom. Kaigaku had always thought the heir to a Hashira would be some kind of prodigy. But this guy? A failure who couldn't even use Breathing Techniques. Worthless.

Genya clenched his jaw tightly, his sharp features taking on a menacing resemblance to his brother, Sanemi.

"I've been putting up with your crap for long enough..."

Before he could finish, Kaigaku lashed out with a swift kick aimed at Genya's chest. Genya managed to block it with his forearm but was still forced back a few steps.

"You think this is your house or something?" Kaigaku sneered, his tongue flicking out to lick his lips. His eyes gleamed with malice.

A fight was brewing.

Haruto didn't intervene. Instead, he concealed his presence and watched from the shadows, curious about how much Genya's physical abilities had improved over the years.

Genya lunged forward, his strikes targeting Kaigaku's neck, waist, and other vulnerable areas with ruthless precision—nothing like the restrained sparring sessions he'd had with Tanjiro.

Kaigaku wasn't an amateur either. As a practitioner of Thunder Breathing, his speed gave him an edge. He blocked Genya's attacks and retaliated with a powerful downward strike aimed at Genya's face.

Genya grabbed Kaigaku's blade mid-swing, the two locking in a stalemate. Kaigaku quickly drew his katana, the steel gleaming as his icy gaze bore into Genya.

"You're pulling a weapon now? You sure about that?" Genya taunted, his voice dripping with contempt.

Kaigaku stayed silent, but the slight tremble in his grip betrayed his unease.

Genya smirked, tossing the blade's scabbard to the side before drawing his double-barreled shotgun.

"Bang." He mimicked the sound with a crooked grin. "So, what do you think, Kaigaku? Which is faster—your sword or my gun?"

Sweat beaded on Kaigaku's forehead as he stared Genya down, his jaw clenched tightly.

Cool as ever, Genya, Haruto thought, amused by his apprentice's audacity. That's the way to do it—why fight on someone else's terms?

As the standoff continued, Zenitsu, who had finally climbed out of the pit with his swollen ankle, hobbled over to them, looking miserable.

"Senpai, please, don't fight! If Grandpa or Haruto-sensei finds out, they'll be mad..."

Haruto couldn't speak for the old man, but he himself was rather enjoying the show.

"Don't call me 'senpai'!" Kaigaku barked at Zenitsu. "You're too pathetic to deserve that!"

He looked like he was ready to sheathe his sword, but then noticed that the scabbard was lying near Genya's feet. Furious, he stormed off, still gripping his blade.

Haruto narrowed his eyes and, after a glance at Genya and Zenitsu, decided to follow Kaigaku.

"Thanks, Genya..." Zenitsu said shakily, wiping the tears from his eyes. He crouched to pick up Kaigaku's discarded scabbard.

"You're really going to return it to him?" Genya frowned. "He clearly wants nothing to do with you."

"It's fine," Zenitsu replied with a forced smile. "Grandpa would want me to."

"Ugh, you sound like Tanjiro," Genya muttered, running a hand through his spiky hair. "If he were here, he'd probably say something dumb like, 'Everyone who says they're fine needs a hug.'"

"Tanjiro? Who's that?"

"The guy with the hardest head in the world," Genya grumbled. "He's my junior... Hey, don't get so close to me!"

"But my ankle—help me!"

"Like hell I will! Crawl down the mountain yourself!"

"Genyaaa~!"