36 Demon Slayer: Floating Comment

At the foot of Sagiri Mountain, Genya stepped out of the house and glanced at the dim sky before heading over to help Makomo prepare dinner.

Living here with a group of Water Breathing swordsmen for nearly two years had softened Genya's once-perpetual scowl. The boy with the spiky rooster hair still flared up occasionally, but those moments were less frequent now—though his signature hairstyle remained stubbornly defiant.

In the yard, only Makomo and Giyu were present. Sabito was away on a mission, and Urokodaki had gone to the headquarters to hand over some work.

Every Hashira had their own patrol area, and with the Demon Slayer Corps desperately short-staffed, even someone preparing to retire couldn't fully step away from their duties.

Looking around and seeing no one else, Genya leaned in and asked Makomo quietly, "Where's Master?"

"Haruto went into the mountains to train. The stars will be bright tonight," she replied.

Haruto often visited the mountain peaks, much like the towering hills of the Swordsmith Village. The vast night sky always brought him inspiration.

Haruto lay sprawled across the grassy meadow. The autumn night air carried a faint chill, and the dampness of the grass seeped through his clothes, but he didn't mind. Taking a deep breath of the earthy scent, he closed his eyes and reached out to connect with the stars.

He could lie here without a care because he trusted Sagiri Mountain's safety. With his celestial senses cast wide, not a single demon could sneak past the watchful stars and breach the mountain's defenses.

It had been over six months since he returned from Asakusa, where he'd met Tamayo. That meeting sparked his ongoing research into incorporating his blood's unique properties into his Star Breathing techniques.

Tamayo was a fascinating conversational partner—a healer of extraordinary skill. If not for her nature as a demon, she might have become a pioneer in modern medicine, perhaps even a revolutionary figure in the field.

Haruto frequently exchanged messages with her through the skies. Tamayo needed his blood for her experiments, and sometimes, he sent her extra vials for sustenance. Though she never admitted it outright, she seemed intrigued by the fragmented, time-warping sensations his blood brought her.

In return, she occasionally sent back her creations—medicine capsules crafted from her own flesh. They were meant for emergencies, primarily for Genya.

When Tamayo suggested developing an enhancement serum from Haruto's blood, he began refining his breathing techniques in earnest. Within half a year, he had mastered two additional forms of Star Breathing to complement his original four.

Raising his hand to the night sky, Haruto gazed at his palm, crisscrossed with scars from countless experiments.

"Ah, the curse of blood-based abilities," he murmured with a wry smile. "Always leaves you battered and bruised."

During battles, he had experimented by coating his blade with his blood, imbuing it with his power like an enchanted weapon. While effective, the limited amount of blood on the blade didn't yield results as impressive as his encounter with Hantengu's clones.

Sighing, Haruto let go of his obsession with perfecting his techniques for the moment. Instead, he allowed himself to simply gaze at the stars above.

The autumn breeze whispered through the meadow, cool and calming, brushing against his tousled hair. The silence was broken only by the steady rhythm of his heartbeat and a soft tune he hummed under his breath.

"Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me..."

Today was his birthday. With this night, he turned seventeen.

"Seventeen," he thought, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. "Not a kid anymore."

Haruto called his parrot, Sora, to his side.

The last time Haruto visited Kagaya Ubuyashiki was a year ago.

In the Demon Slayer Corps' headquarters courtyard, Kagaya was playing with his two young daughters while Amane sat nearby, gently cradling her growing belly with a serene smile.

"Hinaki, Nichika, say hello to your uncle," Kagaya prompted.

The two girls, nearly identical in appearance, wore hairpins Haruto had gifted them—one tied with a red ribbon, the other with yellow.

At just two years old, they were still wobbly on their feet and clumsy with their words. They managed to call out, "Unc-uncle...!"

Haruto approached with a teasing scowl. "What's this? I've never even held a girl's hand, and I'm already an uncle?"

"If you prefer, they can call you big brother," Kagaya offered, his calm tone laced with mischief.

Haruto shot him a glare. "Taking advantage of me, are we?"

Kagaya chuckled and shifted the subject. "You've grown taller again."

Haruto's gaze lingered on the scars marring Kagaya's face. While Haruto grew stronger with each passing day, Kagaya's condition worsened steadily. Two young men of similar ages—one thriving, the other fading.

Haruto had come to fulfill their agreement. A year ago, Kagaya had asked him to return after twelve months to assume the rank of Hashira.

"So, no more delaying today?" Kagaya asked with a gentle smile.

Haruto shook his head, a resigned grin on his face. "If stalling worked, I'd have done it ages ago. Besides, some things simply need doing."

"The Corps is in desperate need of Hashira. Sabito and Giyu are progressing quickly, but they'll need to slay fifty demons or a Twelve Kizuki to truly stand on their own."

"It's a tough time for the Corps," Haruto admitted. "But at least we have Rock and Star. Without us, the gap between the older and newer generations would be insurmountable."

When Kagaya offered to hold a Hashira meeting to mark the occasion, Haruto declined.

"Save their energy for fighting demons," he said, gently ruffling Hinaki and Nichika's hair. "Grow up big and strong, okay? When you do, maybe you'll..."

Kagaya's eyes gleamed as he watched Haruto.

"...maybe you'll get to visit Kagoshima one day. I went last month.... huge crabs and lobsters as thick as your arms. Sea urchins with golden roe spilling out. Perfect with soy sauce over rice..."

The girls didn't know where Kagoshima was, but they knew what crabs were. They mimicked crab claws with their little hands and sidled around, giggling.

Haruto laughed, describing sea lions on the rocks and how they patted their bellies while calling out.

Kagaya and Amane exchanged a knowing look, their smiles warm and bright.

Let it end with this generation, they silently wished. Let Hinaki and Nichika grow up free from demons and Muzan's shadow. Let them live as normal children, playing by the sea in summer and watching snow in winter.

By midday, the girls had gone down for their nap. Haruto donned his haori, preparing to leave.

Amane, struggling with her heavy belly, stood to see him off. "Won't you stay for lunch?"

"No need to trouble yourself," Haruto replied with a gentle shake of his head. "The Final Selection ends today, doesn't it?"

Kagaya glanced at the calendar. "Yes. Why? Do you know someone participating?"

"Mm." Haruto nodded lightly. "Sort of. The Butterfly sisters are in this year's trial."