[Ding! Congratulations to the Host for completing the mission. Rewards have been issued; please check your inventory.]
As the System's notification chimed, Kazama Aoi felt a sudden wave of warmth wash over her eyes. When she opened them again, the world didn't look much different at first.
She stepped out of the Butterfly Estate into the silence of the courtyard. Squinting, she tried to focus her mind and scan her surroundings. It was then that she saw her—a transparent figure of a little girl in an old-fashioned kimono, crouching in the corner of the garden and watching her with curious eyes.
The girl didn't look sad; she possessed only the pure, unfiltered curiosity of a child.
Aoi's heart skipped a beat. She was seeing a ghost. Not the flesh-eating demons she was used to, but... a regular soul. She tried to offer the little girl a tentative smile.
Startled by the gesture, the girl let out a tiny "Eek!" before her figure dissolved into sparkles of light, vanishing into the air.
Aoi stood rooted to the spot for a long time. Eventually, the girl returned, and this time she brought a small crowd of similar spirits with her.
[Ding! New Hidden Mission Triggered: "Echoes of the Departed." Success Reward: One Mystery Blind Box.]
That reward... definitely fits the System's style. Entirely unpredictable.
Aoi pushed aside her inner turmoil and softened her expression. Her gaze settled on the little girl who had appeared first.
"Big sister, you can see us, can't you?"
Aoi nodded firmly, a gentle, sincere smile gracing her face. "Yes. I can see you."
The girl's face lit up with joy. "Then, can you help us, Miss?"
"Help you?" Aoi asked, tilting her head. "With what?"
A look of sorrow clouded the girl's face. She reached out to take the hand of a boy standing beside her. "Miss... we want to see Himejima-san one more time."
"Himejima-san?" Aoi paused. The name was familiar.
"The Stone Hashira, Gyomei Himejima," the girl explained. "We... we were the children he took in at the temple."
The Stone Hashira, Gyomei Himejima. The mountain of a man who was always draped in prayer beads, weeping as he prayed. Aoi had heard whispers of his past—a story of utter tragedy and bloodshed.
"Himejima-san was such a gentle person," the girl continued. "He looked after us like a father. Life at the temple was so quiet and happy. We thought it would stay that way forever."
"But one night, a demon broke in."
As she spoke, the girl's voice began to tremble. Behind her, the other spirits grew agitated, their forms flickering with remembered terror.
"That demon... it killed everyone. Himejima-san fought it until dawn to protect us. But afterward, people lied. They... they said he was the one who killed us!" The girl began to sob. Transparent tears rolled down her cheeks, only to evaporate into the air before they could fall.
"He didn't do anything! He fought that monster until the very end! He's so kind, so gentle... Why did they treat him like that?"
So that's why... Aoi thought. That's why he's always crying.
His tears weren't just for the children he lost; they were for the staggering ignorance and coldness of the people he had tried to save.
"Our hearts ache for him. We know he still carries this burden. He must feel so wronged, so much pain." The children looked up at Aoi, their eyes filled with pleading. "We want to tell him. we want him to know that we understand. We know he's innocent. We know he's our hero. We just want him to stop punishing himself for other people's stupidity."
"Miss, could you... could you please do this for us?"
Aoi looked at the circle of children. Their gaze held such pure trust and love that it was impossible to turn away.
"Okay. I promise. I'll make sure Himejima-san hears what you have to say."
After saying goodbye to the children, Aoi returned to her quarters to think. How was she supposed to pull this off?
If she just walked up to Gyomei Himejima and told him she could see his dead children, would he even believe her? He'd likely take her for a lunatic or a cruel prankster.
A vague idea began to take shape.
Himejima-san might be blind, but his other senses were preternaturally sharp. He perceived the world through scent, sound, and the "vibrations" of one's aura. Tanjiro could smell emotions; surely a Hashira could sense a specific "spirit," couldn't they?
No, that was too abstract. She needed a medium—something that could translate the children's love and memories into a tangible, perceivable form.
Her eyes drifted to a pot of herbs she had planted in the corner of her room. Plants... life... wood...
That's it!
A bold, ritualistic plan formed in her mind. She could use her Wood Breathing to cultivate a plant. Not just any plant, but one imbued with the children's thoughts. She could find a way to "engrave" their voices—their gratitude and encouragement—into the very life force of the plant.
Then, she would give it to him. When he touched it, his heightened senses might allow him to "hear" the echoes they left behind. It sounded far-fetched, but it was much more grounded and easier to accept than "I see ghosts." It would be a gift of comfort from nature itself.
Once her resolve was set, she returned to the courtyard. The spirits were still there, waiting in silence.
"Children," Aoi said, offering a confident smile. "I have a plan."
She explained the idea to them.
"Whoa! Himejima-san can hear us through a plant?" a girl named Sakura asked, her eyes wide with wonder.
"Can that actually work?" a slightly older boy asked tentatively.
"I don't know for sure," Aoi admitted, shaking her head. "But it's the best chance we have. I need you all to channel your memories and your love toward me. Together, we're going to grow something special for him."
"Okay!" they chirped in unison.
Aoi placed a wooden pot on the ground, resting her hands lightly over the soil. She closed her eyes.
"Wood Breathing, Fourth Form: Ivy's Embrace."
It was a technique she had begun to derive on her own. A soft, verdant light emanated from her palms, seeping into the earth.
"Now, children! Pour your feelings into this light!"
One by one, the children reached out, pressing their translucent palms against Aoi's hands. A flood of warm, pure emotion surged into her. This time, she didn't just feel it; she fused those emotions with the life energy of her Wood Breathing.
With painstaking care, she guided that energy deep into the soil. In her mind's eye, she saw the seeds beneath the surface spark to life. A tiny sprout broke through the dirt, growing at a visible pace.
The seedling was unlike anything she had seen. Its leaves were a soft, vibrant emerald, and the veins shimmered with a faint golden light, as if holding the essence of a sunset. It gave off a scent that was a mix of fresh rain and... the sound of children's laughter.
Most miraculously, when Aoi touched the leaves, she could clearly "hear" their whispers.
"Himejima-san, we miss you so much!""You aren't a murderer; you're our hero!""Please stop crying. We want you to be happy!"
It worked.
"Just wait," Aoi whispered. "I'm going to take your hearts right to him."