"I'll take them off for you."
A new Kakushi guide with three painted stripes on his mask spoke softly, then untied the black cloth covering their eyes.
The world snapped into focus.
Even Vincent Fox couldn't help a flicker of surprise.
Tanjiro stared around in wonder, praise spilling out before he could stop it.
"Whoa… these houses are huge. And I can smell hot springs. This village has hot springs, doesn't it?"
The Kakushi smiled and nodded. "It does. But you should greet the village chief first. Turn left there, go straight to the end, then turn right. That's the chief's place. Go pay a visit."
He stepped back politely. "If you don't need anything else, I'll be going."
"Thank you," Tanjiro said sincerely.
After bidding the Kakushi farewell, the two followed the directions. Sure enough, they soon found a wooden house that looked slightly more refined than the others.
The old man inside seemed to have been expecting them. The door was wide open, and he was waiting.
"Hello. I'm the village chief. Tecchihara Tecchin. Pleased to meet you."
"I'm Tanjiro Kamado," Tanjiro said quickly. "And this is my companion, Mr. Vincent Fox. Thank you for having us!"
The old chief nodded, satisfied. "A polite kid. Here, have some karinto."
Tanjiro blinked as the old man pressed the sweet snack into his hands.
Then the chief sighed. "As for Hotaru… no one knows where he ran off to. We're looking for him too, so please bear with us for now."
"Hotaru Haganezuka?" Tanjiro tilted his head. "That's a cute name!"
"It is," the chief said, a little amused. "I named him myself. He yelled at me for it."
"That's… kind of sad," Tanjiro said, genuinely pained.
"That kid's always been like that. Throws a tantrum, storms off, disappears. Sorry about that."
Tanjiro waved his hands. "No, no, it's my fault! I broke my sword again!"
"Not so," the chief said flatly. "It's the kid who forged you a dull blade who's at fault."
Tanjiro froze, not sure what to say anymore.
The room fell into an awkward silence.
Vincent spoke up calmly. "It's fine. We're not in a rush."
The old chief nodded. "If we can't find that boy soon, I'll have someone else forge for you. Before then…"
His expression brightened a little.
"Why not try the village hot springs? They have healing effects."
Soon, a small masked attendant led them out of the house. After walking a short distance, the attendant pointed at a signpost.
"The hot springs are up ahead. I'll prepare your meal down below."
"Appreciated," Vincent said with a nod.
The attendant had barely left when a bright voice called out from behind.
"Kamado Tanjiro! Tanjiro!"
Tanjiro turned and immediately panicked.
"Love Hashira, be careful! Your clothes are slipping!"
The Love Hashira ran over, looking devastated, tears already gathering in her eyes.
"Listen to me, listen! I just got ignored! I said hello and I got completely ignored!"
"Ignored by who?" Tanjiro asked.
Mitsuri Kanroji shook her head furiously. "I don't know! I even asked their name and still got ignored. Isn't that awful? I'm a Hashira!"
Her voice dragged out dramatically, like the world had committed a personal crime.
"And I was in such a good mood too, I'd just finished bathing! Now it's ruined!"
Only then did Mitsuri notice Vincent standing nearby.
"Oh! Are you also a Demon Slayer friend?"
"Yes," Tanjiro said quickly. "This is Mr. Vincent Fox. He came with me to get our swords forged."
Mitsuri's eyes sparkled.
"Nice to meet you!"
Vincent extended his hand, intending a normal handshake.
Instead, Mitsuri bounced forward and wrapped him in a full-body hug.
"Mr. Vincent Fox! Don't you think that person was unbelievably rude?!"
Vincent's lungs protested. He could barely breathe.
Thinking fast, he blurted, "I heard dinner's almost ready. Matsutake rice."
"Really?!" Mitsuri's face lit up instantly. Every trace of grievance vanished like smoke.
A second later she was humming a children's tune as she practically skipped down the slope toward dinner.
Tanjiro and Vincent watched her go, then headed for the hot springs together.
"It's huge," Tanjiro breathed.
Something suddenly bounced off his head.
Tanjiro caught it on instinct and stared.
It was a tooth.
His eyes widened. Only then did he realize someone was already in the hot spring.
"That shaved-sides haircut… it's Genya Shinazugawa!"
"Drop dead. Don't say my name!"
The man whipped around and snarled.
Tanjiro got a good look at his face and immediately jumped into the water, splashing.
"Mr. Shinazugawa! Long time no see! Are you doing okay? Your name is really similar to the Wind Hashira's!"
"Don't talk to me!"
Genya shoved Tanjiro's head underwater without hesitation.
Then he felt it.
A gaze from the shore.
Genya glared over, ready to bite someone's head off, and met Vincent's calm, indifferent eyes.
Genya's hand released Tanjiro at once.
He grabbed his clothes and left without another word, disappearing in the opposite direction.
A while later, Tanjiro and Vincent were both soaking properly. Nezuko had been let out too, resting in the warm water as her injuries recovered.
"I thought being honest and open would make relationships better," Tanjiro said helplessly.
Vincent nodded, glancing at the tooth lying on the ground. "What a strange guy."
They soaked for a long time, then finally headed to the dining area.
"Wow…" Tanjiro blurted.
In front of Mitsuri was a mountain of empty plates and bowls, stacked like trophies.
Mitsuri's cheeks turned pink. She covered her face shyly.
"Is that so? I wasn't really in top form today. I didn't eat that much."
Tanjiro nodded earnestly, completely convinced. "I should eat more too. I want to get even stronger."
Over dinner, Tanjiro told Mitsuri about running into Genya at the hot springs.
The conversation drifted into concern about Genya and the Wind Hashira, and whatever complicated bond lay between them.
"My family is different," Mitsuri said brightly. "There are five of us siblings, and we all get along."
As she spoke, she played with Nezuko, who had shrunk down small again.
Tanjiro's face clouded. "Genya still hasn't come back… I wish I could talk to him."
Mitsuri hugged Nezuko against her chest. "He probably won't. People in the village say he barely eats. Maybe he brought his own food? I wonder if it tastes good…"
Tanjiro could feel the topic sliding into dangerous territory, so he hurried to steer it away.
"By the way… Miss Kanroji, why did you join the Demon Slayer Corps?"
"Huh?"
Mitsuri went scarlet. Sweat started to bead on her forehead.
"Ah… that's… it's kind of embarrassing. Do you really want to hear it?"
Tanjiro nodded.
Mitsuri clenched her fists, then announced it like it was the bravest confession in the world.
"Because I want to find a husband I can grow old with!"
Vincent: "…"
Tanjiro: "…"
Mitsuri noticed both of their faces, but she kept going anyway, rapid-fire.
"Girls want someone stronger than them, you know! It's the feeling of wanting to be protected. You boys probably don't get it, but think about it. Hashira are strong, right? And you don't get to meet strong people often, so I worked hard to become a Hashira! It's okay, everyone reacts like you two did when they hear it…"
She waved a hand like it was no big deal.
Just then, a Kakushi with three stripes walked up to them.
"Lady Kanroji. Your blade is almost finished polishing. Please come to the workshop for the final adjustments."
Mitsuri reluctantly set Nezuko down and waved goodbye.
"Looks like I'm going. No idea if we'll even be alive the next time we meet, so… do your best, okay?"
With that, the Love Hashira turned and hurried away.
----------------------------------------------------
The deeper he goes, the more the truth unravels. Don't wait read ahead and witness Vincent's rise before the world catches up!
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