A gentle breeze stirred the white hair at Mitsuyo's forehead.
His aged, gaunt face wore a serene smile as he stood quietly under the moonlight, a red-and-green Nichirin Blade held at his side.
Shinichi sat quietly by the pavilion, his heterochromatic eyes slightly unfocused.
The secret art of Forest Breathing, unleashed by the old man at the cost of his remaining life, had left him deeply shaken.
In that fleeting moment, within the emerald radiance, Shinichi hadn't just seen the old man's figure—he had glimpsed one Forest Breathing swordsman after another, all standing with blades drawn.
"The Far Shore River Styx... the River Styx's Far Shore. Rest well, old man," Shinichi murmured as he stood, gazing at Mitsuyo's body, its warmth slowly fading.
A sudden stinging sensation welled up in his eyes.
Shinichi instinctively reached up to wipe it away—only to find his fingertip stained with blood.
"Is this... a tear?"
Since his demon transformation, he had thought himself incapable of tears or sorrow.
Yet now, from his right eye, a single trail of bloody tears flowed.
"Mitsuyo-sama..."
The sorrowful voice of Ryukawa Chinatsu echoed from behind.
Shinichi turned to see that Ryukawa Chinatsu, Shinobu Kocho and the other Kakushi members had arrived in the small courtyard at some point.
Overwhelmed by grief, Ryukawa Chinatsu's legs had given way, and she would have collapsed if not for Shinobu supporting her.
All the Kakushi members bowed deeply in respect to the late Moriki Mitsuyo.
Caw! Caw!
The cries of Kasugai Crows rang out in the sky.
One by one, large Kasugai Crows with distinct appearances and personalities landed on the pavilion above Shinichi's head.
These were the crow companions of the Demon Slayer Corps' Hashiras.
Since their masters were occupied with their demon-slaying duties and couldn't personally come here, the crows came in their stead to bid farewell to Moriki Mitsuyo of the Moriki family.
The Demon Slayer Corps would forever remember the Moriki family's heroic history and great sacrifices.
"Rest in peace, Mitsuyo-sama."
....
Mitsuyo's funeral was simple—so simple that only Shinichi, Chinatsu, and Shinobu attended.
Maru-ni circled the freshly dug mound several times, sniffing it before letting out soft whimpers.
Together, Shinichi, Chinatsu, and Shinobu erected a tombstone for the old man.
Instead of an elaborate epitaph, it bore only a simple inscription.
"A man burdened by regret for half his life—Moriki Mitsuyo."
Though Mitsuyo had repeatedly claimed in his final days that he had found peace, the epitaph he left for himself revealed that this gentle old man had never truly forgiven himself for his past cowardice.
Recalling the old man's final words of comfort to him, Shinichi smiled sadly.
"You stubborn old man... Don't worry. I'll personally send the Upper Rank One to hell."
"Shinichi," Chinatsu said with reddened eyes before they left the Moriki estate.
"Don't forget what I told you. The Demon Slayer Corps can always turn to the Moriki Conglomerate for any assistance. I will do everything in my power to help you fulfill Mitsuyo-sama's wish—to eradicate all demons from this world."
Shinichi responded with a firm nod.
He wasn't the only one who would carry on Mitsuyo's legacy.
As he and Shinobu set off down the moonlit path leading away from the estate, Shinichi cast one last glance back.
Would he ever return?
This place no longer held any family for him.
In other words, the only place in this world he could call home was gone.
For a moment, Shinichi's gaze grew distant, lost in the shadows of the forest.
Without a place to belong, what was he in this world?
Suddenly, a warmth feeling bloomed against his cold skin.
Shinobu's hand, soft and hesitant, had slipped into his, her slender fingers lacing through his own.
It was a fragile anchor, yet it was enough to pull his drifting soul back from the abyss.
Shinichi looked down, his mismatched eyes meeting hers.
In the silvery moonlight, her violet irises were like deep, shimmering amethysts.
He saw nervousness there, a tremor on her lips, but beneath it burned a familiar, fierce determination—the same fire she carried into battle, now aimed directly at the walls around his heart.
"Shinichi-kun," she began, her voice a little stronger than he expected.
"Mitsuyo-san is gone... but you are not alone. Chinatsu-san, everyone in the Corps... we are all here for you. And..." Her voice faltered, dropping to a near-whisper as a blush crept up her neck.
Shinichi felt his own breath catch, his grip on her hand tightening unconsciously.
He was terrified of what she might say and yet, he yearned to hear it more than anything.
Shinobu took a shaky breath, her gaze unwavering.
"And me," she whispered, the words carrying the weight of a thousand unspoken feelings.
"If you feel that you have no home left... then... let me be your home, Shinichi-kun. Let us build a place to belong... together."
The words struck him with the force of a physical blow, shattering the icy loneliness that had encased his heart since his transformation.
Home.
It wasn't a place with walls and a roof.
It was this small, warm hand in his.
It was the unwavering light in these violet eyes.
A choked sound escaped his throat, and in one fluid motion, he closed the distance between them.
He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into an embrace that was both fiercely protective and achingly gentle.
He buried his face in her hair, inhaling the faint, calming scent of wisteria, and felt the last of his sorrow wash away in a tide of overwhelming warmth.
He had found it.
The family he was meant to protect for a lifetime.
A soft gasp escaped Shinobu's lips before she melted against him, her own slender arms circling his waist, holding on just as tightly.
The fluttering butterfly, so long battered by the winds of grief, had finally found its sanctuary.
And the lonely forest, once silent and empty, felt as if it could bloom for a thousand years at her touch.
"Shinobu," he murmured into her hair, the name itself a prayer.
"Arf?" Maru-ni tilted his head, his wide, innocent eyes fixed on the two humans.
'Why had they suddenly stopped walking to hug so tightly?'
'And why did his master look like he was trying to smell the top of the lady's head?'
'Humans is so weird.'
[Took 200 chapter but the ship is finally sailed 🥰]