Without its head to guide it, Sato Takeichiro's body immediately stopped struggling. Blown by the cold wind, it directly turned to ash.
Demons themselves were "dead things"—what was there to speak of dying again?
Complete dissipation was their end.
It was just a pity... finally encountering an experience pack, only for it to disappear like this.
Roy's mood wasn't as cheerful as one might imagine.
Fortunately, his status panel notification of [Combat Experience +10] made his expression somewhat better.
"Nii-san, he just died like that?" Tanjiro finally emerged from behind the tree.
Though the child was stubborn, he wasn't stupid—in fact, he was quite perceptive. He clearly understood that with his meager abilities, he wasn't qualified to participate in this battle, so he obediently stayed put without dragging Roy down.
Roy organized his gains, allocating all twelve experience points to "Shadow Step," before glancing at him irritably: "What? Did you want to have an epic battle with him?"
Tanjiro jumped in fright, waving his hands frantically.
He had personally witnessed that demon's strength.
Without Roy, if it had been him, he would have been just as pitiful as that half-devoured woodcutter.
It's just...
"I actually want to fight alongside Nii-san too."
Tanjiro lowered his head, stealing glances at Roy from the corner of his eye, speaking carefully.
That mixture of request and longing made Roy pause.
Right... in the original story, he was the big brother, the family's pillar, the support his younger siblings relied upon.
Therefore, he had to be strong; he had to make himself capable enough to shelter his family from storms.
So... unable to tolerate being useless, striving for strength his entire life—that was his true nature.
Roy patted Tanjiro's head, sighing: "Even as a younger brother, you're quite different from certain people."
"Are you talking about that brother from your dream, Nii-san?"
"Mm..."
"What's his name?"
"Illumi..."
"Illumi..." Tanjiro repeated in his mind, then said with certainty: "He must really admire Nii-san."
Roy snorted, thinking that if that certain someone didn't stab him in the back, he'd consider it merciful.
Raising his hand, he decisively gave Tanjiro a knuckle rap: "Did Mother agree to let you come just so you could ask questions?"
"Come on, less talking, more working!"
"Oh~" Tanjiro aggrievedly held his head.
Shouldering the basket and taking the hoe, he followed Roy toward the open-air coal mine deep in the forest.
Those who live by mountains eat from mountains; those by the sea eat from the sea. The forest was large enough and old enough to contain abundant treasures.
In less than half a day, Roy led Tanjiro on a brief circuit, and both baskets were completely filled with coal.
It was now three in the afternoon, with an hour remaining before sunset. Taking advantage of the remaining time, Roy tossed Tanjiro two dumplings and washed down a simple meal with hot tea.
With a light step, he leaped onto a large tree.
His movements were fluid and smooth. Tanjiro watched with intense envy.
'Has Nii-san's speed gotten even faster?' The child gnawed his dumpling while looking up at Roy.
Thanks to his encounter with Sato Takeichiro, after Shadow Step's proficiency increased, Roy could indeed feel his body had become somewhat lighter.
He broke off a tree branch and held it in his hand, activating Gyo to search for game. With his enhanced vision, he keenly captured two clusters of aura.
Then, "Swish..." "Swish..."
The branches shot out like arrows, thrown by Roy in lightning succession!
"Screech—" Two cries of anguish...
The moving aura instantly stilled. Tanjiro understood immediately and hurried over to look, returning with a wild chicken in each hand.
"Nii-san, wild chickens!" the boy called excitedly. "Perfect for Father and Nezuko and the others to get some nutrition."
Roy made no comment. With another leap, he flew deeper into the forest. This time when he returned, he carried a roe deer.
"Wow..." Tanjiro's mouth fell open as he circled the roe deer.
This was his first time seeing such a deer-like yet not-deer creature. Curious and fascinated, he didn't notice Roy casually toss the neck-broken roe deer at his feet before disappearing again.
Until... ten minutes later, a shrill howl echoed through the forest.
Hearing the commotion, Tanjiro looked back to see Roy emerge again, dragging a wild boar from the woods.
His foolish little brother's eyes widened as he repeatedly confirmed whether he was hallucinating.
Until Roy patted him, he didn't snap back to reality.
"It's getting late. Pack up and let's go." Roy kicked the wild boar up onto his shoulder, then bent to shoulder his basket, picked up the roe deer, and left the hoe and two chickens for Tanjiro.
Roy headed toward the forest edge along their original path.
In these times of rampant demons and prowling beasts, as the villager Koizumi Shinzaburo at the mountain's base had said, no one dared venture out at night. Naturally, there were no hunters either.
This led to an abundance of game in the forest and active wildlife, which benefited him.
'Too bad I only know Gyo, not En.'
'Otherwise, with En's assistance, hunting would be even more effective.'
But... no rush. Food must be eaten bite by bite, and roads walked step by step. For now, mastering Sun Breathing and strengthening his constitution took priority.
The young man's deep red hair swayed in the wind, followed by a smaller version of himself, walking through the snow country, chasing the setting sun and leaving two shallow sets of footprints in the forest.
Tanjiro fell behind, perhaps due to carrying so much weight, or perhaps due to the impact of witnessing the demon's cannibalism on his worldview.
Throughout the journey, when Roy didn't speak, he didn't speak either, until they could see a wisp of cooking smoke in the distance.
Only then did he quicken his pace, catching up to Roy with a determined expression: "Nii-san, I want to learn from you."
"Learn what?"
"You know... hey... ha..."
Tanjiro wielded the wild chicken like a sword, demonstrating a few moves.
The chicken feathers nearly hit Roy in the face, making him roll his eyes furiously.
"Alright, alright, I get it... you're always making trouble..."
"Hehe..."
Tanjiro scratched the back of his head with an embarrassed laugh, and the chicken in his hand went "splat" on the ground.
Then he received a kick from Roy, limping as he appeared before Kie, Tanjuro, and all his younger siblings.
"I'm back~"
"Where's Nii-san?"
"Behind me..."
Tanjiro handed the wild chickens to Kie and took off his shoes and socks to step onto the veranda.
Without his obstruction, Roy appeared—holding a roe deer, carrying a basket of coal on his back, and shouldering a fat wild boar. He stomped the snow off his feet and casually threw the boar to the ground.
With a casual smile, he said: "I'm home."
The Kamado family: "..."
Their eyes widened.
Just like Tanjiro an hour earlier.