The next day, with the sky heavy and gray as if rain were about to fall, Hiru didn't shrink into the box. Instead, he walked beside Yoriichi and the others in the form of a young boy. They chose a remote forest path to travel, and along the way, Rengoku and Iwayuki witnessed Hiru's feeding for the first time.
Despite his thin and fragile-looking body, he easily subdued a bear towering over three men in height. His sharp claws tore open the creature's throat in one smooth motion. Lowering himself, he pressed his lips to the wound and drank deeply. When the beast beneath him had turned into a dried husk, he slowly licked the blood from his fingertips—deadly, yet strikingly elegant.
"Brother, do you think there are more wild animals nearby?" Hiru brushed dust from his clothes. "Since we're heading to the Demon Slayer Corps, I should probably eat my fill, right?"
"Not at the moment." Yoriichi handed him a handkerchief. "But I'll keep an eye out."
"Alright, though I feel like my appetite's getting bigger and bigger..." Hiru licked his lips. "I remember eating a bear this size before and feeling at least half full, but now it's barely a third... Do you think demons can starve to death, Brother?"
Yoriichi just shook his head, saying nothing.
Rengoku Tetsushiro, however, was quite enthusiastic. "As far as I know—no!"
"Why do you say that?"
"Because during the Demon Slayer Corps' selection trial, we're sent to a mountain full of man-eating demons!" Rengoku tapped the desiccated bear with the hilt of his sword. "The examiners say the demons there fight among themselves constantly. Unless they're exposed to sunlight, they don't die—even if you tear off their heads!"
Hiru instinctively covered his neck, baring his teeth at Rengoku. "Keep that up, and I really will bite you!"
"Hahaha! With Mr. Yoriichi around, Mr. Hiru will control himself! So I'm not afraid at all!"
Hiru: ...
This guy! This guy—!! Damn it! He completely saw through me!
Hiru turned his head away, refusing to speak further.
But... he didn't actually hate being seen through like that.
[You're really kind, Mr. Rengoku.]
Yoriichi was glad to see Hiru getting along with humans. He was genuinely grateful to Rengoku Tetsushiro for accepting Hiru so naturally, though being the quiet type, he could only smile softly without saying much.
"Forgive my boldness," Iwayuki said, walking up beside Yoriichi. "But you and Mr. Hiru don't seem to resemble each other?"
"Hmm. Hiru was adopted from a distant branch of the Tsugikuni family," Yoriichi replied, his gaze still on Hiru. "But he's been my brother for a long time now."
"I see..."
Yoriichi suddenly seemed to recall something and waved Hiru over. "Hiru, come here for a moment."
"Hm? What is it?" Hiru came over, holding a handful of brightly colored wild berries he'd picked along the way. "Something wrong?"
"I remember you used to be able to see things differently, a long time ago," Yoriichi said, tilting his head slightly. "Is that something you can teach others?"
Hiru blinked, then shook his head. "No, it's something you're born with—just like you, Brother."
"I see..."
"What is it?!" Rengoku leaned forward eagerly. "I've heard Mr. Yoriichi can see a transparent world! What does Mr. Hiru's world look like?"
"My world?" Hiru paused, thinking for a moment before answering. "If I had to describe it... it's a world where I can see death."
"What do you mean, a world of death?"
"Do you remember the painting I drew, Rengoku?" Hiru rolled a berry between his fingers. "The one I made when Mr. Yato tested me with blood?"
"Ah, the one with the white shadow in the background!"
"Yes. The world I see is like that—but the shadows are black." Hiru tossed the berry to a squirrel passing through the trees. "The closer someone is to death, the clearer their shadow becomes. When their shadow looks exactly like them... that's when they die."
"That sounds rather terrifying!" Rengoku's tone grew serious. "Then what do demons look like to you, Mr. Hiru?"
"Demons have clear outlines, but no faces," Hiru said, touching his chin thoughtfully. "And for the record, I can't see my own shadow."
"That sounds like a useful skill for spotting demons!"
"But it's not a good thing..." Hiru sighed. "If I could, I'd rather not see them at all. They give me nightmares."
"So when you were little, you weren't just scared by your mother?"
"Yeah. When my mother and father argued, Mother's body overlapped with the shadow behind her." Hiru's eyes lowered. "After that, her health declined.
She passed away not long after Brother left home. My eldest brother cried a lot... and before my mother's shadow faded, it was filled with worry.
But that's what made me believe souls exist. I think my birth mother and Akeno mother are still watching over me. So I can't let them down."
"You've worked hard, Hiru." Yoriichi reached out and gently patted his head. "Your brother will always be with you."
"I didn't say all that to get comforted!" Hiru turned his gaze aside but didn't pull away. "I wanted to tell you—Mother's watching you too.
At the end, she looked off into the distance. She must've been thinking of you.
Just like how she forced herself, even when sick, to pray for those earrings for you... Brother, you are loved too!"
Yoriichi froze for a moment, then his expression softened. His reddish eyes gazed tenderly at Hiru. "Yes. I know."
[Yes... I know there are still people in this world doing everything they can to love me.]