Although he had eaten with Rengoku Kyojuro before, Rengoku had only eaten fewer than ten bowls at the time. Now, just the bowls stacked on the table alone numbered more than twenty.
Kazuki walked a little closer and spoke again, "Rengoku-sensei, I passed the Final Selection."
"DE-LI-CIOUS!!!"
Rengoku suddenly turned his head and shouted, startling Kazuki.
After a while, Rengoku finally finished eating. Kazuki then told him everything that had happened during the Final Selection.
"Mm! Very impressive!" Rengoku said enthusiastically after listening.
"From now on, you're officially a member of the Demon Slayer Corps as well! Let's keep working hard together!"
"Yes!" Kazuki replied respectfully.
"By the way, I'm heading home today," Rengoku said after they finished talking about the Final Selection. "Would you like to come along, Kazuki?"
"Huh? Is that okay?" Kazuki asked, momentarily stunned.
"Of course! Come to think of it, my previous tsuguko visited my home a few times as well," Rengoku replied.
The former tsuguko he referred to was the current Love Hashira, Kanroji Mitsuri.
"Then… alright," Kazuki agreed.
On a lively street, Kazuki followed Rengoku at an easy pace. When they passed a kimono shop, Rengoku suddenly stopped and walked inside. Kazuki followed him in.
Glancing at the price tags, Kazuki couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Some of the clothes here cost more than he could earn from gathering herbs in the mountains for an entire year.
He was still wearing the clothes his mother had made for him. It had already been two years, and as he had grown taller, the garment no longer fit very well.
"If either of you sees something you like, please feel free to try it on," the shop attendant said with a smile.
"Mm. Take a look and see what you like, Kazuki," Rengoku responded, then turned to him.
"Huh? Me?" Kazuki didn't react at first. Once he understood, he waved his hands repeatedly.
"No, it's fine. The clothes I'm wearing are still usable, and everything here is too expensive…"
"Try this one," Rengoku said, seemingly ignoring his refusal, and handed him a white kimono.
"Well…" Unable to decline, Kazuki took it and tried it on.
His long black hair was tied into a high ponytail. His features were sharp and composed. Dressed in white, with the flame-shaped mark on his forehead adding an air of mystery—
He looked every bit like a refined swordsman.
"Very nice. You look much more spirited now. Let's take this one," Rengoku said after a glance, then pulled out money and paid the shop owner.
"Rengoku-sensei…" Kazuki opened his mouth, stunned. He hadn't expected Rengoku to buy clothes for him.
"Consider it a gift to celebrate you passing the Final Selection," Rengoku said with a smile, patting Kazuki on the head.
"Keep it up."
A warmth he couldn't quite describe wrapped around Kazuki—like the sudden appearance of the sun on a freezing night, driving away darkness and cold, bringing light and warmth to the world.
His nose tingled slightly.
From Rengoku, he felt something he had never experienced before. What was it, exactly?
A teacher? An older brother? A father? A senior?
Perhaps… all of them.
—
At the Rengoku Estate
Following Rengoku, Kazuki arrived at the gate. Inside the courtyard, a boy who looked strikingly similar to Rengoku was sweeping.
When he saw Rengoku, the boy ran over happily.
So this is Rengoku-sensei's younger brother… They really do look alike, Kazuki thought.
"You've grown taller again, Senjuro. How have things been?" Rengoku asked with a smile.
At those words, Senjuro lowered his head, looking dejected.
"I still can't learn the sword techniques you teach me, Brother," he said gloomily.
"I think I'm just not suited to becoming a swordsman. I'm really bad at this."
"It's alright. There's no need to be upset," Rengoku said, patting Senjuro on the shoulder.
"Everyone has things they're not good at. Walk the path you believe is right. As your older brother, I'll always support you."
Hearing this, Senjuro lifted his head, the gloom on his face gone.
After chatting for a bit, Rengoku introduced Kazuki and Senjuro to each other.
"This is my tsuguko, Kazuki. And this is my younger brother, Senjuro."
The two greeted each other, then all three entered the estate together.
The moment they stepped inside, a bearded, disheveled middle-aged man carrying a sake flask walked out.
"Father," Rengoku greeted respectfully.
"Still doing that foolish demon-slaying nonsense?" Rengoku Shinjuro scoffed after glancing at him.
"Utterly boring."
After saying that, he turned to head out to buy more alcohol.
Shinjuro's words made Kazuki feel uncomfortable, but since he was Rengoku's father, Kazuki said nothing.
As Shinjuro was about to leave, his gaze suddenly fell on the mark on Kazuki's forehead. He froze for a moment, then let out a hollow laugh.
"Heh… so what if the mark has appeared?" he said in a dispirited tone.
"It's all meaningless in the end. You'll just end up a short-lived fool."
With that, he staggered out the door.
For some reason, Kazuki sensed a deep loneliness in his voice. The mention of the mark, however, left Kazuki confused.
"Rengoku-sensei…" Kazuki glanced at him with concern. Having one's path denied by family must be incredibly painful. As for the comment about being short-lived, he didn't really mind it.
Rengoku looked calm, as if he had long grown used to it. He simply watched Shinjuro's retreating figure with a trace of concern.
Kazuki stayed for lunch at the Rengoku household. After lunch, Rengoku received a mission via his Kasugai Crow. Since Kazuki's Nichirin Blade hadn't been forged yet, he couldn't accompany him this time.
Returning alone to the Demon Slayer Corps estate, Kazuki ran into a familiar face just outside—the cockscomb-haired boy from the Final Selection.
The boy noticed him, snorted coldly, and turned away. Kazuki gave up on greeting him.
Ten days later, a man wearing a straw hat and a Hannya-style mask sought Kazuki out.
"I am a swordsmith from the Swordsmith Village, Tetsumaru-yama," the man said.
"I have come under orders to deliver the newly forged Nichirin Blade to the swordsman Kazuki."
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