Kamishiro Amane sat on the steps at the hospital entrance, staring blankly with a pack of cigarettes in his hand. Finally, unable to hold back, he picked up Naoya's lighter and lit a cigarette.
He started coughing almost immediately.
"I really don't even know how to smoke."
With that, he stubbed out the cigarette.
Maigo looked at Kamishiro Amane's back and asked, "We should still go face this. Otherwise, there's no way to give them closure."
Kamishiro Amane stood up, holding the inheritance money Naoya had left for his parents, and walked into the hospital.
He stood outside Naoya's father's hospital room, still torn over how to break the news of Naoya's death to his parents.
Inside, Naoya's mother was peeling an apple, chattering away.
"Old man, when are you going to wake up and look at our Naoya? Our boy Naoya has grown up to be such a handsome young man."
Through the glass of the door, Kamishiro Amane could not bear to tell them the truth. But reality was right there in front of him.
He knocked lightly on the door, then pushed it open and walked in.
"Hello, I'm a friend of Jiro Naoya. He asked me to bring all of this money to you."
Tears welling in her eyes, Naoya's mother excitedly invited Kamishiro Amane over to have some fruit.
"Old man! Our Naoya is doing well for himself! Naoya brought back so much money!"
"Where is Naoya working anyway? Whenever we asked him before, he never said."
Caught off guard by the sudden questions, Kamishiro Amane had no idea how to respond. Maigo stepped in and answered first.
"He's going away for an overseas job, so he might not be back for a while."
"That boy Naoya has been so obedient and filial since he was little. But ever since his father got into that car accident, Naoya had to drop out of school early and go to work. I suppose all that hardship has finally paid off."
"Before long, he'll even be able to find himself a pretty girl."
Both Kamishiro Amane and Maigo chose to keep the truth to themselves.
"We still have work to do, so we must be leaving. Please excuse us."
Naoya's mother picked up the fruit tray.
"Have a few pieces of apple before you go."
"No, no, thank you."
Through the glass, Kamishiro Amane watched Naoya's mother telling his father, who lay in the hospital bed, about what had just happened.
"I really didn't dare tell them the truth. I've deceived them."
The two of them walked out of the hospital to find Hideharu waiting for them.
"Kamishiro Amane, we need you."
Kamishiro Amane froze in place.
"Need me? I'll just go back to work like I did yesterday."
"No, Kamishiro Amane, what I mean is that I'm inviting you to join the Demon Slayer Corps as an official member."
"Now that man-eating demons are suddenly appearing, I can't always respond in time. I'm constantly trying to stop tragedies from happening, but I'm still always a step too late. That's why we need you to join us."
Kamishiro Amane had no idea what Hideharu was talking about; he only felt that he was completely useless.
"Forget it. I don't know what this Demon Slayer Corps is you keep talking about. I'm just an ordinary person."
With a troubled expression, Kamishiro Amane had no idea where to go from there and no plans for the future.
"Kamishiro Amane, we will take care of your living arrangements if you join the Demon Slayer Corps, so you don't need to worry about that. You are already a member of the Kakushi division, which makes you part of the Demon Slayer Corps, and I want to promote you to an official member."
"Like you? How could I possibly have what it takes to eliminate man-eating demons?"
Kamishiro Amane looked utterly dejected.
"We will train you and give you those same abilities. We truly need you to join us."
Kamishiro Amane turned to leave, but as he took his first step, he stopped.
His brother's whereabouts unknown, a neighbor's child crying in helplessness, Naoya's death—these feelings made every step forward feel impossible. He turned his head back to look at Maigo.
*(Kamishiro Amane, are you running away? But I'm really too weak. Can someone like me actually do this?)*
Kamishiro Amane turned around, let out a breath, and his expression turned serious.
"Alright then, I'll join you. But you must take care of Naoya's family."
Hideharu nodded.
"On behalf of the Demon Slayer Corps, I have your word. Now, I'm going to take you to meet the head of the family, Nijio Ran."
The three of them arrived together at an estate. Wisteria flowers were planted extensively on the back mountain, and upon entering the interior of the estate, they saw a woman lying on a sofa, half-asleep, with a laptop on the table still left open.
"I'm terribly sorry. The head of the family has been dealing with an enormous workload lately and has very little time to rest."
Hideharu gave an awkward smile.
"Let me show you around the neighborhood first so you can get familiar with the place."
Kamishiro Amane was deeply captivated by the surroundings. Having worked in a bakery all this time, when had he ever seen such sights? Maigo's reaction was much the same.
"Creating an environment and interior design like this must have cost a fortune!"
Hideharu turned back and said, "Nijio Ran possesses far more than just this. I'll take you to see the others another day."
Entering the indoor library, Kamishiro Amane gazed at the walls lined with books. Hideharu pulled a record book from the shelves and handed it to Kamishiro Amane.
"This contains records of the techniques for various Breathing Styles, as well as analytical data on demons."
Kamishiro Amane took the weathered record book and began to read through it.
"Miss Maigo, if we could step outside for a moment."
"Miss Maigo, because you possess Rare Blood, we must protect you."
"So you will have to bear with staying here."
Maigo's face lit up with excitement.
"Really?"
"Mommy! Mommy!"
A small girl ran over, and Hideharu scooped her up into her arms.
"Mommy?"
Maigo's eyes widened.
"You're already a mother?! But you look about the same age as... as Kamishiro Amane."
"May I be so bold as to ask how old Miss Hideharu is?"
"Thirty-four."
Maigo looked at Hideharu in disbelief.
"Thirty-four?! You've taken such good care of yourself! You honestly look like you just turned eighteen!"
"Mommy, this big sister is so weird."
Suddenly, a loud shout echoed from inside the library.
"You! How did you get into my house?! Who... who are you?"
Panicking, Kamishiro Amane looked left and right, completely at a loss.
"I'm terribly sorry, I was... invited into your home. I am truly, truly sorry."
Hideharu's timely appearance finally calmed the situation down.
"I apologize, Master. I was the one who invited him. You were fast asleep at the time, and I didn't want to disturb you, so I took it upon myself."
Hearing Hideharu's explanation, Nijio Ran let out a sigh of relief.
"So you're the one she mentioned to me yesterday! You scared me half to death; I thought a burglar had broken into the house."
Kamishiro Amane looked at Nijio Ran, thinking her demeanor did not match this villa at all—she even looked a bit sloppy.
"I'll leave those matters to you! I still have work to do, I'm going back to it!"
With a pivot, she grabbed her laptop and dashed into a room.
Kamishiro Amane was stunned by her speed for a moment.
"So... fast. Is she always like this?"
Hideharu nodded helplessly.
"Yes. Lately, the frequency of demon appearances has been constantly increasing, so the workload is growing too."
"The head of the family has been working herself to the bone over this demon problem. I keep telling her to get proper rest... perhaps it's because of him."
Kamishiro Amane fell into deep thought.
"There are two things I want to know. When I was reading this record, it felt more like a diary."
"And while reading it, the text stated that the Demon Slayer Corps was officially disbanded after Muzan Kibutsuji was defeated. So why are you still keeping up the traditions of the Demon Slayer Corps?"
"Secondly, shouldn't all the other demons have perished along with the elimination of Muzan Kibutsuji?"
Kamishiro Amane looked down at the notebook in his hands.
"As for that? I don't know very much myself. If you want to understand more, you should ask the head of the family."
"However, I've heard that Nijio Ran's ancestor was a Demon Slayer Corps member of Hashira rank. Her ancestor even defeated one of Muzan Kibutsuji's former Upper Ranks, and wasn't just a Hashira, but also a financial sponsor for the Demon Slayer Corps."
"So she's a descendant of the Demon Slayer Corps, then."
Hideharu's face fell with disappointment.
"That's right, the head of the family is indeed a descendant of the Demon Slayer Corps. But regrettably, she is unable to master a Breathing Style."
"It took me a full two years to master a Breathing Style, and since I'm a descendant of a Demon Slayer Corps member myself, I was already considered relatively fast."
"Kamishiro Amane, I believe your growth will surely surpass mine."
Meanwhile.
"Little sister, would you mind telling me a secret about your mommy?"
"What kind of secrets could my mommy possibly have?"
Maigo wanted to blurt something out, but hesitated, unsure of how to say it. Instead, she gave an awkward smile and asked, "Little sister, do you think this big sister's chest is a little small? Your mommy's chest is much bigger than mine."
The little girl pouted coquettishly.
"Big sister, you're just like that Tail-blue sister upstairs who hugs her computer all day. She wanted to know Mommy's secret before, too."
A blush of embarrassment crept across Maigo's face, and she squatted down to hide her face in her hands.
"Fine, I won't ask about your mommy then. Just... just pretend you didn't hear any of that."
"Wait! Did you just say there's a big sister upstairs using a computer? Is there Wi-Fi here?"
"There is Wi-Fi. Big sister, you really are so weird."
Maigo immediately pulled out her phone.
"Little sister, no more chatting for now, I need to let my family know I'm safe."
Back on the other side.
"Through your battles with demons, your body and mind may have already undergone a transformation."
Kamishiro Amane pondered this for a moment.
"A transformation? I only remember not having many thoughts at the time, other than wanting to defeat him quickly. To put it bluntly, just how to kill him. At that moment, I felt like I was turning into a completely different person."
"That is why I am going to have an expert come and help train you. He will definitely be able to help you."