Where Kokushibo had just been standing, a dozen words were clearly carved into the floorboards.
If we have the chance, let's talk next time.
Evidently, Kokushibo had carved this message before he left. Although Shisho didn't understand the man's intentions, he made a mental note of it. With a forceful stomp, Shisho shattered the floorboard, reducing the message to splinters.
After Kokushibo's departure, the remaining demons on the battlefield fled in panic down the mountain. Some of the swordsmen, still in a battle frenzy or blinded by rage, gave chase with their blades drawn.
But then, Kagaya Ubuyashiki's voice called out.
"Do not pursue them. Tend to the wounded and bury the dead first."
Turning his head, Shisho saw Kagaya and his wife and children slowly approaching. From Kagaya's clenched fists, it was clear how much grief and anger he was feeling—grief for his own powerlessness and helplessness, and anger at Muzan's cruel, cowardly attack.
"Mr. Shisho, thank you for your help."
Walking up to Shisho, Kagaya, with his wife's support, bowed deeply. As the successor to the Ubuyashiki clan, he knew what had happened all those years ago. In his view, the Corps had been too impulsive back then. No matter what, Yoriichi was the one who had brought Breathing Styles to the Demon Slayer Corps, ushering in a new era. Such a great man should not have been exiled for a single mistake.
But he also knew that what was done could not be undone. Though he didn't know how Shisho had maintained his youthful appearance, the fact that he appeared during the Corps' moment of crisis meant that some part of him still cared.
"Mr. Shisho, I don't know if…"
Kagaya began to speak, but he was stopped by Shisho's outstretched right hand.
Shaking his head, Shisho replied, "I know what you want to say, but I'm not interested in that right now."
With that, Shisho turned and walked away. Watching his retreating figure, Kagaya's clenched fists turned a deeper shade of purple. It seemed the man was still deeply hurt by what had happened back then. It made sense; being cast out and betrayed by your own people was a terrible feeling.
After a few steps, Shisho suddenly stopped.
"However, I can promise you this: if the Demon Slayer Corps faces a crisis it cannot handle, I will come to its aid."
Hearing this, Kagaya froze for a moment. Only after Shisho started walking again did he snap out of it. He hurriedly took a few steps forward, nearly stumbling to the ground.
Steadying himself with his wife's help, he shouted, "Thank you, Mr. Shisho! The Demon Slayer Corps will never forget you!"
Shisho heard Kagaya's words clearly, but they didn't slow his pace.
"If you want to thank someone, thank Master Yoriichi," he replied faintly, and then he was gone.
Unexpectedly, just as he was leaving, he ran into a female swordsman. It was Mami, a user of Flower Breathing.
"Hah… hah… I finally caught up," she panted, her forehead covered in sweat. It was obvious she had used her Breathing Style continuously without rest to catch him before he left.
Surprised, Shisho wondered why Mami had chased after him.
"Mr. Shisho, could I trouble you to come with me to a place?" Mami asked, wiping the sweat from her brow. She bit her lip gently, a look of pleading on her face. Her flushed cheeks and sweat-soaked uniform gave her an unintentionally alluring appearance.
Knowing she had no such intentions, Shisho simply nodded.
Following Mami's lead, the two of them went deep into the Demon Slayer headquarters. They arrived at a courtyard where a tall sakura tree stood. In front of the tree, a blood-stained Nichirin Blade was thrust into the ground.
Walking closer and examining it, Shisho spoke softly, "That's Inoue Mie's Nichirin Blade, isn't it?"
Mami nodded, a sad expression on her face. Decades ago, the already-retired Inoue Mie was grievously wounded by a demon while protecting her students. In her final moments, she confessed her long-held admiration for the Sun Breathing swordsman, Shisho, and wished to see him one last time. Unfortunately, she succumbed to her injuries shortly after. At that time, Shisho was likely hunting demons in some unknown corner of the world.
And so, Inoue Mie's final wish became a shared hope among all users of Flower Breathing. To commemorate their founder, they placed her beloved sword in front of the sakura tree she had planted herself—the "Hisshou" (Certain Victory) tree.
Generation after generation of Flower Breathing users dedicated themselves to finding Shisho. But decades passed without any sign of him, and they began to believe that Sun Breathing had died out.
Until now. Shisho's reappearance had rekindled their hope.
After hearing Mami's story, Shisho nodded. He had known of Inoue Mie's admiration for the Sun Breathing user since they first met. Sixty years had passed, and the seventeen-year-old girl who used to chase after him, calling him "Master," was now gone.
Sitting down cross-legged, Shisho asked Mami for a bottle of sakura sake and two cups.
"I remember this was your favorite," he murmured.
Opening the bottle, Shisho filled both small cups.
"I still remember the first time we met…"
As Shisho recounted stories of the past, Mami found herself completely captivated. His voice was soft, yet it seemed to hold the magic of time itself. A strange sense of sorrow crept into her heart without her realizing it. The years have passed, and the one I knew is gone. This night, too, will end, never to return.
By the time Mami snapped out of her melancholic trance, the sky had already brightened. Before the sakura tree, only an empty bottle of sake and two cups, still fragrant with alcohol, remained. On the ground beside them, Shisho had left a message etched in the dirt.
The story of Inoue Mie has ended, but your own story is still being written. Even if many people die and become a part of history, others will appear to write new stories. Do not hesitate, do not lose your way. March onward toward tomorrow.
Reading Shisho's parting words, tears streamed uncontrollably from Mami's eyes. In that moment, she seemed to understand. Inoue Mie didn't admire Shisho because he used Sun Breathing; she admired him because Shisho himself was someone worth looking up to.
Dropping to her knees, Mami knew she would likely never see Shisho again. But she would carry the words he left behind and pass them down for generations to come. People may die, but their convictions will never be broken.
Meanwhile, by the time Shisho returned to the small town of the Mind-Wandering Demon, it was already the evening of the next day. Gently pushing the door open, he saw Tamayo sitting there quietly. She offered a faint smile, saying nothing.
A curve formed on Shisho's lips as he spoke softly, "The matters of the world are settled. Our journey, Tamayo, is just beginning."
-------
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