Without the head to lead, Sato Takeshi's body immediately stopped struggling, and with a gust of cold wind, it turned directly into ash.
Ghosts are inherently "dead things", how can they die again?
Total dispersal is their true end.
It's just a pity... Finally encountering an experience pack, and it's just gone like that...
Roy's mood was actually not as delightful as imagined.
Fortunately, the panel prompt... [Fighting Experience +10], made his face look a bit better.
"Nii-san, is he dead just like that?" Tanjiro finally dared to come out from behind the tree.
This kid may have a stubborn head but certainly not a foolish mind, and he was quite self-aware. Clearly knowing his meager strength was insufficient to participate in the battle, he obediently stayed put, not dragging Roy down.
After Roy sorted out his gains, allocating all twelve points of experience he just acquired to "Dark Step", he finally had the chance to glance at Tanjiro and said irritably, "What? You want to fight him too?"
Tanjiro was startled and quickly waved his hands...
He had witnessed with his own eyes the power of this Evil Ghost.
If there were no Roy, in his place, he would undoubtedly end up as pitiful as that half-eaten woodcutter.
It's just...
"Actually, I also want to fight alongside Nii-san." Tanjiro lowered his head, sneaking a glance at Roy from the corner of his eye, and said cautiously.
The look of seeking approval and desire made Roy pause for a moment.
After all... in the original story, he is the elder brother, the pillar of the family, the reliance of his siblings.
Thus he must be strong, have his wings full, to shield his family from the wind and rain.
So... unable to bear being weak, striving all his life is his true color.
Roy patted Tanjiro's head and couldn't help but exclaim, "Same as a little brother, you are quite different from someone I know."
"Are you talking about the brother in your dreams, Nii-san?"
"Hmm..."
"What's his name?"
"Illumi...."
"Illumi...." Tanjiro repeated the name in his mind and confidently said, "He must admire Nii-san very much."
Roy laughed sarcastically, thinking to himself that he would consider it kind if someone didn't stab him in the back.
He raised his hand and flicked Tanjiro's forehead sharply: "Did mother allow you to come along just to ask questions?"
"Shut up! Get to work!"
"Oh~" Tanjiro held his head in grievance.
He strapped on the basket, grabbed the hoe, and followed Roy into the depths of the forest.
Living by the mountain means living off the mountain, living by the sea means living off the sea; the forest is large enough, existing long enough, holding enough treasures.
In less than half a day's work, Roy and Tanjiro made a little round, and both baskets were filled with firewood.
It was now three in the afternoon, an hour before sunset. Taking advantage of the time left, Roy tossed Tanjiro two rice balls, and himself dealt with a simple meal with hot tea.
With a spring in his step, he leaped onto a tall tree.
His movements were smooth and sleek, and Tanjiro watched with pure envy.
'Nii-san's speed... has it gotten faster again?' The child chewed on the rice ball, looking at Roy with an upward gaze.
Thanks to Sato Takeshi's gift, after the proficiency of "Dark Step" increased, Roy indeed felt a bit lighter.
He snapped off a twig and held it in his hand, using [Gyo] to search around for some game, and relying on his enhanced vision, he sharply captured two clusters of "Sense".
Then, "Whoosh..." "Whoosh..."...
The twig left its scabbard, successively thrown out like lightning by Roy!
"Screech——" Two cries of agony...
The active "Sense" instantly halted... Tanjiro got the hint, hurried over to check, and when he came back, he was carrying a wild chicken in each hand.
"Nii-san, it's wild chicken." The boy shouted in excitement, "Perfect to take back to nourish father and Nezuko."
Roy was noncommittal, leaping again, darting deeper into the forest, and this time, he returned with a roe deer in hand.
"Wow..." Tanjiro's mouth fell open, circling around the roe deer.
It was his first time seeing such a creature, not quite a deer, and his curiosity was piqued... he didn't notice Roy toss the neck-twisted roe deer at his feet as he turned and disappeared from sight again.
Until... ten minutes later, a miserable howl echoed through the woods.
Tanjiro, hearing the noise, turned back... and Roy appeared once more, dragging a wild boar out of the forest.
The foolish Mamen Beans's eyes widened, repeatedly checking if he was hallucinating.....
Until Roy gave him a pat, pulling him back to reality.
"It's getting late, pack up, let's go." The wild boar was flipped onto Roy's shoulder with a kick, he crouched to pick up the basket, grabbed the roe deer, tossed the hoe and the two wild chickens to Tanjiro.
Roy then led the way back along the path they came, heading out of the forest.
In these days, Evil Ghosts roam rampant, wolves rule the ways, and as Kozumira Sanosaburo at the foot of the mountain said, no one ventures out at night. Naturally, there are no hunters.
This led to a proliferation of game in the forest, animals were active, making it advantageous for him.
'It's a pity... I only know [Gyo], not [En].....'
'Otherwise, with the support of [En], hunting would be like adding wings to a tiger.'
But... no rush... food needs to be eaten bite by bite, the road needs to be walked step by step... For now, mastering "Sun Breathing" and enhancing my Constitution is the priority.
The boy's long, deep red hair swayed with the wind, followed by his smaller self, wandering in the Snow Country, chasing the setting sun, leaving two shallow trails in the woods...
Tanjiro lagged behind, perhaps because he was burdened with too much, weighed down heavily... or perhaps because experiencing the Evil Ghost's man-eating event shook his worldview....
On this journey, Roy didn't speak, and neither did he; until they distantly saw a wisp of cooking smoke....
He then hurried in three steps to catch up with Roy, his expression firm as he said, "Nii-san, I want to learn from you."
"Learn what?"
"Just like hey... ha..."
Tanjiro wielded the wild chicken like a sword, making a few gestures...
The chicken's feathers almost poked Roy in the face, making him roll his eyes in exasperation.
"Alright, got it... you're always full of stuff to say...."
"Hehe...."
Tanjiro rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, and the wild chicken in his hand "plop~" fell to the ground.
Then, Roy gave him a kick. Limping, he appeared in front of Kie Kamado, Tanjuro, and a group of siblings.
"I'm back~"
"Where's Nii-san?"
"In the back...."
Tanjiro handed the wild chickens to Kie Kamado, took off his shoes and socks, and went onto the porch...
Without his cover, Roy appeared, holding a roe deer, with a basket of coal on his back, a plump wild boar on his shoulder, and shaking the snow off his boots, he tossed the wild boar to the ground.
Smiling, he said, "I'm back."
Kamado Family: "...."
Eyes wide open.
Just like Tanjiro an hour before.