Mitsuri was assigned a sector of Japan like the other Hashira, normally this would have made it difficult to spend time with her.
Fortunately Kagaya never assigned me a sector, he let me do what I wanted as he said. This led to me gaining the moniker of 'The Wandering Hashira', courtesy of the Kakushi.
Mitsuri was currently out on a solo mission, I let her go but not before I inserted a small amount of CE into a pair of her thigh high socks. I had just started forming a good foundation for a relationship with her and I wasn't going to risk anything.
As for myself, I was out wandering the countryside looking for demons to antagonise. Nothing brought me more joy than antagonising demons. Well, except dango. I had formed a particular fondness for the sticky rice treat.
I was munching on a stick as I walked up the snowy mountain trail. I had figured out how to store shit with cursed energy. I now had an assortment of stuff stashed away wherever stuff went when I wormholed it with my innate technique.
Autumn had given way to winter, snow blanketed most of Japan. This mountain was not an exception. A jingling of a bell drew my attention. A white cat danced around my legs making me stop in place.
"Mei… you're back." I grinned.
I had found this kitten a few months ago, around two weeks after Mitsuri had been promoted. I saw the kitten by some bushes and immediately decided to adopt it. Mitsuri even compared the kitten to me with how blue its eyes were.
When I had gotten paid for the first time, I had gotten a special pair of sunglasses made for the kitten. Mitsuri found it adorable, she said that we were like twins.
"Nya nyan." Mei-Mei meowed while looking up at me.
I fought back a giggle at the sight of her deadpan face. A cat with circular glasses was a funny sight no matter the situation.
"Hmm, you saw demons eh?"
She pawed at my shoe, and did what looked like a nod. I picked her up and set her on my shoulder, before walking towards the direction she had come from.
Moments later I came across a lone house at the peak of the mountain. I could hear voices inside, a pile of charcoal sat outside.
'This… isn't this where the Kamado family lives?'
A small, almost evil grin forms on my face. Mei-Mei, the cat, pats my face with a paw.
"Nyaaan."
"Don't worry, Mei-Mei… just thinking of how to dunk on a certain demon. Not gonna hurt this family."
"Nyaaa." She booped the side of my head with her head.
"I swear, I'm just gonna put some dirt in his eyes."
The white cat, looked at me with judgement in her eyes. I didn't even know how it was possible for a cat to have that much emotion behind a glance.
I made my way over to the house and stood at the doorway unsure of how to knock on a paper door. On my shoulder Mei-Mei meowed loudly gaining the attention of the family inside.
There was a patter of footsteps as someone ran to the door. The door slid open and a young boy peaked out. Reddish hair, scar on his forehead, hanafuda earrings.
'Tanjiro is so short lmao…'
"Ano… who are you?" He asked me.
I didn't miss the subtle glance he shot my sword, or how he didn't open the door all the way. I gave him a disarming grin and took out a badge I had tactically acquired from a police station a few days ago.
"Hey kid, I'm with the cops."
[Scene Break]
I eventually got the kid to let me into his house under the pretense that I was looking for an escaped criminal that was spotted in the area and was possibly planning on using their home as a hideout.
'The Kamado family is so kind and trusting… definitely won't let that rat bastard Muzan kill them.'
Tanjiro was going to go down the mountain to sell charcoal but his mother, Kie, had convinced him not to go anywhere until I had caught the criminal.
I discretely brought out some food so that I wouldn't just be freeloading off of them. Kie had given me a thankful look while she started getting ready to make dinner for everyone with the supplies I gave her.
Tanjiro and his siblings sat around me in the living room. They listened with clear awe at my stories about catching 'criminals'.
Hanako and Nezuko eventually stepped away to keep Kie in the kitchen while Takeo, Shigeru, and Rokuta kept asking me questions. Tanjiro sent me an apologetic look but I waved him off.
'Man, first the Kanroji family… six children. Now the Kamado's with six. Kie and Ayame are something else fr fr.'
"Ne ne, Satoru-niisan… why do you have a sword instead of a gun?" Rokuta asked me.
"Hmm? I just think swords are cooler." I replied with a smile.
Sword or gun, I didn't need either to kill demons, but having a sword was certainly a lot more bad ass than just some mass produced gun. Guns weren't even cool until after WW2.
"Can I see your sword?" Takeo asked excitedly.
Tanjiro was about to reprimand his brother but I cut him off. "Sure, it's very sharp though so be very careful."
I picked up the nichirin blade and carefully handed it to Tanjiro so he could safely show it off to his brothers. He seemed like a responsible enough kid. I knew he wouldn't just go around swinging it randomly after I handed it off to him.
The boys made their awe known with a cacophony of "wows" and "so cools". I smiled at the quartet, Tanjiro sheathed the blade before gently handing it back to me.
"Satoru-san… why is the blade red?" Tanjiro asked.
"Is it from the blood of your enemies?!" Shigeru added with a grin.
Tanjiro shot his brother a disapproving look, chuckling I replied. "No, nothing like that. It's just forged with a special kind of metal."
Tanjiro didn't bring up the 'Slayer' engraving on the blade.
"Satoru-niisan? Why do you wear glasses?" Takeo pointed out my glasses.
"My eyes are a little sensitive to light, that's all." I smiled softly.
"Okay everyone… dinner is ready. Satoru-san, please join us." Kie came back carrying a large bowl of something while Nezuko and Hanako trailed in with bowls of rice and steamed vegetables.
[Scene Break]
Dinner with the Kamado's was as lively as the Kanroji's had been. The atmosphere radiated warmth and feelings of belonging. I doubled down on my vow to make sure they don't get hurt once Muzan arrived.
Even if Muzan got away, I'd make sure that he'd suffer some emotional damage bad enough that he'd leave the Kamado family alone. While Nezuko helped Kie with the clean up, I sat down with the rest of the kids.
We watched Tanjiro demonstrate the Hinokami Kagura. The topic had come up during the dinner, with Tanjiro talking about how his family had performed it every new year to ward off evil spirits.
I convinced him to show it to me with the help of his younger siblings. I had other reasons for wanting to see it besides the 'experience' of seeing something iconic to the show when it had just been a show.
I wanted to memorise it, and even now as Tanjiro did the dance again my mind was already breaking it down step by step. Each flaw that had been accidentally worked its way into the secret Breathing Style was cut away, the forms got refined in my brain.
Soon I had the complete Sun Breathing Style memories in my head. Performing it was a whole other matter. Part of the reason the Kamado family was so resilient was because they had generations to practice the difficult original breathing style.
I slowly stood up once Tanjiro completed the second repetition of the twelve conventional forms. Tanjiro looked at me in confusion.
"Let me try it out a bit kid, I think I see how it's done."
Tanjiro gave me a respectful smile while trying to hand me the shichishito, the wooden blade. I simply shook my head while slowly drawing my sword.
Tanjiro sat with his siblings and made sure they didn't get too close. I could hear them whispering excitedly about how I would try to do the Hinokami Kagura too and how I'd be a genius if I could do it after seeing it once.
I tuned their voices out and closed my eyes. Each of the forms appeared in my head in their original forms as Yoriichi performed them. Taking a deep breath, I adjusted my grip on my sword and moved. Each form flowing out of me like I had done them my whole life.
'First form, Dance. Second form, Clear Blue Sky. Third form, Raging Sun. Fourth form, Burning Bones, Summer Sun. Fifth form, Setting Sun Transformation. Sixth form, Solar Heat Haze. Seventh form, Beneficent Radiance. Eight form, Sunflower Thrust. Ninth form, Dragon Sun Halo…'
My body subconsciously shifted through all the forms in rapid succession. The forms blur into the thirteenth hidden form made specifically to kill Muzan. I stopped when I completed a third cycle. Opening my eyes again I took in the various looks of awe.
"Satoru-san! That was amazing… I can't believe you learned the Hinokami Kagura just by watching me do it once!" Tanjiro exclaimed.
I sheathed my blade and grinned, "Of course, I'm the stronge—
"Tanjiro! Nezuko! Bring everyone back in before you all get a cold!" Kie called from inside the house.
I grinned sheepishly after being interrupted before I could deliver the line again. I sighed and let out a helpless chuckle as I followed everyone inside. The sun was slowly sinking beneath the horizon behind me.
'Soon, soon it'll begin and I can finally dunk on that bastard Muzan.'
[Coauthors Note: Other than the cover there isn't really an image of the MC, apparently there supposed to be a chapter dedicated to images but Nah, I don't feel like it. So here's a few pictures I made a filthy clanker make for me]