Facing Kaigaku's interrogation from behind, Zenitsu still had his back to him, only subconsciously tightening his fist and speaking in a low voice:
"The one who truly wants to flee is actually you, senior brother, right?"
"What did you say?"
As if completely unexpected that his timid and cowardly junior brother would say such words, Kaigaku's expression froze.
"Senior brother, who in the past never wanted to speak with me, suddenly came up to ask me these questions the moment you saw me leaving...
Saying that I want to flee, but the one who truly wants to flee should be you, senior brother, right?"
Still with his back to him, Zenitsu replied with his head lowered.
"Tanjiro is a very good person—sincere, kind, with a firm heart.
Even facing a timid waste like me, he would seriously communicate and care about me. He is my best friend.
Senior brother guessed correctly—the chances of us winning this final battle are very slim.
But even so, Tanjiro still decided to stay. Even with so many family members, he still decided to fight together with everyone until the very end... It is precisely because of this that I must leave."
Tears fell from the corner of his eyes. Zenitsu gripped his Nichirin Blade tightly, speaking word by word with that deep voice:
"I am weak. I have always been this way. Even if I stay in the Demon Slayer Corps, I definitely won't be able to help with anything in the end.
As a friend, the only thing I can do now is to take care of Tanjiro's family in his place, letting him fight without any worries, without any concerns... and die together with everyone."
After his words fell, Zenitsu stopped no longer. Carrying his luggage, he quickly left and soon disappeared from Kaigaku's sight.
"..."
"Genya, you really don't want to leave?"
Similarly on the other side of the headquarters dormitory, Sanemi Shinazugawa was sitting on the steps, wiping his Nichirin Blade.
Beside him was his younger brother, Genya Shinazugawa.
"I'm not leaving."
Regarding his elder brother's sudden question, Genya shook his head, very firm.
"I want to fight together with you, brother, until the very end."
"Ha..."
Hearing this, Sanemi Shinazugawa suddenly laughed.
"Genya, do you know what I'm thinking in my heart right now?"
"What are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking—if I break both your arms and legs right now, then beat you half to death, would that force you to leave the Demon Slayer Corps?"
"Brother?!"
Sanemi Shinazugawa could indeed do such a thing.
Regarding Genya—his only blood relative in this world—of course he cared, and cared very much, even somewhat domineeringly.
In his view, it was fine for himself to stay in the Demon Slayer Corps to fight, but not for Genya.
A waste who couldn't even learn Breathing Techniques, with a strange set of teeth, relying only on that temporary power obtained from devouring demon flesh to fight, constantly hovering on the boundary between demon and human.
Honestly, no matter how Sanemi Shinazugawa looked at it, his younger brother just looked like he was going to die.
That was why he wanted Genya to leave the Demon Slayer Corps, and had always been working toward this.
Genya joining the Demon Slayer Corps was completely unexpected and accidental.
In the past, every time he privately met with Genya, Sanemi Shinazugawa would either ignore him, deliberately treating him coldly, or use vicious language to crazily insult and belittle him.
Trying every possible method to attack this younger brother of his, wanting to force Genya to leave the Demon Slayer Corps in despair.
But ultimately, all of this had no effect.
As if triggering some rebellious psychology—the more he deliberately targeted him, the more Genya wanted to stay in the Demon Slayer Corps, determined to prove his strength to him.
Time passed until today, and Sanemi Shinazugawa was completely out of options.
He was even seriously considering whether he should just beat his younger brother into a cripple and directly kick him out of the Demon Slayer Corps.
Yes, as long as it could let Genya survive, he didn't care even if he became disabled.
"Shinazugawa, as an elder brother, these are not words you should say to your younger brother."
Behind the two brothers, Muichiro Tokito suddenly appeared, speaking in a deep voice.
"Muichiro, walk with some sound next time. If you sneak up behind me like this again, be careful I split your head with one strike."
Putting away his Nichirin Blade, Sanemi Shinazugawa turned to look at him and asked:
"So, suddenly lecturing me—what, you have a brother too?"
"I don't know. I have no memories of the past."
Sitting down beside the two brothers, Muichiro lowered his head.
Muichiro's "Mu" was the "Mu" of having no memories.
The furthest memory he could recall to this day was the moment he first opened his eyes in the Demon Slayer Corps.
All memories before this—his origins, his family, his relatives, what kind of past he had... Muichiro knew nothing of them.
After waking, he only felt a rage in his heart—rage toward demons.
Driven by this rage, Muichiro accepted Master's invitation and officially joined the Demon Slayer Corps.
Until today, Muichiro still didn't know his past.
He only knew that Master said he was a descendant of the original Breathing Technique swordsmen, and that it was also Master's wife who brought him back from outside.
But combined with that intense rage toward demons in his heart, without even asking, Muichiro knew that his family must have died at the hands of demons in the past, and his amnesia was likely related to this.
"You don't even know and you're still pointing fingers here? Come! If you're free with nothing to do, spar with me for a couple more rounds!"
Not responding to Sanemi Shinazugawa's habitual biting words, Muichiro simply lowered his head and replied:
"I just feel that as brothers, they should love and care for each other."
"Which eye of yours saw that I don't care for him?! It's this idiot himself who has no strength yet still wants to stay here and die! I just want him to survive, that's why I'm telling him to get lost!"
"I-I have strength!"
Instantly flushing red, Genya couldn't help defending himself:
"I can become stronger by eating demon flesh! During battle, as long as you let me eat the flesh of those Upper Rank demons, I can also become very very strong!
Perhaps... I can even use their Blood Demon Arts!"
"Alright alright, yes yes yes. Let's not talk about other things for now. Idiot, you first tell me—how am I supposed to get you Upper Rank demon flesh to eat during battle?
You think this is going to a butcher shop to buy meat, where you call out to them and they'll share some with you?"
"I-I can just quietly hide around you, brother, when the time comes. As long as you cut off their flesh, I can immediately..."
"Forget it. With your heavy breathing that even a deaf person could hear, and you still want to quietly hide... Get lost already!"
Amidst the quarreling voices of these two brothers, Muichiro slowly stood up and turned to leave.
[Feeling somewhat irritated...]
He didn't know why either. He was clearly just passing by, but somehow, when hearing these two brothers arguing, he suddenly very much wanted to step in and stop them...
Could it be... he really had an elder brother in the past?