Yoriichi and Hiru officially set out on their journey. Yoriichi usually traveled at dawn, found an inn to stay at by afternoon, and by night, he would take Hiru with him to hunt demons. After slaying them, they would return to rest until morning, then continue their travels again.
Time passed quickly, and before they knew it, a year had gone by. The brothers had encountered demons who wielded Blood Demon Art, yet under Yoriichi's overwhelming strength, all of them ended up as beautiful stones collected in Hiru's pouch.
As his collection grew, Hiru began experimenting with grinding the stones into pigments. The stones were incredibly hard—he had to use his demonized claws to slowly grind away small bits of powder. Considering his current strength, those claws could easily pierce through steel.
If the powder wasn't used immediately, it would recombine into stone again. What pleased him, however, was that when he wanted a particular color, placing two stones together caused them to slowly fuse, and a natural new hue would form where they met.
He eventually made a wooden box with many small compartments, each one used to "cultivate" a color he liked.
This quiet life, spent researching medicine and painting in his box every day, suited Hiru perfectly—except for the times when Yoriichi decided to cut across mountains instead of taking the main roads, leaving Hiru's head spinning and rattled from all the shaking.
Literally spinning—in the physical sense.
"Ugh—"
Yoriichi looked at Hiru standing in the cave, half amused and half worried. "Looks like you really need more exercise, Hiru."
"I don't think this is my fault—ugh—" Hiru groaned, retching as his eyes watered. "Why can't we just take the main road? Why do we have to keep climbing mountains?"
He had once tried to train using Yoriichi's Breathing Techniques, but his very first attempt after memorizing the pattern had nearly killed him on the spot. That searing, burning pain from deep within his organs couldn't be healed even with his demon physique.
After that, Hiru never mentioned training again. He focused entirely on medicine research and his growing passion for painting.
"Because most demons hide in places like this," Yoriichi said, sitting cross-legged by the cave wall. "Demons in cities are rare. But the ones who can survive there... are powerful."
"For you, every demon is just one slash away from death. I've never seen one recover after being hit by you," Hiru muttered, glancing around before climbing onto Yoriichi's leg to sit on his calf. "But there's still no news of Kokushibo or the Demon King…"
"Yeah." Yoriichi looked down at him. "But as long as I keep searching, I'll find them someday."
"Why climb mountains in winter, though?" Hiru looked toward the snow-covered world outside the cave. "If we run into a blizzard, I'll be fine—but you'd be in danger, Brother."
"Don't worry. I'll find shelter before that happens." Yoriichi exhaled a visible breath of white mist. "Besides, the umbrella seller at the foot of the mountain said he saw a man-eating demon here. You know how it is—people stay indoors during winter, and demons, starved of prey, become even more dangerous. If we can stop one, we should."
Hiru looked up at Yoriichi, then turned his gaze back toward the snowy landscape outside. "A little unfortunate, though."
"Hm?"
"We finally made it to Mount Kumotori, but we can't even see the beautiful sunrise." Hiru sighed. "The recent potions I've made all kill demons instantly. None have shown any sign of turning them back into humans. Some even went berserk instead...
Brother, do you think my talent for potion-making is completely aligned with harm?"
"Hmm... I don't really know much about that field," Yoriichi admitted, tilting his head. "But you did create two potions in just a year that make demons dissolve into pus and blood the moment they drink it. That's... a kind of talent, too. Honestly, I was shocked when I saw it.
And in a way, you successfully killed the demonic cells in your body—very effectively."
"...Brother, are you actually complimenting me right now?"
"Mhm."
Hiru puffed out his cheeks slightly but, in the end, slid down from Yoriichi's leg and crawled into his box. "Let's keep going. Snowy mountains at night are still too dangerous for humans."
"Alright." Yoriichi gently closed the lid. "Remember to lock it from the inside."
"Yes, yes—honestly, I'm not a child…"
This time, Yoriichi walked slower, doing his best to keep the box steady. There were still hours before sunset. According to the umbrella vendor at the base of the mountain, there was only one charcoal-burning family higher up, around the midpoint of the slope. At his pace, even moving slowly, he would reach it before sundown.
The only question was—would they be willing to let him rest there for a while?
...
By evening, Yoriichi finally found the small wooden hut halfway up the mountain. Before he could even greet them, the man of the house spoke first.
"Are you a demon-slaying swordsman?"
Yoriichi paused, then nodded.
"It must be tough, coming to such a remote place to hunt demons," said the man, wearing a green-and-black checkered haori. He smiled warmly. "If you don't mind, come in and warm yourself. Traveling in this weather must be hard."
"No, it's nothing... Thank you."
For a moment, Yoriichi was taken aback by the man's kindness and warmth. But with his clear sight, he quickly looked through the man and the house behind him—no signs of demons. He wasn't trying to lull him into complacency. Still, it was rare to meet someone so openly hospitable to a stranger.
"Don't mention it. You're fighting for our sake, after all." The man stacked firewood by the hearth, his expression gentle. "Ah, right—my name is Kamado Sumiyoshi. You can just call me Sumiyoshi. And your name, sir?"
"...Yoriichi. Tsugikuni Yoriichi."