Time: 5 PM.
Winter days were short. The sun had already set, and dusk had taken over the sky.
Shinobu awoke from her deep, restful sleep. Feeling refreshed, she prepared to return to the mountain to continue her demon hunt—she couldn't rest easy knowing one might still be out there.
But first, she decided to stop by the Nagatani household to check on Kawanishi. She figured she might take him along tonight, let him get familiar with demons, and see if he could handle the reality of fighting them.
What she heard next, however, stunned her.
"What? You're saying Kawanishi was eaten by a demon?!"
Shinobu's eyes widened as Mr. Nagatani explained.
"You mean… while I was out investigating, a demon snuck into the town?"
"Such a pity… he had potential. Those little fangs were cute, and he had a good figure too…"
A touch of guilt crept into Shinobu's heart. Kawanishi had already endured so much—trying to avenge his family—and now, to be killed before even starting his journey. She blamed herself for not eliminating the threat quickly enough.
Mr. Nagatani sighed. "Yes, Lady Shinobu."
"Kawanishi-san said he wanted to explore Ishibashi a bit last night, to get to know the town better."
"I warned him that it wasn't safe at night, that demons might appear."
"But Kawanishi-san was confident. He said he was your friend, and that he had the ability to deal with demons."
"And now… such a promising young man, gone just like that…"
Shinobu asked quietly, "Did you see him get killed by a demon?"
Mr. Nagatani shook his head. "No, I didn't."
"But he said he'd only be out for a little while. It's been a long time now and he hasn't returned. I searched the town, asked around—no one's seen him."
"I mean… what else could've happened? If he didn't run off, he must've been taken by a demon."
"It's my fault—I didn't stop him. Young people are always too proud…"
Shinobu replied softly, "Perhaps…"
She chatted with Mr. Nagatani a bit longer, then told him she was heading back into the mountains. With his worried farewells behind her, Shinobu left the house and began walking, thinking deeply about what he'd said.
"Kawanishi… were you really eaten by a demon?"
"Or are you… hiding from me? But why?"
As a Pillar of the Demon Slayer Corps, Shinobu had sharp instincts. From what she'd seen of Kawanishi in the water, she could already tell he had combat potential.
Even though he didn't possess a Nichirin Blade and couldn't kill demons, someone like him shouldn't have been taken down so easily.
Plus, no one in town reported hearing signs of a struggle. That raised questions. Why would he vanish without a sound?
Was he trying to avoid joining the Corps? Did he want to act on his own?
Or… was there something else?
Shinobu didn't dwell too long. She was interested in Kawanishi, but not enough to prioritize him.
As the sky darkened, she once again made her way up Mount Aokari, continuing her search for the already-dead Black Fang.
This wasn't her fault. Normally, demons left behind scorched ash when killed—whether by Nichirin Blade or sunlight.
But Kawanishi had absorbed Black Fang's crimson-black ashes completely, so to Shinobu, it still looked like Black Fang might be alive.
"Hopefully I'll find him tonight. I can't afford to stay here much longer—there are other missions waiting."
"If I don't find anything after tonight, I'll hand it off to the other swordsmen."
And so, among the branches of the night forest, a butterfly's silhouette passed by.
...
Another day passed. Shinobu once again climbed Mount Aokari—this would be her final night. Whether she found anything or not, she planned to leave tomorrow.
Meanwhile, in the wine cellar, Kawanishi had slept long enough.
"Kawanishi, wake up."
"Kawanishi, wake up…"
"…The people of this town need your help. Wake up."
"Remember—don't let the same tragedies happen again…"
Kawanishi's brow furrowed. His sleep was not peaceful.
In his dreams, he heard Kie's voice again and again.
"Mm…"
Slowly, his eyes opened. After two full days of slumber, Kawanishi finally awoke.
He rubbed his aching head and stood up groggily.
"Ugh… how long was I out?"
He had no idea what day it was—he only knew he had slept in utter darkness, disoriented and completely unaware of time.
Then he glanced at the empty jars beside him and muttered, "Drinking really does ruin everything…"
"I was supposed to head out after one day to find my way back home… but now, who knows how long it's been."
Kawanishi felt an urgency. He was desperate to see Tanjiro again. At that point, Tanjiro was the only family he had left.
He still didn't know that Nezuko had survived—transformed into a demon.
"Hm? What's this?"
By chance, his eyes caught something odd on the wall.
The wine cellar walls were rough, but evenly built. Yet now, one brick seemed slightly raised.
It had been hidden behind one of the jars—only now visible because Kawanishi had moved it while drinking.
The difference was small, barely noticeable to normal eyes. But to Kawanishi, it stood out.
He walked over and tapped the wall.
Thump, thump, thump.
That… didn't sound like a solid wall.
He glanced at the protruding brick and immediately knew what to do.
"Guess those spy movies from my last life weren't completely useless."
He placed his hand on the brick and pressed gently.
Sure enough, it gave a quiet creak, then sank into the wall with a soft click.
The entire wall began to tremble.
In just a few breaths, a seam appeared—reaching from floor to ceiling.
Dust billowed out, momentarily blinding Kawanishi. But he waited patiently, letting the air clear.
"What's in here…?"
"Black Fang, looks like your family wasn't so simple after all."
The wall split from the center and slid open, revealing a small hidden compartment.
Kawanishi blew a sharp breath, clearing the last of the dust.
He peered inside.
The space was small—barely enough to hold a single item. It wasn't a tunnel or another room like he'd imagined.
And in the center of that tiny space lay a single object.
Long and slender, it was wrapped simply in white cloth. He couldn't tell what it was at a glance.
He stepped forward and slowly peeled the cloth back.
Whoosh—
The fabric fluttered away, revealing what it had protected.
It was a Nichirin Blade—still sheathed in its scabbard. The exposed hilt bore ancient, beautiful engravings.
Kawanishi could almost see it—a blade that had fought countless battles, now sealed away by its wielder's descendants, resting in silence, untouched by demon blood for decades.
It lay in its sheath, alone and wordless, waiting patiently to be drawn once more.
(End of Chapter)