37 Demon Slayer: Floating Comment

On the eighth day, they finally descended the mountain.

Kanae squeezed her sister's hand as they exchanged glances, their lips curling into quiet smiles.

The past seven days had been a whirlwind of trials: lurking demons, Shinobu's struggle to decapitate one, and the harrowing memories of the massacre that resurfaced whenever they faced those creatures. Yet, with the dawn breaking over the sea of wisteria, all their exhaustion seemed to melt away.

Hand in hand, they made their way down the mountain. Their haoris billowed in the wind like two butterflies in graceful flight.

After selecting their respective Nichirin steel, they received their uniforms and crows. Shinobu mimicked a memory, lightly tapping the crow's head with her finger.

"A girl, huh? Then I'll call you… Aya."

The crow nuzzled her delicate fingertip, then spread its wings and soared into the sky.

As Shinobu looked up, something else caught her eye—a parrot, bright and striking against the azure backdrop. Its white plumage gleamed, and the tips of its tail feathers seemed to be brushed with the hues of the sky, a gentle, shimmering blue.

Shinobu blinked, unsure if her eyes were deceiving her. But no, it really was that beautiful parrot she knew so well.

"Sora?!" she called out, her voice tinged with surprise.

As though hearing her, the parrot arched through the sky in a graceful spiral before diving sharply downward, disappearing into the distance.

"Wasn't that Sora?" Shinobu asked excitedly, shaking her sister's arm. "Why would it be here?"

"Maybe a mission?" Kanae suggested, shading her eyes with her hand, though the bird had already vanished. "But no, missions are assigned by headquarters… Maybe it just looks like Sora?"

"No way! It's definitely Sora," Shinobu declared, her voice brimming with certainty. "There's no mistaking it—Sir Haruto's parrot is one of a kind."

If Sora was here, then perhaps Haruto was nearby as well. Was he passing through Fujikasane Mountain for a mission?

Descending further, the sisters spotted the white parrot again. This time, it was perched on the finger of a tall young man sitting on a large rock by the path. The parrot chirped animatedly, seemingly engrossed in its chatter.

The boy wore a haori embroidered with green mountains. One leg was folded atop the rock, the other dangling so low it almost touched the ground. The breeze tousled his long white hair, revealing a face as if carved by the gods themselves—sharp and impossibly elegant.

"Oh? Two little butterflies," he remarked as the sisters approached, his voice light and teasing. He turned his head to greet them with a bright smile. "Congratulations on passing the Final Selection!"

"Sir Haruto!" The sisters' faces lit up with joy. Like fluttering butterflies, they hurried to his side.

Kanae, being older and more composed, blushed faintly but kept her excitement restrained.

"Were you passing through here?" she asked, her voice soft and polite.

Shinobu, however, had no such reservations. At twelve years old, she lacked the poise her sister had cultivated. Having lost their family so young, the world to Shinobu consisted of just Kanae and the kind people from Sagiri Mountain—her only sources of comfort in a cruel world.

During their year apart, Shinobu often wrote to Haruto. Though his frequent travels meant his replies were delayed, he always responded once he had time, reading every letter she sent. Sometimes, Sora carried those letters back, which was how Shinobu instantly recognized the bird.

Standing before Haruto now, her violet eyes sparkled with delight. "Did you come here just to see us?"

The sisters' contrasting reactions spoke volumes about their personalities.

Haruto chuckled, ruffling Shinobu's black hair with one hand. When he turned to Kanae, he opted for a gentler approach, patting her shoulder instead. She was no longer a little girl, after all.

"That's right. I asked Lady Amane and Kagaya-sama—they mentioned you two were participating in the Final Selection this year. As your mentor and a senior in the Demon Slayer Corps, I couldn't miss the chance to celebrate gaining two talented new members."

Talented…

Shinobu blinked rapidly, her gaze flickering to Haruto's eyes, which shone with sincerity. She thought of her failure to slay a demon and felt a strange mix of emotions.

"Oh, right!" Haruto exclaimed, as if suddenly remembering something. He reached into his haori and pulled out two small bundles wrapped in velvet. "I brought gifts."

"Gifts?" Kanae hesitated, accepting the bundle. "It's already so kind of you to come all this way. You didn't have to bring anything…"

"And stop calling me 'sir,'" Haruto sighed, exasperated. "That's for the slayers of the Corps. Just use my name."

Shinobu eagerly grabbed her bundle, her words tumbling out quickly.

"Haruto, can I open it?"

"Of course."

Inside was a beautiful butterfly hairpin. Shinobu's was a soft lavender, while Kanae's was a delicate pink—both matching the color of their eyes.

Haruto scratched the back of his neck, slightly embarrassed.

"The shopkeeper recommended them. I thought they suited your name and matched your eyes."

Such delicate trinkets were probably something Kanae's mentor, Lady Momoya, would have prepared for her. Shinobu's gruff mentor, Master Ishihama, certainly wouldn't have.

Shinobu twirled the hairpin between her fingers, her amethyst eyes glimmering with mischief as a sudden realization struck her.

Could it be that Haruto… liked her sister?

Why else would he go out of his way to come here, bearing thoughtful gifts?

Her mind raced with possibilities. Her kind, beautiful sister and this dashing, capable swordsman—weren't they just perfect together? She already disliked the fawning trainees who pursued Kanae without any real dedication to their swordsmanship. But Haruto was different: strong, kind, and undeniably handsome. Even his large appetite wasn't a flaw in her eyes.

Becoming family with Haruto and staying with Kanae forever? That would be perfect.

Haruto noticed Shinobu's wandering gaze and exchanged a confused look with Kanae.

"Do… you not like the gift?"

"Of course not!" Kanae laughed, pulling Shinobu close and tapping her lightly on the forehead.

"Focus, Shinobu."

Haruto raised an eyebrow at Kanae, his expression skeptical. "What's going on with her?"

Kanae's lips curled into a knowing smile. "She's just an imaginative child in the throes of adolescence."