Arriving at his home, Kagerou reached for the door, but stopped mid-motion.
"Wait… did I forget something?" he murmured. Then, as if summoned by the thought, the image of the woman he'd spent seven nights with flickered across his mind. "…Oh, shit"
He turned on his heel, half ready to go back, maybe just to say something, anything, before leaving for good. But then he froze again.
"...Is she still there? What if she's already gone?"
The thought hung in the air like lingering smoke. After a moment of quiet deliberation, he sighed and shook his head. "She probably needs some rest too," he muttered. "Next time, maybe"
With that, he turned back toward his house.
Yet as he stood before it, a faint unease crept into him.
It was too quiet.
At this hour, Shinjuro would usually be training Kyojuro and Senjuro, the sound of wooden swords and laughter filling the yard. But now... nothing.
"Maybe they went shopping," Kagerou said under his breath, pushing away darker thoughts. "Yeah. That must be it"
He stepped forward, pushing open the door. The hinges gave a familiar creak as he entered the front yard. The inner door was ajar... someone was definitely home.
Relief returned when he finally heard faint sounds coming from the back. Following them, he stepped into the backyard.
There, beneath the gentle morning light, stood Kyojuro and Senjuro, hanging laundry together. But there was no sign of Shinjuro.
"…Where's Father?" Kagerou called out, his voice cutting through the quiet.
The two boys jumped at the sound. They turned, and the moment their eyes landed on him, their faces lit up.
"Kage-nii!!" Kyojuro shouted, tossing the laundry aside and sprinting toward him.
"Kyojuro, that's-" Kagerou started, half ready to scold them for dropping the clean clothes, but it was too late. Kyojuro and Senjuro were already in his arms, holding him tight.
For a moment, Kagerou froze. Then, slowly, a small smile tugged at his lips. He wrapped his arms around them, warmth spreading through his chest.
"…Well," he murmured, chuckling softly, "we can pick it back up later. For now… I'm home, Kyojuro. Senjuro"
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- With Kanae.
After choosing her Scarlet Ore, Kanae didn't head straight back to the orphanage where she and Shinobu had stayed since the tragedy.
Instead, she lingered, taking her time with the ore selection, feeling each piece carefully in her hands. It wasn't a task to rush. A Nichirin sword wasn't simply forged; it was born from the connection between the wielder and the ore. Choosing one carelessly would be a mistake.
By the time she finally handed her chosen ore to the Kakushi, who would send it to the Swordsmith Village, the sun was already high.
And still, she hadn't seen him.
"…Where the hell is he?" Kanae muttered, glancing around the now-empty clearing. The other participants had already left, yet there was no sign of Kagerou anywhere.
She crossed her arms, frowning slightly. "Don't tell me he didn't even bother to forge his own Nichirin sword?"
It wasn't just her who wondered, Kagaya Ubuyashiki himself had briefly paused earlier, his eyes flickering toward the direction Kagerou had disappeared, as if he too had the same question.
Kanae waited a little longer. Then, with a small sigh, she finally gave up.
She couldn't stay here forever, and besides, Shinobu was probably waiting for her.
Still… she couldn't help but grumble as she began walking down the path.
"That guy… unbelievable," she murmured, her tone somewhere between annoyance and disbelief. "Does he think that just because the Final Selection is over, our connection ends too? Unbelievable! I've never been this annoyed in my entire life!"
She kept muttering under her breath as she walked, unaware that her pace had quickened with each step, like someone chasing a thought she refused to let go of.
By the time her frustration began to fade, she had already arrived.
The orphanage, the quiet, humble building that had sheltered her, Shinobu, and other unfortunate children for years. Its familiar walls carried the scent of wisteria and the faint echo of laughter from long ago.
As she stepped through the gate, the first thing she saw was a small figure standing by the entrance.
Shinobu.
Waiting.
For a brief moment, Kanae froze. Then warmth flooded her chest. Without a word, she closed the distance between them and wrapped her sister in her arms.
"Shinobu," she whispered softly, "I'm back. Sorry for making you worry"
Shinobu didn't answer immediately. She just stood there, small hands clutching Kanae's uniform tightly. It took her a few seconds before she finally spoke, her voice trembling faintly.
"…I didn't worry at all," she said, trying her best to sound strong. "I knew you'd make it. I believe in you"
Kanae leaned back a little, looking at her with a smile that sparkled in her eyes. "Ehehe~ Really~?"
"...Yes," Shinobu said, though her voice softened.
Kanae chuckled quietly. "But you know," she said, a mischievous glint returning to her tone, "I almost didn't make it"
Shinobu blinked, startled. "What?"
Kanae tilted her head, still smiling.
"Do you want to hear the story? About one very annoying man who helped me?"
#A/N: "I can't explain too much about how the "condition" of the orphanage was due to the lack of research materials that I could get, and I also can't really describe how Shinobu's character was at that time, therefore, if you feel that something is missing or wrong, then you are not wrong, because that's how it is, but if you know something, please tell me"
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- Back at the Rengoku's Residence.
"…What?"
Kagerou blinked, lowering his kiseru slightly. "Father took a mission?"
"Yes," Kyojuro replied, his tone firm but uneasy. "It was urgent. None of the other Hashira were available, so Father decided to take it himself. It's been a day, so… he should be back anytime soon"
Kagerou leaned back slightly, silent for a moment. The faint ember at the tip of his pipe glowed, then dimmed as he took a slow puff.
"An inactive Hashira suddenly taking a mission…" he muttered, smoke curling upward between his words. "That means it's something serious. But why didn't Kagaya tell me anything? If it's related to Father, he should've said something"
He exhaled slowly, letting the smoke drift through the air like a sigh. "Well~ maybe I left too soon," he added under his breath.
Turning to Kyojuro again, he asked, "…Did you hear what kind of mission it was?"
Kyojuro shook his head. "No, only that it was far from here. Father didn't say much before he left"
"I think…" Senjuro spoke softly, his voice hesitant but clear, "…I think I heard Mr. Crow say something about a Serpent"
Kagerou's brows drew together slightly.
"Serpent?" he repeated, his gaze shifting toward his quiet little brother. The word lingered in his mind like an echo, faint, but uneasy.
He let out a slow breath, setting his kiseru aside. "…I just hope Father's fine-"
Before he could finish, a *shff* echoed through the corridor, the sound of a sliding door opening.
All three brothers froze.
Kagerou's eyes met Kyojuro's; both shared the same unspoken thought.
Then Kagerou stood, brushing off his haori. "I think Father's home," he said, tone calm but tense beneath the surface.
Kyojuro nodded, his hand unconsciously brushing the hilt of his practice sword.
"Let's go greet him"
The three of them moved together through the hall, quiet, deliberate steps across the wooden floor. The air felt heavier with each stride, not with fear, but with something deeper… the kind of unease only family could feel.
Kagerou smells it. A faint smell drifts in from outside, and beneath it, something else. A scent that didn't belong.
Kagerou's hand hovered near his kiseru.
Whatever waited beyond that door… he could already tell it wasn't just their father's return.