21 Vol. II Demon Slayer: Floating Comment

Yushiro sat in front of Haruto, his brow furrowed as he watched the silver-haired swordsman drift into an inexplicable slumber and then jolt awake.

Haruto opened his palm, revealing a butterfly-shaped pin resting there.

The cold pin left a fiery red burn in his hand. Tamayo held an unused syringe in her hand, as though coming to a realization.

"Did it fail?"

Haruto didn't immediately respond. Instead, he reached up to touch his eye socket.

It wasn't until he felt the faint movement of his eyeball beneath his eyelid that he exhaled in relief.

"Hah... It seems it did fail."

Yushiro, thoroughly confused, looked between Tamayo and Haruto.

What does that mean? Failed? Failed at what? They hadn't even started doing anything yet!

Tamayo, however, calmly put the syringe away and opened her research notes on the table.

"Tell me what happened."

I should be the one asking what's going on here! When did you two form some infuriatingly silent understanding behind my back?

Tamayo couldn't possibly be wrong. It had to be this insufferable, silver-haired swordsman charming her with his nonsense!

Haruto tried to recall the sensations he felt after injecting the drug and the changes his body had undergone—or might still undergo.

"...Around the thirty-eighth minute," Haruto said slowly, "my eyeball fell out."

Tamayo's pen trembled, leaving a blot of ink on the paper.

Yushiro was stunned. "What nonsense are you spouting? Your eyeball is clearly still in its socket!"

Thirty-eight minutes: Eyeball detachment.

Tamayo calmly wrote it down, her pen scratching across the page.

"It might be due to excessive cell proliferation... I'll adjust the amount of Genya's blood in the formula."

The conversation with Tamayo stretched on through the afternoon. The doctor meticulously documented every detail of Haruto's experience.

Yushiro's expression shifted from doubt to shock, then to numb despair.

Afterward, Tamayo instructed Yushiro to escort Haruto out. When Yushiro returned, he saw Tamayo close her notebook, her pen tapping lightly against her temple.

"Don't just stand there, Yushiro," she said, her voice calm but firm. "We still have plenty of work to do."

Yushiro's face twisted into a look of exaggerated misery and grievance. "Lady Tamayo!"

Elsewhere, scaring Tanjiro half to death seemed to lift Genya's spirits.

He begrudgingly admitted the boy had potential and was diligent to a fault. The only thing holding Tanjiro back was his inability to deal decisive blows—his kindness often stayed his hand.

When Genya's demonized state finally subsided, Tanjiro called Nezuko out of the house and handed Genya a steaming cup of tea.

"That form of yours will frighten Nezuko," Tanjiro murmured, leaning close.

Liar. The girl's gaze wasn't fearful in the slightest. If anything, she seemed ready to march over and flick me in the forehead for bullying her brother.

"What happened earlier?" Tanjiro hesitated, then ventured, "It looked..."

"Like a demon," Genya finished for him. "Because it was a demon."

"A demon..." Tanjiro echoed, his expression somber. "They're real?"

"They're not just real," Genya said, staring into his cup. "They're everywhere. A passing traveler, a temple monk... even someone you once loved and revered—like your mother."

His grip on the cup tightened. "They'll tear into your life, already miserable as it may be, and destroy it completely."

"Do they kill people? Destroy villages?" Tanjiro scratched his head. "I've never seen one, aside from you."

Genya shot him a sharp look. "What nonsense are you spouting? I'm no demon! I'm going to follow my teacher's path and become the strongest—no, second-strongest—no, third-strongest Hashira in the Demon Slayer Corps! I'll even give myself a flashy title: the Demon Hashira! The Hashira Who Hunts Demons to Extinction!"

Tanjiro's eyes lit up. "The Demon Slayer Corps?"

"It's a group dedicated to eradicating demons," Genya explained. "They operate in the shadows, unrecognized by the government. Everyone there is a bit... eccentric, but they're all good people."

"Are you part of it?" Tanjiro asked.

"..." Genya paused. Right. Despite all his training, he still didn't know if he could join the Corps.

He couldn't master Breathing Techniques. Maybe that's why his brother was so adamant about keeping him out.

He wrapped his arms around his knees, his silence heavy with unspoken sorrow.

Tanjiro's keen nose caught the scent of grief wafting from Genya.

"You're sad," Tanjiro said softly.

"Don't be ridiculous! I'm angry, not sad!" Genya snapped, his face scrunched in frustration.

Tanjiro chuckled, leaning closer to embrace him. His hug wasn't grand or overwhelming, but it carried the warmth of an older brother's understanding.

"People who say they're not sad," Tanjiro murmured, "are the ones who need hugs the most."

Fine. Genya admitted he'd been a little sad. But being seen through by this kid was downright humiliating.

He shoved Tanjiro away, yelling, "What's with that act? I'm your senior disciple!"

"Huh? But I'm older than you, right?" Tanjiro reasoned. "No need to call me sensei or senior. Let's just be friends!"

"You're so annoying!" Genya huffed, feeling strangely defeated.

Sometimes, Tanjiro's expressions reminded him of their teacher. Maybe the two of them, standing side by side, practicing the Breath of the Stars, looked more like a teacher and student pair than Genya ever could.

Genya sighed, staring at his calloused hands.

Suddenly, a flurry of wings broke the silence. Looking up, Genya spotted a white-feathered parrot circling overhead.

"Shinazugawa Genya! Takanashi Genya! Genya! My dear child, are you back yet?" the bird squawked in a voice uncannily like their teacher's.

Genya scrambled to his feet. "Teacher! I'm on my way back! I stopped by a shop called Ryuusei in Choshi—they had these amazing-looking strawberry daifuku!"

The parrot mimicked Haruto's dramatic tone perfectly. "But I forgot my wallet! I forgot my wallet!"

Genya smirked. "Take it out of the allowance I left for Tanjiro. Bring me some daifuku, but don't let him know!"

Glancing at Tanjiro's curious eyes, Genya pulled out Haruto's money pouch and slyly pocketed some coins right in front of him.

"You don't have to!" Tanjiro protested, puffing his cheeks. "I don't need any more!"

"Take it!" Genya snapped, slamming the pouch into his hands. "Listen for once!"

Nezuko emerged, holding a bundle. "That's right!" Tanjiro exclaimed, smacking his forehead. He handed it to Genya with a roar to match. "This is a batch of minazuki my sister made! Even though June is long past, we hope you and Haruto-sensei enjoy it!"

"Got it! I'll make sure he does. Later!"

"Safe travels!"

The white parrot circled above, following Genya as he disappeared down the mountain path.

Tanjiro ruffled Nezuko's hair with a smile. "Don't worry, Nezuko. Haruto-sensei is going to love your cooking."