4 Vol. II Demon Slayer: Floating Comment

The days grew warmer as the clashes between swordsmen and demons continued.

Haruto removed the pouch hanging from Sora's leg, carefully extracting a securely wrapped vial of medicine. After some thought, he tucked it away in the wall-mounted cabinet. He then retrieved a sleek, ebony Browning pistol from the drawer and used a cloth to wipe the dust from its surface. The modern weapon gleamed ominously, its presence a chilling reminder of its lethality.

(T/N: Sora is a parrot, his "crow".)

The gun had been procured through a contact—a hermit Haruto trusted. It came as a set: the Browning and a more powerful double-barreled shotgun. They were intended for Genya, who had always shown an unusual fascination with such things. Haruto still remembered their first meeting, where Genya had aimed a brass slingshot at him.

But Genya had dismissed the Browning as too small, preferring the destructive power of the shotgun. During his experiments, Genya discovered that after consuming demon flesh, he could imbue bullets with Blood Demon Art, further solidifying his attachment to the shotgun. The more expensive Browning, meanwhile, had languished in the drawer, gathering dust.

That changed after Haruto's last visit to the Swordsmith Village. Introduced by Chief Tetsubane, Haruto met a master craftsman outside the village who forged bullets capable of holding wisteria poison. With these custom-made bullets, Haruto finally saw the perfect purpose for the Browning.

Gripping his Nichirin Blade in one hand and the Browning in the other, Haruto felt a strange sense of standing between two eras. The sensation of time folding in on itself was almost dizzying.

After a moment's hesitation, he wrapped the gun in the cloth and tucked it, along with three rows of bullets, at the bottom of his backpack.

Pushing open the door, he stepped into the sunlight where two young men waited. Sabito and Giyu turned to greet him.

Today, they would accompany Haruto to headquarters to attend their first Hashira meeting. Giyu, uncharacteristically, had donned a new haori. It combined the water-patterned fabric symbolizing Urokodaki's teachings with a deep red shade representing his past burdens. Forced by Makomo, he had also tied his messy black hair into a neat ponytail. Despite his perpetually stern expression, Giyu looked every bit the dashing young swordsman.

Sabito's haori had also been modified. One half retained his original yellow-green hexagonal pattern, while the other mirrored Giyu's water design. Sharing the pattern had been Giyu's idea—his awkward way of expressing that together, they completed the essence of the Water Hashira.

Would Makomo be upset? Haruto licked his lips, suppressing a comment about how much their haori resembled a couple's outfit.

Another first-timer at the Hashira meeting was Sanemi Shinazugawa. He stood under a tree in the courtyard, his expression as fierce and unapproachable as ever. His uniform hung open, exposing a muscular chest crisscrossed with scars.

When Haruto entered, Sanemi glanced over but, not seeing Genya, simply gave him a curt nod before turning away again. Only when Kanae entered did Sanemi's expression shift. He turned back, offering her a stiff, awkward smile.

"Good morning, Haruto," Kanae's voice was light and refreshing, a rare summer breeze. "Shinazugawa-san, Tomioka-san, Urokodaki-san—good morning to all of you. Looks like I'm a bit late!"

"Hey, Kanae, can I stop by the Butterfly Mansion for lunch today?" Haruto grinned. "Not to treat you like a cook or anything, but your grilled fish ochazuke is incredible."

"Of course. As luck would have it, Shinobu just bought some fresh fish at the market this morning. We were debating whether to make fish soup or grilled fish."

"Ah, fish soup sounds great too!…"

"A versatile idea! We could make soup and still have some left for grilling," Kanae said with a smile.

Their conversation grew increasingly detailed, drifting from lunch to tomorrow's dinner plans. Meanwhile, Sanemi's face darkened, Sabito chuckled, and Giyu stared blankly into the distance.

"Oh, right," Haruto said suddenly. "If I don't eat much at lunch, could Sabito and Giyu join us? What about you, Sanemi? Want to come?"

"I don't—" Sanemi froze, glancing at Kanae. Just as he opened his mouth to refuse, Haruto struck the finishing blow: "I heard from Shinobu that there's a shop near the Butterfly Mansion with amazing hagi mochi."

Kanae + hagi mochi > stubborn temper. Sanemi swallowed his retort and nodded stiffly.

"If it's no trouble, Kanae."

The courtyard grew livelier as Gyomei Himejima arrived, clutching his prayer beads, and Tengen Uzui, adorned with short swords and glittering jewelry, made his dramatic entrance.

"It's been so long since a Hashira meeting felt this lively," Gyomei said, tears streaming down his face. "The number of Hashira is growing—it's wonderful…"

Tengen, meanwhile, was fixated on Sabito. "Such flamboyant hair! Having pink hair is truly a blessing! And those silver eyes—magnificent! Your multicolored haori and handsome features… So glamorous!"

As for Giyu, Tengen squinted at him. "But this guy… Your aura is so gloomy. You'll have a hard time finding a partner like that! Let me guess—you're single, aren't you?"

Giyu: ⊙_⊙ Accurate. But not worth a reply.

Before long, the sliding doors opened, and Kiriya and Hinaki entered to announce the arrival of Kagaya Ubuyashiki. The chatter ceased as everyone fell silent, awaiting their leader.

Everyone, that is, except Sanemi. Anger smoldered within him, his eyes bloodshot from suppressed rage.

Thanks to Haruto's relentless efforts and Kanae's medical skills, Masachika had survived injuries once deemed fatal. But extensive organ damage meant Masachika could no longer fight as a swordsman. Instead, he had been reassigned to the logistics division as a hidden.

Sanemi seethed at the loss. A warrior as skilled as Masachika reduced to paperwork? And now, watching Haruto kneel before the frail figure of Kagaya Ubuyashiki, Sanemi's fury boiled over.

As the others knelt, Sanemi stood tall, glaring at Kagaya with unflinching defiance. Whispers fell silent, and all eyes turned to him.

Cold sweat trickled down Sanemi's face under the crushing weight of the Hashira's gazes. His teeth chattered faintly.

Damn… Is this the pressure of the Hashira? It's… overwhelming!

Even the blind Gyomei pinpointed Sanemi's location, his compassionate face tinged with pity. Tengen's jeweled presence radiated sharp disapproval. Kanae, no longer smiling, covered her mouth with her hand, her gaze soft yet puzzled.

Only Haruto seemed amused, watching intently with a glimmer of expectation.

Well, well, Haruto thought, stifling a grin. Finally, someone's gutsy enough to challenge Kagaya openly!