"Well, at least it didn't shatter this time..." Hiru picked up his sword from the ground, slid it back into its sheath at his waist, and let out a quiet sigh of relief. Then he turned to Sabito, who had been staring blankly in his direction the whole time.
"What are you spacing out for? Don't tell me you got scared silly?"
Sabito shook his head, picking up his broken blade and putting it back into its sheath. "No. It's just... I think I finally understand why Yoriichi looked so helpless that day."
"What? What day?"
"When you said you were strong but had no talent for swordsmanship." Sabito's usually gentle expression turned complicated, even with a trace of mild disgust. "Honestly, if I were your swordsmith and saw you using a blade like that, I'd cry. To use your own words—it's completely devoid of beauty."
Hiru: …
I'm gonna hit you (▼ヘ▼#)
Seeing Hiru's gaze grow increasingly dangerous, Sabito gave an awkward cough. "I didn't say anything wrong... Alright, alright, my bad. Calm down."
Only then did Hiru look away.
"By the way, where'd you get that Nichirin Blade? You should only have one sword, right?"
"Oh, that?" Hiru glanced down at the Nichirin Blade, its edge clearly dulled. "It's a gift from a center-parted guy who was carrying someone on his back when I came here."
"Huh? Then... that guy was carrying—"
"Yeah, someone in a dark red haori. I tried to stop him to ask for directions," Hiru spread his hands helplessly, "but as soon as I grabbed him, he swung his sword at me. I caught it, and he just dropped the blade and ran."
"Caught it? How did you catch it?"
"Like this." Hiru gripped the blade with his fingers and held it up, then flipped it to grip the hilt, showing Sabito. "See? My fingerprints are still here."
Sabito stared silently at the distinct fingerprints pressed near the tip of the blade. [What kind of monster is this guy...]
"Looks like things are settled."
Hiru and Sabito both turned to see Yoriichi walking toward them, hand on his sword hilt, his steps calm and steady.
"Huh—weren't you headed the other way, brother?"
"Someone called for help, so I came." Yoriichi glanced back at the center-parted boy following him. "He said he ran into an incredibly strong demon he couldn't handle."
"Ah, that's the center-part guy who ran off earlier." Hiru leaned forward slightly, raising a hand in greeting. "Thanks for the Nichirin Blade. Here, take it back."
"Huh? Mine?" The boy looked stunned, but quickly shifted to alarm. "Wait—it was you back then?! Are you hurt? I swung pretty hard—ah! My blade's chipped! I swear I took good care of it before coming here!"
Feeling a little guilty, Hiru turned his gaze away. He hadn't done it on purpose.
Sabito, meanwhile, hurried to Giyu's side. Seeing that he was only unconscious, he let out a long breath of relief, then looked up at the center-parted youth. "Thanks for taking care of Giyu. I'm Sabito, by the way. I didn't get the chance to ask your name."
"Ah, I'm Murata. But you don't have to thank me—I should be thanking you instead." Murata carefully slid the damaged Nichirin Blade back into its sheath. "If it weren't for you, I would've been killed by that terrifying demon."
"Ha, that's kind of embarrassing," Sabito scratched his hair awkwardly. "I was actually the one who got saved this time."
Meanwhile, Hiru moved closer to Yoriichi and lowered his voice. "Hey, do we really have to stay here for seven days for this boring exam?"
"I actually find it kind of fun," Yoriichi said with a faint smile. "It's been a long time since I've seen a demon reckless enough to leap at me while screaming about eating me. It's... a little refreshing."
"Ugh, don't even start. They're just a bunch of low-class trash who can't tell anything apart," Hiru said, folding his arms. "And they're all hideous to boot."
"Hmm... then I'll just stay busy for a while." Yoriichi reached out and ruffled Hiru's hair. "Once I've killed all the demons in this mountain, we'll leave."
Hiru was about to say something when Sabito's voice interrupted. "Yoriichi, Hiru, are you two going together next?"
Yoriichi shook his head slightly. "Hiru's already getting bored. I'd rather finish off all the demons quickly and take him away."
"Eh? Isn't it dangerous for you alone—" Sabito stopped himself halfway. "Ah, right. What am I saying? If Hiru's that strong, then Yoriichi, with your understanding of swordsmanship, must be even stronger, huh?"
"I'm just an ordinary Swordsman," Yoriichi replied with a small shake of his head. "Are you coming with me, Hiru?"
"Hmm..." Hiru looked up at the darkening sky. "Since we're already here, I want to go to the mountaintop and see the sunrise first."
"Alright. Once I've taken care of all the demons, I'll come find you."
Hiru: …
"Brother, do you realize how scary that sounds?"
Yoriichi paused for a moment, then smiled faintly, shook his head, and simply ruffled Hiru's hair again before turning and walking away in his usual composed stride.
Sabito noticed and gestured toward Yoriichi. "Will he be okay alone?"
"Yeah, my brother's really strong," Hiru said with a grin. "If you're curious, you can follow him and see for yourself. He actually likes humans quite a lot."
Sabito: …That sounded way too weird.
But Hiru clearly had no intention of explaining. He waved his hand casually and headed up the mountain.
After a moment of thought, Sabito decided to follow Yoriichi instead. After apologizing to Murata once more, he lifted Giyu onto his back and followed after Yoriichi.
He hadn't expected that just keeping up with Yoriichi would exhaust nearly all his strength—and that was with Yoriichi slowing down after realizing he was being followed.
What shocked Sabito even more was how Yoriichi seemed to know exactly where every demon was. Several times, he had already drawn his blade and struck before the demons even noticed them.
[How does he find them? And judging by the blade's material, it isn't even a Nichirin Blade... So how can he kill demons with an ordinary sword?]
One question after another flooded Sabito's mind.
"Daybreak is coming."
Sabito watched as Yoriichi sheathed his sword and blinked. "Ah, are you going to rest, Yoriichi?"
"No. I mean you don't need to follow me anymore. Demons don't come out during the day. You should rest and check on Giyu's condition."
"Huh? What about you?"
"I'll keep hunting," Yoriichi said with a gentle smile. "Demons don't move during the day. If I move quickly, I should be able to finish them all off by tonight. Then the trial will be over early."
Sabito: Σ(ﾟДﾟ;) — You're not joking, are you?!
"I'll head out first. If you walk toward the sunrise from here, you'll find a spring. You can rest there."
"Huh? How do you know that, Yoriichi?"
"I can hear it." Yoriichi pointed to his ear with a smile. "You must be tired after carrying Giyu all night—your breathing's already uneven. Go get some rest. Leave the rest to me."
...