Horitake couldn't quite grasp the source of Tanjiro's anxiety. Brows furrowed, he asked simply, "What kind of problem could there be once Nezuko wakes up?"
Tanjiro fidgeted, his hands twisting restlessly. "Horitake-senpai, what I mean is... when Nezuko finally opens her eyes, will she be... different? What if she's violent? What if she's feral, like a demon, and doesn't even recognize who I am?"
The more he spoke, the more Tanjiro's imagination ran wild, and the tighter the knot in his chest became.
Seeing the boy scaring himself half to death, Horitake gave him a sideways glance. "Tanjiro, you're letting your heart run away with your head. You're worrying far too much."
He softened his tone, offering a reassuring smile. "Relax. That won't happen. When Nezuko wakes, she won't be some mindless, raging monster. She'll be the same quiet, kind-hearted girl she's always been. And she could never forget you. You are her closest living relative—her own flesh and blood. How could she possibly lose her memory of you?"
Hearing Horitake speak with such absolute certainty, Tanjiro finally let out a long, shaky breath. "That's good... that's good. As long as she remembers me, that's all that matters."
Tanjiro was finally at peace, but now, a flicker of doubt crossed Horitake's own face.
"Recognizing you is a given," Horitake muttered, more to himself than anyone else. "She's your sister; she'll know you. But whether she'll remember me... now that's a different story."
He scratched his chin, looking genuinely troubled. "I mean, I saved you two before she fell into that deep sleep, and we had plenty of interactions back then. But she was already a demon at the time. I'm not sure if I made a deep enough impression on her subconscious. What if she wakes up and just... completely ignores me? What then?"
Horitake looked genuinely distressed for a moment. However, his melancholy was short-lived. He shook his head, casting his worries to the wind.
"Whatever! If she doesn't remember, I'll just win her over all over again. Either way, I've already decided—Nezuko is going to be my wife. No one is going to stand in my way! No one can stop me!"
Tanjiro stared at him, a look of profound helplessness crossing his face.
His friend, his senior, and his great benefactor was—quite openly—coveting his younger sister. What was a brother supposed to do in this situation?
Forget it, Tanjiro thought, sighing internally. We'll cross that bridge when she's human again. If Nezuko likes him, then I suppose it's a good thing. If she doesn't... well, we'll see.
When Horitake made his shamelessly bold declaration, Tanjiro wasn't the only one listening. The spirits of the Kamado family were gathered right there beside them.
Nezuko's younger siblings listened to Horitake's words with mixed expressions. They didn't seem particularly angry, though their faces were a bit complicated—they clearly thought this man had skin thicker than a castle wall.
Nezuko's mother, Kie, remained as she always was: smiling gently, radiating the warmth of a virtuous mother.
Nezuko's father, Tanjuro, however, looked distinctly unimpressed. His face was "sour" would be an understatement; his displeasure was visible to the naked eye. His precious "little cotton jacket"—his darling daughter—was about to be snatched away by some stranger. It would be a miracle if a father felt good about that.
The situation Horitake had encountered with Mitsuri Kanroji's family a few days prior—where the parents were eager to marry her off—was a rare exception. Most fathers in the world were exactly like Tanjuro.
What father is truly willing to hand his daughter over to some "wild man" from the outside? Even if that father had technically entrusted his children to Horitake's care before passing, letting go was another matter entirely.
Kie Kamado gently tugged on her husband's sleeve. Only then did Tanjuro let out a long, heavy sigh, the stiffness in his expression finally softening.
They were dead, after all. What right did the dead have to interfere with the lives of the living?
Their eldest son was growing stronger by the day, and their eldest daughter's condition was improving. That was enough. They could ask for nothing more.
And as much as he hated to admit it, Tanjuro could see that despite Horitake's somewhat "roguish" personality, the man's feelings for his daughter were sincere and profound.
There was nothing left to worry about. And even if they did worry, as ghosts, there was nothing they could do.
With a collective sigh, the spirits of the Kamado family began to fade, drifting away to wherever they normally remained hidden.
Horitake, who had been watching them through his Spirit Vision, finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Phew... thank goodness they're gone. The pressure was getting intense.
Now that the "audience" had departed, there was no need to keep draining his mental energy. Horitake deactivated his Spirit Vision, allowing his spiritual power to settle.
Since arriving at Mount Sagiri, everything had been going well. Tanjiro had completed his trial, and Nezuko's recovery was confirmed. It was one piece of good news after another.
However, Horitake still had one more task to attend to.
After Master Urokodaki finished briefing Tanjiro on the details of the Final Selection, Horitake stepped forward. He proposed that Tanjiro undergo one last "Intensive Blitz Training" session before he left for the exam.
Both Tanjiro and Urokodaki looked at him with confusion. They had never heard of such a thing.
"Blitz training? What is that?" Tanjiro asked, his head tilted in a literal question mark.
Horitake smiled and explained, "Essentially, it's a series of high-intensity sparring matches between the two of us. In these bouts, you'll be completely outmatched. I will suppress you, pushing you to your absolute limits."
He stepped closer, his expression turning serious. "Under that kind of extreme pressure, your latent potential will be squeezed out of you. It's also a process of 'force-feeding' you techniques—by constantly clashing with me, your moves will become more fluid, and your combat effectiveness will skyrocket."
Tanjiro nodded slowly, only half-understanding. "Oh... that sounds very impressive."
"Of course it's impressive!" Horitake couldn't help but boast a little. "Before coming to Mount Sagiri, I went back to Momoyama to see my master. I put my junior brother and sister through the same blitz training. After we were done, my junior sister's combat strength increased by thirty percent!"
Tanjiro was still dazed, not quite grasping the significance of those numbers, but Master Urokodaki was genuinely stunned.
"What?! A thirty percent increase in combat effectiveness from a single session? Is that the truth?"
"It's absolutely true," Horitake replied. "I would never lie to you, Master Urokodaki."
"Then that is incredible—and vital," Urokodaki said urgently. "Horitake, please, begin Tanjiro's training immediately. Wait, how long will this take? Is there still time?"
"Don't worry. The training only takes one day. We have more than enough time."
"Then it's settled. Let's begin at once."
"Good. We start now."
The two of them went back and forth, deciding Tanjiro's fate in a matter of seconds. The subject of their conversation, meanwhile, sat beside them, looking back and forth between Horitake and Urokodaki, still feeling a bit lost.
Is this blitz training really that effective? Tanjiro wondered.
What he didn't know was that he was about to walk straight into hell.
Before Tanjiro could even react, Horitake grabbed him by the collar and hauled him out of the house, heading straight back to the training grounds halfway up Mount Sagiri.
Driven by both curiosity and concern, Master Urokodaki followed close behind.
Left behind in the quiet of the house, Nezuko continued to sleep. Tucked away in the cool shadows, safe from the sun, she remained undisturbed as her brother's ordeal began.
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