Several pairs of eyes cast uniformly, as if rehearsed beforehand…
Makomo suddenly raised her head… Sabito's eyes were glistening…
Urokodaki Sakonji put down the sword and looked back…
Roy smiled broadly, revealing a row of pearl-like teeth, and said to himself, "I promised my mentor that after defeating the Ghost King, I would return to the mountain and drink with all my senior brothers and sisters… can't drink alone then, it's always more enjoyable with everyone together…"
"Whoosh~" The gloomy wind swept through… Makomo immediately moved in front of Roy and grabbed his hand, asking, "Eiichiro, do you have some kind of solution?"
The girl was filled with hope and anxiety, her beautiful eyes twinkled expectantly at Roy…
Roy nodded gently and said, "Of course."
Then he looked around, his gaze rested on Sabito, Shinsuke, Fukuda, and others, saying, "Please choose an item as a new dwelling, with this as a sanctuary, I can avenge you all properly…"
"Don't worry about scattering."
"What kind of item?"
"Is there any specific requirement? Like wood or stone containing yin energy?"
"Eiichiro, can you really do this?"
"Whoosh~" The wooden house seemed to come alive in an instant, the gusty winds coiled around Roy…
Shinsuke, Fukuda, Watanabe, Shimizu… all gathered around Roy in the center.
Sabito leaned against the pillar silently watching, the young man patiently answered everyone's questions, never had he truly felt like at this moment… having Eiichiro as a junior brother is truly wonderful!
Whether himself, or Makomo, Shinsuke, Fukuda, and all other juniors, even the mentor… perhaps still haven't realized…
Gradually, they had come to rely silently on Eiichiro.
'From when did it start?'
'Perhaps it started from the first day he arrived at Sagiri yama with his brother.'
Sabito's mouth slightly curved into a smile, he stepped forward, pushed the crowd aside, and patted Roy on the shoulder saying, "Let me set an example for the juniors."
Naturally, when something goes wrong, someone has to step forward to take responsibility, Sabito doesn't distrust Roy's abilities, it's just... he doesn't want to see others "walk" ahead of him.
If it's destined to scatter, let him, the senior brother, be the first.
"Senior brother…" Makomo looked at Sabito, hesitated to speak… Shinsuke, Fukuda, all fell silent,
Always following Sabito, knowing full well once he decides, no one can sway him.
Only casting eyes towards Roy, hopeful gazing at the young man.
Roy seemed calmer than everyone imagined, without saying a word, he slightly nodded towards Sabito.
The young fox boy surveyed around… suddenly seeing the mentor Urokodaki Sakonji, washing hands, taking a box from a hidden compartment under the cabinet, opening it, revealing lifelike wooden figurines.
Upon a closer look, it's clear they are wood carvings of Sabito, Makomo, Shinsuke, Fukuda, and others!
The old man picked up Sabito's figurine, placed it on the bed saying, "Use this."
"This is the best." Sabito joked with Roy, "Only deceased disciples receive this treatment, you and Giyu surely won't."
These wooden carvings were evidently sculpted by Urokodaki Sakonji to commemorate the deceased disciples, some were even watching at the time…
Everyone seeing them, smiled knowingly, rolled up their own figurines and placed them orderly on the bed.
Roy immediately stopped hesitating, grabbed Sabito's wooden figurine, coating it with "Nen", then used "Will Scissors" to snip, [Shu] complete!
The wooden figurine wrapped in milky white sense, bid farewell to the ordinary, ascended into a [Nen Device]!
The young man then put it down, turning to Sabito saying, "Senior brother, please."
Sabito nodded, turned into a gust of yin wind and dived into the wooden figurine… everyone watched expectantly… the wooden figure "Swish~" suddenly opened its eyes, instantly "came to life".
Then stretched arms, kicked legs, and moved neck, completely a miniature Sabito!
"It's really done!" Shinsuke widened his eyes, reached out to pat Sabito, only to be glared at by Sabito, sheepishly retracted his hand… the young fox boy could not believe his new body, as if reborn, first thing kneeled to Roy in gratitude.
But Roy anticipated it and dodged.
Good... so good... couldn't be better… Urokodaki Sakonji's old eyes brimmed with gleaming light, deeply said to Roy, "Eiichiro, your senior brother thanks you, accept it."
Recreating a new body, akin to saving one's life.
"As mentor says." Sabito clenched his palm, "Sadly lacked a sword, otherwise… I would accompany you down the mountain, fight that guy again!"
"How can senior brother alone have the advantage?"
"If we go, everyone goes together!"
"That's right… that's right… by then have the people in the Swordsmith Village forge us a few smaller Nichirin Swords, see if I won't chop off that guy's head this time!"
Excitement surged… Roy felt his sleeve being pulled, turned his head to look, finding Makomo staring at him eagerly saying, "Hey~ Eiichiro, now it's my turn."
"Of course, won't forget senior sister."
The young man took Makomo's wooden figurine, emulating Sabito, applied [Shu]… the young girl couldn't wait, dived in, and opened her eyes, happily spun around, never felt "alive" being such a mysterious feeling like this moment!
"Eiichiro, now me… and me… I want too…"
Following Sabito and Makomo, Shinsuke, Fukuda, Watanabe, Shimizu… one by one, small wooden figures came to life, stretching limbs, hopping around in the wooden house, unknown to others, they might think they arrived at a land of tiny people, everywhere alive wooden figures.
Urokodaki Sakonji watched with a smile, allowing their playfulness, didn't stop it, the small pang of guilt and self-blame hidden deep in the heart, quietly faded at this moment…
"Mentor, the pot is going to boil."
"Gurgle~"
Steam lifted the pot lid, which was about to fall off, but Makomo quickly turned off the heat and covered it again... something she could have never done before.
"It's here... it's here..." Urokodaki Sakonji smiled as he lifted the lid, releasing the fragrance of miso soup...
A sound of sniffing broke out... In the midst of their frolic, Shinsuke, Fukuda and others stopped in surprise, realizing... they indeed now had a "sense of smell", able to detect "scents"...
They turned to look at Roy.
The young man stroked his chin, contemplative, and suddenly realized... The five senses of "sight," "hearing," "smell," "taste," and "touch" ultimately transmit signals to the brain through perception.
And [Nen] itself is a product of "imagination", hence the wood carving can exhibit "vitality" with the support of [Nen], naturally giving birth to the "five senses".
"You can listen, you can see, you can smell, you can touch, you can eat... but you can't digest..."
Roy smiled, "Congratulations to all my senior siblings on your rebirth."
Shinsuke jumped up and immediately punched him, "Eiichiro Oda, I knew you could do it!"
Before he landed, Fukuda grabbed his back and wrapped his neck, scaring him into surrendering quickly, "Don't... don't... This is wood! Fukuda, be gentle!"
"Scared now?" Fukuda snorted, let go of Shinsuke, pressed down on his head, bowed like Sabito did toward Roy, followed by Shimizu... Watanabe... Yagiku... each little figure bowing and paying respects...
Roy no longer evaded, accepting the salute like it was sweet nectar, exchanging a glance and a smile with Sabito who leaned on a pillar.
"Soup's ready~"
A shout rang out then,
"Tap... tap... tap..."
Makomo walked out with a pot of porridge, a trace of porridge hanging on her lips... she tasted it earlier; it was delicious...
As she placed it on the kotatsu, "Tap... tap... tap..."
Shinsuke, Fukuda, and the others swarmed around, eyes longing as they stared eagerly.
Urokodaki Sakonji brought out sliced sashimi, feeling a bit sad at the sight... the "wandering ghosts" in the mountains finally found a home.
Wasn't that also a kind of relief?
He turned and instructed everyone to get their bowls and chopsticks, forming a circle around the kotatsu to start the meal!
"Let's eat." The old man clapped his hands together,
The words had barely left his lips when the kotatsu seemed hit by a storm, with Shinsuke, Fukuda, and others devouring most of the meal like a hurricane; even the usually refined Makomo and Yagiku unusually had two more bowls of rice,
Sabito teased, "You guys~ just taste it,"
"Didn't you hear Eiichiro Oda? You can eat, but not digest, it's a waste of food."
"It's fine." Roy understood... if he had been "starving" for so long, he wouldn't have been any less crazy than Shinsuke and the others when he saw food...
Urokodaki Sakonji also smiled, "Let them eat, there's plenty of rice at home."
Anyway, they're "little people", they can't eat much... The breakfast ended quickly with laughter and jokes.
Then,
The young man accompanied Urokodaki Sakonji, Makomo, and Sabito to wash dishes, and began packing his bag.
The cabin seemed to fall silent once again...
When apprenticing at Sagiri yama, he only brought a bamboo basket with a change of clothes, and now he leaves the same way... The young man quickly packed his bag, only taking a change of clothes, grabbed the Shallow Strike, held it in hand.
He headed down the mountain.
"Squeak~"
The wooden door opened.
Urokodaki Sakonji, without a word, cooked another pot of rice and bundled up some rice balls with sashimi for Roy to take, patted him on the shoulder, smoothed out the wrinkles in his clothes... all said with one phrase, "Go now."
Sabito, Makomo, Shinsuke, Fukuda... stood silently watching him in a line.
The young man smiled, waved, said nothing, and turned to leave, not taking away even a cloud.
In the morning, sunlight sifted through the mist onto Roy's not quite tall back.
Makomo cupped her hands around her mouth, shouting, "Come back safely!"
Roy paused, "Of course."
Then he stepped forward, disappearing from everyone's sight in a flash.
"Don't watch him, it won't be too long, you'll definitely meet again." Sabito patted Makomo's little head, the young girl responded with a light "mm," agreeing verbally, yet her body honestly stayed in place, unable to return to her senses for a while.
Half a year isn't long but neither short, Roy isn't made of wood, naturally he can feel how entwining the melancholy brought by departure can be, so like Tomioka Giyu, he left resolutely, not for anything else but... to reunite.
However... "The next reunion should be after Muzan's death!"
He tightened his grip on the sword, quickened his pace, dashing swiftly like a shadow through the forest, out of Sagiri yama, heading straight for Mount Fujikasane.
The annual examination of the Demon Slayer Corps had already begun.
Ubuyashiki Clan Residence.
Ubuyashiki Kagaya covered with a blanket, listening to Hina and Nichika reporting the examination arrangements.
At a certain moment, Gyomei Himejima, chanting nearby, abruptly said, "Lord, Tomioka Giyu has arrived."
At the right time, as the guard announced... Tomioka Giyu, dressed in a haori of intertwined red, yellow, and white, carrying the "Red Blade Technique," appeared in front of Ubuyashiki Kagaya, dusty and travel-worn.