The time that followed seemed to hit an acceleration button, everyone was frantically squeezing their time, and in just one month, Kyojuro Rengoku, Iguro Obanai, and Uzui Tengen successively awakened their Marks.
Among the Demon Slayer Corps' Ten Pillars, only Giyu Tomioka, Gyomei Himejima, and Shinobu had yet to awaken their Marks.
"Five ants!"
Inside a noodle shop, Yoizumi, Kyoujurou, and Tengen sat side by side, each with a steaming bowl of tonkotsu ramen in front of them.
Kyoujurou's occasional loud praises didn't cause other customers in the shop to look at him differently; for the shop owner, this was the best compliment.
The owner, a middle-aged man, quietly glanced at Kyoujurou, then wiped the sweat from his face with the white towel draped over his shoulder.
Half a month ago, he held an eating contest.
The champion who ate the most bowls of ramen would receive the right to eat ramen for free for life.
He never imagined in his life that on that day, he would encounter two people who almost ate him out of business.
A seemingly delicate girl and this man in front of him, who didn't look like he could eat much.
They actually ate from the afternoon until closing time.
If it weren't for all the ingredients in the shop being used up, forcing them to stop, they would have still wanted more!
Even in the end, they couldn't determine a winner.
Mountains of stacked bowls, employees washing dishes so fast they were a blur, himself almost collapsing from cooking noodles, and his wife's hands aching from chopping vegetables.
The owner stated that he didn't want to experience a second time; they even closed for three days to recover.
He didn't expect to encounter them again today, but the friend they brought this time didn't look like an big eater... Yoizumi, who looked thin and ate noodles slowly, and Uzui Tengen, who never gave up talking to Yoizumi.
"No way, you really can't drink a drop of alcohol?"
Uzui Tengen held a sake cup in his left hand, even exaggeratedly fanning the air with his hand to see if Yoizumi would get drunk just by smelling alcohol, as Kyoujurou had said.
Yoizumi's sapphire eyes were focused on his almost empty bowl, he ate the last mouthful of noodles and placed his chopsticks flat on the bowl.
He gave an exasperated look at Uzui Tengen, who was still restless despite Kyoujurou being between them. Kyojuro, positioned between the two, remained completely unaffected, heartily drinking all the noodle soup, and the porcelain bowl made a crisp sound as it landed on the wooden table.
"Mmm! I still remember what happened that day! Hahahahaha!"
Yoizumi remained silent, merely holding his breath.
As for why he was with the two of them, it had to start from last night.
Yoizumi, as usual, went to find Kochou at night. This month, Kochou was exceptionally busy; often, Yoizumi would wait in the room until late at night before Kochou returned, exhausted.
But he couldn't do anything for Kochou, he could only use Blood Demon Art: Rotation to dispel Kochou's fatigue.
At first, Kochou would disapprovingly tap his head, until Yoizumi said.
"Kochou is very tired, and I can't help Kochou with research."
"Kochou needs enough energy to research medicine to fight Muzan and suppress the Mark."
"So I hope Kochou is well, not only for Kochou's body but also for everyone in the Demon Slayer Corps."
Last night, Yoizumi held Kochou and told her about the day's events.
This month, Yoizumi almost daily sparred with several Pillars; Kyoujurou and Tengen occasionally joined in.
"Uzui wants to invite me to dinner; he said his wives cook very well."
"Uzui?" Shinobu leaned on Yoizumi's shoulder, her originally relaxed expression suddenly becoming alert. There was no way around it, this was Uzui Tengen; she couldn't help but be wary.
This person was too unreliable; who knew if he would say strange things to Yoizumi.
Poking Yoizumi's cheek with her finger, Shinobu propped her head with one hand and said, annoyed.
"Then does Yoizumi want to eat his wife's cooking?"
Speaking of which, Yoizumi hadn't even eaten her cooking yet.
"Ah? No." He didn't need to eat ordinary food; such things were dispensable to him.
Did he look like a glutton?
Poking Yoizumi's chest repeatedly, under Yoizumi's puzzled gaze, Shinobu slowly squeezed into Yoizumi's arms.
Once she finished her current tasks, she would definitely let Yoizumi taste her cooking.
He rubbed his chin against Kochou's soft hair, then lifted his hand to tuck her slightly disheveled hair behind her ear.
"Oh, and Kyoujurou and Uzui have also awakened their Marks."
After a long while, Yoizumi thought Kochou had fallen asleep when he heard her almost inaudible sigh.
"If Mr. Uzui still invites you to dinner, and if Mr. Rengoku is with you, Yoizumi can go along."
"Hmm." Yoizumi didn't know why Kochou suddenly changed her mind, but he still nodded in agreement.
Mr. Uzui is already 23 years old, and swordsmen who awaken the Mark don't live past 25... which means if she and Tamayo can't develop a medicine to suppress the side effects of the Mark within two years, Uzui Tengen's fate can only be one of two things.
Dying in battle...
Dying from the Mark... Moreover, they don't even have two years; Mr. Himejima is already 27, and once he awakens it, it will be a dead end.
Shinobu certainly didn't want Mr. Himejima to die; he saved her and her sister, not only was he their savior, he also raised them.
She hugged Yoizumi tightly, pressing herself even closer.
In Shinobu's downcast eyes, there was deep solemnity. Yoizumi seemed to sense Kochou's unease.
He turned sideways, put his arm around Kochou's shoulder, gently patted her back, and spoke with encouragement.
"It's Kochou, there's no problem."
"Kochou has always relied on herself to get through."
"Kochou must believe in herself."
"I will always be by Kochou's side."
Pressed against Yoizumi's chest, her ear heard her lover's strong heartbeat.
Again and again, each beat always brought strength to Shinobu.
Slowly closing her eyes, Shinobu spoke softly.
"Yoizumi, you must get along well with your friends."
Back to the present.
Yoizumi stared at the jovially laughing Kyoujurou and the mischievous-looking Uzui Tengen.
He slightly tilted his head to look outside; the afternoon sun was strong, and the wind blowing in was somewhat dry and hot.
Yoizumi picked up the water glass beside him and took a sip.
A hint of a smile flickered in his sapphire eyes.
Friends...
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