19 Demon Slayer: Floating Comment

Days passed, and in the Swordsmith Village, Haruto stood composed before a training dummy, gripping his newly forged Nichirin Blade.

Behind him, Gyomei Himejima, the Stone Hashira, stood silently. Although blind, his awareness encompassed everything around him.

"What pure power," Gyomei murmured, his palms pressed together in reverence. "It feels as though I'm standing amidst the vastness of the cosmos."

Haruto's voice broke the silence as he gently addressed the wooden figure before him. "There are no stars during the day."

Indeed, without stars, his power wasn't at its peak.

"But demons only appear at night," Gyomei replied calmly.

Haruto nodded. True enough—daylight's lack of stars was irrelevant because demons thrived under the cover of darkness.

Taking a deep breath, Haruto stilled his heart.

"Breath of Stars: First Form—First Light."

In a flash, Haruto's figure blurred, like the flicker of a star caught between shadow and light. He vanished, only to reappear directly in front of the wooden dummy.

The blade arced forward, streaking with a blue-violet glow reminiscent of the aurora borealis. Starlight cascaded from its edge as it cleaved through the dummy's head.

The wooden head flew high, only to explode moments later with a sharp crack, splinters scattering in every direction.

Gyomei, momentarily stunned, muttered to himself. What incredible precision and power! Combined with Haruto's swift and spectral movements, it was a technique few demons could hope to withstand.

Yet Haruto didn't pause. With a quick pivot, he launched himself toward another dummy.

"Breath of Stars: Second Form—Orbiting Stars!"

The Nichirin Blade glided effortlessly through the dummy, leaving a trail of starry light. Sparks burst from its limbs, and a soft, almost serene glow emerged at its chest before—boom!—the entire torso erupted.

Another head rolled to the ground.

Now, only one dummy remained.

Haruto adjusted his stance, gripping his sword with both hands. Behind him, faint specks of starlight seemed to gather. Even the sky appeared to darken as though acknowledging the energy he was summoning.

Before him, an ethereal full moon shimmered faintly in the air. In this picturesque scene of nightfall, Haruto's voice dropped to a whisper.

"Breath of Stars: Ninth Form—Last Light."

A singular arc of light traced through the air, slicing cleanly through the moonlike figure of the dummy. Its head split quietly, replaced by the glimmer of a solitary, dazzling star.

There would no longer be talk of stars paling before the moon or stars bowing to its brilliance. In this world, only the stars would remain.

Haruto sheathed his sword with a soft click, his breathing steady and unperturbed. Compared to the strain of using Flame Breathing, his control with this technique was far superior.

Gyomei, seemingly lost in thought, was roused by Haruto's voice.

"Stone Hashira, how does this breathing technique fare?" Haruto scratched his white hair, awaiting the elder's judgment.

Gyomei let out a long sigh. "It surpasses my expectations, Haruto. A swordsman without a compatible Breathing Style is like a jewel shrouded in dust. But you…"

He paused, suddenly recalling something. "Ninth Form? You've already mastered the ninth technique?"

Haruto blinked in surprise. "Mastered? Not quite! Genius or not, I'm not a monster."

The ninth form was simply too powerful to be placed anywhere but at the end. With a third form designed to enhance perception and speed recovery, Haruto felt proud enough to have roughly structured four techniques in one night.

Gyomei's lips pressed together as if trying to suppress a smile. "Perhaps, in time, the Nine Hashira will gain a Star Hashira among their ranks."

Haruto chuckled softly. A Hashira?

Becoming a Hashira… Would it save Kagaya Ubuyashiki from his fate? Would it allow ordinary people to walk freely under the moonlight again?

Being a Hashira wasn't an end. Haruto's ultimate goal had always been to end Muzan Kibutsuji's reign of terror. That, above all else, was his purpose.

Frequent missions required Haruto to constantly travel between the Swordsmith Village and other regions. Unwilling to trouble the Kakushi repeatedly, he decided to establish a foothold nearby.

"Kagaya has so many vacant houses. Choose any you like—I'll charge you a reasonable rent," came the cheerful yet scheming reply in a letter from Kagaya Ubuyashiki.

Haruto sighed and scribbled a large turtle on the response.

"Rengoku's estate has spare rooms!" Kyojuro's enthusiasm was contagious, but Haruto, worried about burdening him, politely declined.

That left one final option…

"Let's build you a house together. It won't take long," came Sabito's warm invitation, his voice almost audible in the crisp mountain air.

Sagiri Mountain. Aside from its thin atmosphere, it wasn't so bad.

As Haruto packed, Gotokawa remained silent before muttering, "That girl, Makomo…"

"Master, she's just a kid!"

"You could get engaged now and marry when you're older!"

"You haven't even met her!"

"I'm not a tyrant. You don't need my permission as long as you're happy!"

Even after being carried off by a Kakushi, Haruto could still hear Gotokawa's distant shouts.

"Start a family soon!"

Makomo… They'd only spoken a few times. Really!

Once his small house was built on Sagiri Mountain, Haruto deliberately chose a location neither too close nor too far from Urokodaki's residence. He didn't want to disturb them but hoped to occasionally seek Urokodaki's guidance, given his expertise as a demon slayer.

However, Haruto's plans took an unexpected turn.

The first night, Sabito and Giyu showed up at his doorstep, carrying their bedding.

"…What's going on?" Haruto stared blankly.

Apparently, this wasn't just his house, it had become a boys' dormitory.

"Urokodaki-sensei said it's safer with three people. Less chance of someone being eaten in their sleep," Sabito explained, grinning as he spread his bedding on the floor.

"Our room was given to Makomo," Giyu added flatly, though a hint of excitement lingered in his tone. "She got a big room for free, yet she doesn't seem happy."

...

"Idiot Sabito!"

Far away, Makomo pouted, gazing toward the tiny cabin on the horizon.

Even Urokodaki was puzzled.

Yes, she'd gotten a spacious room for free. So why wasn't she happy?