"Brother!"
The two who were still chatting simultaneously looked towards the source of the sound. Tanjirou was surprised to see a miniature version of Kyoujurou appear at the doorway.
Kyoujurou? Two of them?
Senjuro scurried to Kyoujurou's bedside, carefully looking at his brother's broken arm. His eyes immediately reddened, and tears fell onto the clean white quilt.
"Senjuro, don't cry. I'm fine." He gently wiped away his brother's tears and patted his shoulder.
"How can you be fine after such a serious injury!" Senjuro quickly helped his brother lean against the headboard to avoid aggravating the wound.
"Tch! No skill and still tries to be a swordsman, so his arm broke!" Another person, looking strikingly similar to Kyojuro Rengoku, leaned against the hospital room doorway, clutching a wine jug, his expression indignant.
"Boring!"
Eh!
There are three Kyoujurou's?
No, how can this person speak like that!
Tanjirou frowned, refuting on Kyoujurou's behalf, "Kyoujurou is an amazing swordsman! He is definitely not the unskilled person you claim him to be! Please take back what you said!"
"And who are you? You have no business speaking here!" Rengoku Shinjuro lifted the wine jug, poured it into his mouth, and casually wiped away the residue.
"Father." Hearing his father criticize him in such a way, Kyoujurou showed no discouragement and still greeted his father respectfully.
He staggered in, yet each step was firm. His beard was unkempt, and his clothes were disheveled. After approaching, he squinted at Kyoujurou for a few seconds, then took another sip of wine.
"Mediocre talent, always overreaching. Give up!"
Yoizumi and Shinobu heard Rengoku Shinjuro's words as they entered.
Ah… The three of them look exactly alike. Yoizumi, who had seen them from childhood to adulthood, couldn't help but sigh.
Father?
Tanjirou was simply incredulous. What kind of father would discourage his child after they were injured? Shouldn't he be proud to have such an excellent child as Kyoujurou?
"Kyoujurou is..." As Tanjirou spoke, Rengoku Shinjuro impatiently looked at the noisy child. Upon seeing the Hanafuda earrings by his ear, his eyes suddenly widened.
He released the wine jug in his hand, and one hand shot straight towards Tanjirou. Yoizumi and Shinobu acted simultaneously.
Shinobu caught the wine jug. Her forced smile indicated she was somewhat annoyed; it would be very difficult to clean if it fell to the ground.
Yoizumi shifted his stance, grabbing Rengoku Shinjuro's hand to prevent him from getting closer to Tanjirou.
"Hm?" He used a clever maneuver to break free from Yoizumi's grasp, then massaged his reddened wrist with his other hand, his brow furrowed, his tone unfriendly.
"You're the demon who joined the Demon Slayer Corps recently, aren't you?"
"I don't know what the Master is thinking!"
"Letting a demon join!"
"Father!" Kyoujurou shouted, trying to stop him.
"I cannot pretend I didn't hear that!"
"Although Yoizumi and Nezuko are demons, they both act to protect humans."
"I acknowledge them, and I hope Father will too!"
"Also, Father, what were you just about to do to Young Kamado?"
"Please don't lay a hand on innocent people."
Kyojuro Rengoku's gaze was like a torch, fixed directly on his father, his expression incredibly serious.
"What do you know?"
"Those Hanafuda earrings..." Rengoku Shinjuro raised his hand, pointing at Tanjirou, "I recognize them. Those are Hanafuda earrings only worn by Breath of the Sun users!"
Breath of the Sun?
This sentence made almost everyone present fall into thought, except for Yoizumi, who didn't understand breathing techniques.
Shinobu put down the wine jug. She had read in books that the Breath of the Sun was the original breathing technique, but it had disappeared because its difficulty was far beyond the capabilities of ordinary people.
Could the Hinokami Kagura that Tanjirou mentioned to her earlier be the Breath of the Sun?
"The original breathing technique, the strongest divine skill. All breathing techniques are derived from the Breath of the Sun."
"You're enjoying watching us make fools of ourselves, aren't you, boy!"
"I don't understand what you're saying!"
Tanjirou was completely bewildered. What was this person talking about all by himself?
Hinokami Kagura?
Breath of the Sun?
If Hinokami Kagura was the Breath of the Sun! If it was that strongest divine skill!
Then how could he be so weak, how many times had he been able to only stand by and wait for someone to save him!
Yoizumi reached out to shield Tanjirou, telling him not to be impulsive. Kyojuro Rengoku's father, judging solely by his aura, was not a weak person.
And for some reason, Yoizumi felt dizzy now, and his vision was blurry.
"Mr. Shinjuro, please calm down! Mr. Kyoujurou needs rest." Shinobu spoke up to remind him.
"Tch!" In the end, he couldn't make too much of a scene. Rengoku Shinjuro picked up the wine from the table, drank it in large gulps, and stumbled out.
"Brother... Father actually came because he was worried about you." Senjuro looked at his brother cautiously.
"Yes, I know. Father is just like that; you and I both know it." Kyoujurou nodded and looked apologetically at Tanjirou and the others.
"I apologize for letting you all see such a thing."
"No need to apologize, Kyoujurou. Everyone will understand." Shinobu shook her head understandingly.
"Senjuro! Aren't you coming over! How much longer are you going to stay!" Rengoku Shinjuro's impatient voice came from outside. Senjuro looked at his brother reluctantly but still obeyed his father.
"Brother, I'm leaving now. I'll come back to see you!"
"Please take good care of yourself!"
"I'll return once I've recovered enough." Kyoujurou patted his brother's head.
"Don't worry, Senjuro, Butterfly Mansion will take good care of him." Shinobu comforted him.
"Thank you." He bowed to them and quickly left the hospital room.
"Father wasn't like this before, but ever since Mother passed away, he resigned from being a Hashira and has been drinking heavily every day."
"But I know that Father still cares about Senjuro and me; it's just that his way of expressing it is different." Kyoujurou said with a smile.
"Kyoujurou..." Tanjirou didn't know what to say. Suddenly, a hand pressed on his shoulder. Tanjirou looked and saw that Yoizumi-nii's face was abnormally flushed, and his clear eyes looked dazed and blurry.
"Eh? Yoizumi-nii?" He supported his brother's swaying body with both hands. What was wrong with Yoizumi-nii?
It didn't look like he was feeling unwell; it looked more like he was drunk?!
Oh no!
I forgot, Yoizumi-nii is the type who can't even touch a drop of alcohol!
I didn't expect that just a little bit of the smell of alcohol from Kyoujurou's father would make Yoizumi-nii drunk!
"What's wrong with Yoizumi?" Shinobu walked over. His face was so red; it was the first time she had seen Yoizumi like this.
Tanjirou found it hard to say and whispered.
"Yoizumi-nii... he smelled the alcohol from Kyoujurou's father and got drunk."
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