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"Is that so?" Kyōjurō pondered for a moment before nodding in understanding. "Hmm, then she must be with my father or brother!"
At that moment, Giyu Tomioka suddenly entered from the Butterfly Mansion's entrance.
Without glancing sideways or saying a word, he walked straight to the corridor, ignoring Kyōjurō beside him, and bowed directly to Kaito.
"Mr. Tomioka," Kaito greeted politely.
Giyu lifted his head, looking at Kaito as if he wanted to say something but hesitated, his expression caught between speaking and silence.
"Are you also here to ask about the souls of the departed, Mr. Tomioka?" Kaito asked proactively.
He had sensed both Sanemi and Giyu's presence earlier but chose not to point it out.
"Yes," Giyu replied, his hand unconsciously touching the patchwork haori he wore.
Kaito's gaze shifted to the empty space behind Giyu for a moment before he offered a polite smile. Then, with a serious tone, he asked, "Are you prepared to say goodbye to them?"
"Them?" Giyu froze, abruptly turning to look at the empty space behind him.
Kaito's voice continued, "Based on their introductions, they are your sister, Tsutako Tomioka, and your best friend, Sabito."
"…" Giyu opened his mouth but made no sound, standing there stunned, his eyes unfocused.
"This foolish Giyu, there's really no helping him," a figure clad in red, Tsutako Tomioka, said with an apologetic smile toward Kaito in a vision only he could see.
"Sister Tsutako's right—what a troublesome guy," a boy with a scarred face, wearing a mask and a tortoise-shell patterned haori, chimed in.
"This won't do," the boy named Sabito said, turning to face Kaito. "Sir, please let us see him."
"Are you certain? Once you meet him, you must proceed to the Underworld," Kaito asked.
"Yes," both nodded in unison.
The sight of Kaito speaking to empty air instantly drew everyone's attention.
He nodded and tossed out two small paper figures.
The paper figures hovered in the air, emitting a bright light. When everyone closed and reopened their eyes, the forms of Tsutako Tomioka and Sabito appeared before them.
"They're really here!" Kyōjurō exclaimed loudly, his eyes wide.
Sanemi, still at the corridor's corner, couldn't help but step forward.
"Sister, Sabito…" Giyu's eyes clearly reflected the two figures he had longed for. His face remained expressionless, but tears streamed down uncontrollably.
"You idiot!" Sabito strode forward, smacking Giyu's head to one side.
"I'm sorry," Giyu mumbled, his head tilted.
"Why are you apologizing?!" Sabito, growing angrier, smacked him again.
Giyu opened his mouth, finally saying, "I'm different from you."
"You still can't talk properly!" Sabito smacked him once more, shouting, "It's because you're like this that nobody likes you in the Demon Slayer Corps!"
Giyu turned to Sabito, earnestly declaring, "I'm not disliked by everyone!"
"…" At that moment, everyone present fell silent, looking at Giyu with complicated expressions.
"Hey, hey, hey…" Sanemi broke the silence. "You really have no self-awareness, do you?!"
"?!" Giyu looked up at him, shocked.
"Hahahahaha!" Kyōjurō burst into laughter.
After laughing, he nodded seriously and said loudly to Giyu, "Tomioka, your personality may be annoying, but as long as a Pillar can slay demons, that's all that matters. Don't worry about the rest!"
Hey! Are you comforting him or insulting him?! Can't you see he's turned completely gray?!
"Hahaha…" The onlookers inwardly groaned at Kyōjurō's booming laughter.
Tsutako and Sabito simultaneously covered their faces.
Giyu, however, stubbornly pressed on, shouting at Sabito, "I'm really not like you! You were the perfect candidate for Water Pillar. During the selection, I did nothing—it was you who saved my life!"
Tears streamed down his face again as he continued, "You sacrificed yourself to save everyone on Wisteria Mountain! I'm just a failure who stole the qualification!"
His gaze shifted to Tsutako.
"From the start, I only survived the demon attack because of my sister's protection. During the selection, I survived because of Sabito's protection. I'm not like everyone else! I'm the only one unqualified to be a Pillar!"
So that's how it is?
Sanemi and Kyōjurō's expressions shifted.
Who would've thought that Giyu, always arrogantly saying "I'm different from you all" and keeping to himself, harbored such opposite feelings?
What a terrible communicator!
Sanemi's face twisted in frustration.
"Hahahaha!" Kyōjurō laughed again.
"What nonsense are you spouting, Tomioka?! Even if you didn't meet the selection standards, you became a Pillar through your own strength, recognized by Lord Ubuyashiki and all of us!" Kyōjurō bellowed.
"Exactly, you idiot!" Sanemi snarled. "If you look down on yourself, where does that leave those of us who acknowledge your strength and stand with you?!"
"Got that?!" Sabito grabbed Giyu's shoulders, forcing him to meet his gaze.
"Tomioka Giyu, listen up! Saving people was my choice, and I've never regretted it! Becoming the Water Pillar was your own effort—it has nothing to do with me! Stand tall and be a man, you fool!" Sabito shouted, then stepped back.
"Giyu," Tsutako stepped forward, gently stroking her brother's face. "You've grown so much—taller than me now."
Giyu, expressionless, bent down, letting his sister pat his head as she did when he was a child.
"I'm so happy, Giyu, that you grew up safely. I'm proud that you've become a strong warrior, saving so many from demons," she said with a gentle smile.
"Though I regret not marrying my fiancé, I have no regrets about shielding you back then."
"It's time for us to go," Tsutako said, stepping back to join Sabito in the Gate of the Underworld, visible only to Kaito.
"Tomioka Giyu!" Sabito shouted before vanishing. "I originally planned to stay with Master Urokodaki until the end! I only came here because I was worried about you, you idiot! Pull yourself together from now on!"
Their figures grew transparent, fading away, leaving only tattered paper figures spinning to the ground.
"Giyu, keep going! Don't come to the Underworld to see me too soon!" Tsutako's voice echoed.
"Keep fighting! Slay those demons!" Sabito's voice followed, fading into the distance.
"I will," Giyu said softly, head lowered.