"Look, enough already," Hiru couldn't stand the awkward tension anymore. "Who exactly are you introducing me to?"
"Hmph... A genius you'll never match in this lifetime."
"You really piss me off." Hiru rolled up his sleeves again. "Guess I should break a few of your ribs after all?"
"Are you a demon?! I'm a patient!"
"I don't give a damn!"
"You two really get along well, don't you?"
"Who gets along with this jerk?!*
Kanae merely smiled gently. "Well, I said I'd introduce someone, but Sanemi can't really move yet."
"So what exactly is wrong with him?"
"Multiple muscle tears, internal organs lacerated by rocks, three broken ribs... but more critically, Sanemi lost a lot of blood," Kanae cupped her face. "It'll take a long time to recover."
"Nah, I'm in great shape. I'll bounce back fast." Sanemi flashed a sarcastic grin. "All thanks to my bastard of a father."
"Should we go see him now? I've got a lot of demons to catch. Busy."
"Wait till tonight after my dressing change. I'll have them use less medicine. If I can lure a few demons back with my blood, that'd be perfect."
"Huh—that's a good idea. Let's do it tonight." Hiru sniffed. "But your blood really is potent, huh."
"What?"
"Even with all that thick ointment and bandages, I could still smell it..." Hiru stared down at Sanemi. "How about letting me draw some blood? I could study the demon-luring agent."
"...Would that even work?"
"Probably?"
"Sanemi-kun, you should take better care of yourself too." Kanae looked worried. "I've noticed before—you fight too recklessly. Your body is important."
"Alright, I'll be more careful."
Hiru glanced around, his expression growing subtle, but in the end, he said nothing. He quietly stepped back, leaving the space to the two of them.
"Honestly, am I just getting old?" Hiru muttered as he left. "This is just too much to watch..."
That evening, Hiru followed Sanemi, who was limping along, leading a group of Kakushi. They successfully lured out three demons.
Watching Hiru's brutal dismemberment and packing technique, Sanemi's mouth twitched again. "Guess your title really does suit you..."
"Hm?" Hiru stepped on the demon's dismembered corpse, wiped blood from his face, and frowned. "Why does it feel like you're being sarcastic? How much farther is it?"
"The valley ahead."
"Is it okay to visit so late?"
"No problem. The teacher trains in the afternoon and early night."
Hiru nodded thoughtfully, helping Kakushi stuff the demon's head into the crate and seal it. "Then I'll leave these demons in your care."
Kakushi respectfully accepted the crate. "Understood. Rest assured, we'll deliver them safely to Mount Fujikasane."
"Mm."
"Are Hashira duties that demanding?"
"Not too bad. I don't have a fixed jurisdiction."
"That's because the lord knows you'd get lost, right?"
"...I told you! I have a sense of direction! I remember routes! I just get distracted when I'm rushing!"
"Hmph... stubborn as a dead duck."
"How about I just slaughter you right here?" Hiru paused wrapping cloth around his weapon, his gaze turning dangerous. "The Kakushi are all gone anyway."
"Cut it out." Sanemi shot him a disgusted glance over his shoulder before turning back to the cliff face.
"Hm?" Hiru stood on the dismembered corpse of the demon, wiping blood from his face as he frowned. "Why does it feel like you're not being nice? How much farther is it?"
"The valley ahead."
"Is it okay to visit so late?"
"It's fine. The teacher trains in the afternoon and early night."
Hiru nodded thoughtfully, helping Kakushi stuff the demon's head into the crate and seal it. "Then I'll leave these demons in your care."
Kakushi respectfully accepted the crate. "Understood. Rest assured, we'll deliver them safely to Mount Fujikasane."
Hearing Shinazugawa's voice, the receding figure turned back. After pausing to observe the cliff for a moment, he used the rock protrusions to leap down swiftly.
At last, Hiru could clearly see the newcomer's face. It was a frail, black-haired youth whose features weren't exactly handsome, but his heterochromatic eyes more than made up for it. The lower half of his face was swathed in bandages, giving his voice a muffled quality. "You look a mess, Shinazugawa. Getting injured by a demon? Really?"
"I defeated a demon with Blood Demon Art. How could that compare to some ordinary trash demons?" Sanemi curled his lip, then turned to look at Hiru. "This is the genius I told you about, Iguro Obanai."
"...Looks pretty ordinary." Hiru tilted his head, though his gaze lingered more on the white snake coiled beside Obanai's neck. "Hello, I'm Hiru."
Obanai lifted his eyes. "Hmph~ So you're the directionally challenged swordsman Shinazugawa's always going on about?"
Hiru instantly shot a hostile glance at Shinobu. "So what makes this guy a genius?"
"He developed his own Breathing Styles—a completely new one." Sanemi hooked his arm around Obanai's shoulder, sounding rather sentimental. "Come to think of it, Iguro is sort of like my half-brother."
Hiru's brewing anger faltered, his expression complex. "...Did you even hear what you just said?"
"Of course I know." Shinazugawa curled his lip. "He arrived at our teacher's before I did, so he's my senior brother. But he learned Water Breathing from me, so he's my disciple. What's wrong with being half-brother-disciple?"
"Could you stop making up your own terms?!"
Obanai showed no intention of interrupting. His one golden, one green eye studied Hiru. "You make me very uncomfortable."
"Hm?"
"You always give me the feeling I'm facing a demon." Iguro fixed his gaze on Hiru. "But you returned with Shinazugawa and are wearing the squad uniform. You're undoubtedly human... So what's going on?"
"Your intuition is sharp..." Hiru finally turned his full attention to the black-haired youth standing before him, nearly half a head shorter than Shinazugawa. "But in a way, you're not wrong."
Iguro frowned, unable to grasp what the person before him was trying to convey.
"Cut the crap, you jerk," Sanemi made a dismissive gesture. "It's not funny at all."
Hiru merely shrugged, looking somewhat perplexed. "So you invited me here just to take a look at Iguro?"
"Ah, you don't know the Breathing Styles, do you?" Sanemi pursed his lips. "Iguro's Breathing Style is entirely new."
Hiru froze instantly.
"Shinazugawa, I never said I'd teach the Breathing Styles to anyone, especially him. He makes me uncomfortable."
Hiru is a Hashira, on par with the Flame Hashira who sent you here. If you don't trust him, you should at least trust the Flame Hashira's judgment."
Iguro fell silent for a moment, then turned his head away, tacitly acknowledging the teaching of the Breathing Styles.
"Hey, you clueless Swordsman, snap out of it."
Hiru's gaze finally refocused. Looking at Sanemi's perpetually angry-looking face, he couldn't help but smile. "Thanks. I owe you one. So, let's reintroduce ourselves. I'm Hiru. Pleased to meet you."
"Iguro Obanai. Pleased to meet you."