Holding an umbrella, Shinobu Kocho listened to the steady patter of rain striking its surface.
Her gaze rested on Tanjiro Kamado, who still stood silently before the massive boulder.
The rain had grown heavier, yet Tanjiro showed no intention of taking shelter. During this time, his mother and younger siblings had come by several times, only to be stopped by Soma each time.
The rain poured relentlessly. Tanjiro's clothes were already completely soaked, his hair plastered messily against his face.
"Does he truly believe he can smell something as ridiculous as an 'Opening Thread'?" Shinobu murmured to herself, unconvinced.
She knew Tanjiro had an exceptionally keen sense of smell—but something as vague and intangible as that? It sounded absurd.
Does he really trust that man's words that much?
What surprised her even more was just how deeply Tanjiro trusted Soma. At the very least, if Soma had told her to rely on something like "Opening Thread," she wouldn't have believed it for a second.
And sure enough, things were unfolding exactly as she had expected.
Even now, Tanjiro had yet to sense anything resembling that supposed thread.
"Pointless… just suffering in the rain for nothing," she muttered, feeling a hint of disdain at what she saw as foolish behavior.
Had Tanjiro completely abandoned his own judgment?
This was clearly something vague and unproven. She had never heard of anyone being able to "smell" such a thing.
Was no one going to question it?
"Honestly… does he really believe everything that man says?"
Soma's tall figure surfaced in her mind unbidden. She immediately shook her head.
"If it were me, I'd never do something so foolish."
In Shinobu's view, Tanjiro would probably persist for a day or two at most. Once nothing came of it, he would surely give up.
…
But as the days passed—
Tanjiro continued to return to the boulder, standing before it as though entranced, staring at it in silence.
Neither his mother nor his younger siblings—Nezuko Kamado included—tried to stop him. Though they were clearly worried, they allowed him to continue.
"Is no one really going to stop this… this nearly foolish behavior?"
Standing by the window, Shinobu watched Tanjiro's unmoving figure beside the boulder.
"Do they really trust one person that much?"
She found it hard to believe. Her gaze shifted to Soma, who was currently guiding the only boy who had successfully learned Sun Breathing. Everyone seemed to listen to him without question, trusting his words completely.
That kind of trust stirred a familiar image in her mind—
Kagaya Ubuyashiki, the Master of the Demon Slayer Corps.
Though Kagaya possessed no combat ability, everyone trusted him wholeheartedly and was willing to follow his words without hesitation.
Despite his illness leaving his appearance frightening, no one feared him. Instead, every swordsman felt a deep sense of warmth and closeness in his presence.
Shinobu recalled the first time she had met him.
His voice had been soft—light, almost airy—but when it reached her ears, it felt soothing, calming. Her mood had lifted without her even realizing it, as though a gentle breeze had brushed across her face.
Every member of the Demon Slayer Corps respected him from the depths of their heart.
And now… from Soma, Shinobu faintly sensed something similar.
The longer one stayed by his side, the more natural and comfortable it felt.
…Could someone who casually spoke ill of others behind their backs really possess such a quality?
She instinctively shook her head again.
And yet, deep down, she knew it was true—he had a strangely compelling presence. People were naturally drawn to him. They liked him.
But still—
He was clearly someone who liked to badmouth others!
Clearly…!
"Clang!"
The sudden sound of a blade being drawn snapped Shinobu out of her thoughts, causing her to lift her head abruptly.
The boy who had stood before the massive boulder like one possessed—Tanjiro Kamado—suddenly moved.
His eyes remained closed, his breathing steady, as though he were immersing himself completely in the rhythm of it. Then, without hesitation, he swung his Nichirin Sword at the boulder for the first time.
"Clang!"
A metallic impact rang out as the blade struck stone, sending sparks scattering in all directions.
"Heh..."
Shinobu Kocho let out a faint, mocking laugh. "And here I thought he might actually cut it… but it's just the same as before."
"How could it be possible?" she muttered under her breath. "To 'smell' some so-called 'Opening Thread,' and then—despite lacking the strength and speed—cut through something far beyond your ability?"
It was naïve.
Or perhaps simply the recklessness of youth—placing too much faith in others.
There was no way such an intangible thing could truly be sensed.
"Give it a few more tries. When he fails again and again, he'll realize just how foolish those words were," she murmured quietly.
But Tanjiro, still with his eyes closed, continued to breathe, to sense—following that faint, elusive feeling as he swung his blade once more.
Again.
And again.
Each strike landed against the massive stone.
Each one ended in failure.
Yet somewhere, deep within that repeated effort, something began to take shape.
It was as if a web—thin, intricate, and nearly invisible—was slowly spreading across the surface of the boulder, its threads stretching in every direction.
"This is it..."
Sensing it clearly at last, Tanjiro's eyes snapped open.
At that moment, they shone with a brilliant clarity.
"I've found it…!"
His shout rang out across the mountain, so sudden and powerful that it startled nearby birds into flight, sending them circling through the rain-filled sky.
And in that instant—
Tanjiro raised his Nichirin Sword.
The edge of the sword cut through the air and descended upon the stone.
With his current strength, he should not have been able to cleave such a massive, solid rock. It should have ended just like all the previous attempts.
But this time, the blade seemed impossibly sharp, tracing along a nearly imperceptible line running through the boulder.
BOOM!
A shattering sound erupted.
The giant boulder was cleanly split in two.
"I… I did it…"
Tanjiro stood there, gripping his sword tightly, staring blankly at the divided stone before him. His voice trembled as emotion welled up inside him.
"Sir… I really did it. I really… truly sensed that 'Opening Thread'!"
Even now, he could hardly believe it himself.
In truth, his faith had wavered over the past few days.
But in the end, he had chosen to believe—in Soma's words, and in himself.
…
Standing by the window, Shinobu stared at the scene in stunned silence, her lips slightly parted in disbelief.
She had examined that boulder herself. It was incredibly solid. She had even tried to cut it—and failed completely.
Not only had she judged it impossible for Tanjiro, but even Sakonji Urokodaki had reached the same conclusion.
And yet—
It had been split apart.
Unbelievable.
Without thinking, Shinobu rushed outside. She soon spotted Soma, who had just finished guiding the boy training in Sun Breathing and was now calmly combing Kanao Tsuyuri's hair.
When he noticed her approaching, he lifted his head slightly, looking at her with mild confusion.
"H-he did it… Tanjiro… Tanjiro split the boulder," she said, her voice tinged with astonishment.
"Oh."
The response she received was utterly calm.
"Tanjiro… he split that massive boulder." Shinobu Kocho repeated herself, thinking the man hadn't heard clearly—or perhaps hadn't grasped the significance of what she was saying.
Shouldn't he be excited? Shouldn't he at least feel a flicker of astonishment?
This was something incredible.
"Mm."
The reply came again—calm, almost indifferent.
"…Didn't you hear me properly?" Shinobu finally couldn't hold back.
"I heard you."
Soma finished combing Kanao Tsuyuri's hair before lifting his head to look at her. His tone remained as steady as ever.
"Tanjiro split the boulder."
"…Aren't you surprised?"
"That's something Tanjiro was always capable of."
"What's there to be surprised about?"
Shinobu fell silent.
Under his puzzled gaze, she suddenly felt as though she were making a fuss over nothing—like a fool making a spectacle of herself.
The feeling was eerily familiar.
It reminded her of a few days ago, when she had overestimated herself and challenged him—only to be utterly defeated, left standing there in quiet humiliation.
"I… I wasn't surprised either," she said quickly, turning her back to him.
From beneath her hair, the delicate curve of her ear had already begun to flush red, like the soft glow of sunset clouds. Bit by bit, that warmth spread, blooming across her refined features.
It felt as though, in all her life, she had never experienced as much embarrassment as she had in front of this man.
"I… I wasn't surprised at all," she added in a quieter voice.
"Mm."
The careless response came without a hint of concern.
By the time Shinobu turned back, Soma had already taken Kanao's hand and walked away, leaving her with nothing but his retreating figure.
She stood there, watching him disappear into the distance.
A thought slowly surfaced in her mind—
Was he truly that certain Tanjiro could cut through the boulder?
Why was he so sure?
Could he really feel no surprise at all?
And just how had he determined that Tanjiro Kamado would be able to sense something as elusive as that so-called "Opening Thread"?
For a moment, she hesitated.
Should she… ask him?
Ask him how to overcome her own physical limitations—how to make up for her lack of strength and slay demons more efficiently?
Would he even tell her?
After all, she had spoken harshly to him more than once. In his eyes, did she seem like an unreasonable woman? Did he already have a poor impression of her?
One thought led to another, and soon her mind was tangled in a mess of restless emotions.
Ever since her parents had been killed by demons, her heart had been filled almost entirely with hatred.
It had been a long time since she had felt anything this chaotic.
And now—
Shinobu Kocho suddenly realized just how unsettled she felt.
...
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