Traveling day and night, it was already the evening of a few days later when he hurried back to Momoyama.
A familiar aura rushed toward his face, and Ryosuke's tense nerves finally relaxed a bit.
Just as he stepped into the training ground, a dense sound reached his ears.
In the center of the grounds, Shota, bare-chested, was frantically dealing blows to a wooden dummy.
The blade, wrapped in the momentum of wind and thunder, fell like raindrops.
"One hundred and ninety-seven! One hundred and ninety-eight! One hundred and ninety-nine!"
He roared as he counted, using all his strength with every strike.
Ryosuke had just taken a few steps closer when Shota abruptly stopped his movements, his chest heaving violently as he panted heavily.
He grabbed a towel, wiped his face, let out a heavy snort from his nose, and raised his chin high.
"Hmph! You're back? You don't look so good! Unlike me, my mission this time was clean and efficient, without even a single hair harmed."
"Yeah, amazing."
Ryosuke couldn't be bothered to argue with him and perfunctorily gave a thumbs up.
Right now, he just wanted to go back to his room and collapse, letting this throbbing, broken liver settle down.
"Brother Ryosuke!"
A crisp voice rang out from behind.
Rika rushed in front of Ryosuke, her large eyes brimming with pure joy.
"You're finally back! Was it fun outside? Did you encounter anything interesting? Tell me quickly!"
She naturally grabbed Ryosuke's sleeve and shook it gently.
Shota: (╬▔皿▔)
Seeing this scene, veins popped on Shota's forehead, and he clenched his fists even tighter.
"Yeah, I'm back."
Ryosuke rubbed the top of Rika's head and said casually, "It's just the same out there, just chopped up a few demons."
"Chopped a few? What kind of demons?" Rika's interest peaked.
Shota crossed his arms to the side and sneered.
"Tch! What powerful thing could he kill? Probably just some demons that had only eaten two or three people!"
Ryosuke yawned and spoke absentmindedly.
"It was alright. One could separate its head and body to play independently, called a Hitouban, a bit troublesome to chop."
"The other one liked to sing in the middle of the night and give seashells to deceive young girls, called Muyaku or something. Its Blood Demon Art was quite annoying, drilling into people's brains, very noisy."
The expression on Shota's face instantly froze.
Hitouban? Muyaku?!
The two demons that were rumored to be incredibly bizarre within the Demon Slayer Corps a few days ago?!
Shota opened his mouth, instinctively wanting to question it.
Just you?!
You're bragging! Bro!
But looking at Ryosuke's expression that seemed to say 'I'm too lazy to explain to someone who doesn't deserve to listen', he forcefully swallowed his words back down, his face turning pale then red.
"What big talk are you spewing now?"
Jigoro walked over leaning on his cane. His gaze swept over Shota's frustrated face and finally landed on Ryosuke.
"Grandpa."
Ryosuke and Rika called out simultaneously.
Jigoro took out a neatly folded letter from his chest; the envelope was stamped with a special flame crest.
He handed the letter to Ryosuke, his eyes complex: "Look at this, from Shinjuro Rengoku, the Flame Hashira."
Ryosuke raised an eyebrow and unfolded the letter.
The handwriting on the letter paper pierced through the back, and the entire text was brimming with the bold and unconstrained style unique to the Rengoku family. The core meaning was just one thing.
"Become my Tsuguko!"
"Quickly become my Tsuguko!!"
"Hurry the fuck up and become my Tsuguko, Ryosuke-san!!!"
Shota craned his neck to see what it was, and his eyeballs almost popped out of his head.
Flame Hashira! Tsuguko!
This was absolutely an honor and opportunity that everyone in the Demon Slayer Corps wouldn't even dare to dream of!
This kid... this kid actually...
"Mr. Shinjuro is quite enthusiastic."
Ryosuke skimmed through the lines at a glance, casually folded the letter back into the envelope, his tone flat and emotionless.
"However, I refused."
"What?!"
Shota cried out involuntarily, as if he had heard the most absurd thing in the world.
"You, you refused?! The position of the Flame Hashira's Tsuguko?! Was your brain eaten by a demon?!"
He even wanted to chop Ryosuke down on the spot!
Jigoro also frowned tightly.
"Why did you refuse? Shinjuro is the Flame Hashira, with outstanding strength. His personality... is a bit bold, but he is upright and outspoken. Becoming his Tsuguko is a rare opportunity and boost for you. So many people beg for it but can't get it!"
"I know."
Ryosuke rubbed his slightly throbbing temples.
I can't exactly say that those experiences from my past life left me with psychological trauma...
"Mr. Shinjuro is a good person and strong, but..."
Ryosuke paused and looked at Jigoro, wearing a shamelessly playful smile: "First: I can't learn Flame Breathing, our temperaments don't match, forcing myself to learn it would just be a waste of effort."
"Second: His loud voice and enthusiasm are really a bit... too much for me to handle."
"Third..."
Ryosuke dragged out his tone and chuckled under Jigoro's slightly puzzled gaze.
"I can't bear to leave you, Grandpa! Momoyama is so nice. I have Grandpa's guidance, Shota pushing me, and little sister Rika asking about my well-being. Why would I run so far away?"
The effect of these shameless words, bordering on acting like a spoiled child, was outstanding.
The tense seriousness on Jigoro's face instantly softened, the corners of his mouth curving upwards uncontrollably, helpless yet affectionate.
He feigned anger and lightly poked at Ryosuke with his cane.
"You brat! Always so glib!"
The words were a scolding, but the tone was incredibly soft.
Shota curled his lips.
Although he was jealous, he also knew that Ryosuke had earned all this through his own strength.
There was nothing to be envious of, at most it was just his youthful competitiveness acting up, making him covetous and annoyed!
Rika pursed her lips and giggled secretly.
Brother Ryosuke said he couldn't bear to leave Momoyama!
Then he definitely couldn't bear to leave me either!
Hehe~
After Jigoro finished his smiling scolding, he looked at Ryosuke's slightly pale face and changed the subject.
"But Ryosuke, you're not young anymore, you're seventeen. Look at Oyakata-sama; at such a young age, he is already the father of two children."
The corner of Ryosuke's mouth twitched.
This familiar set of words! This familiar tone!
Oh no!
It's the marriage-urging combo!!!
Sure enough, Jigoro looked at him eagerly, with the excitement of an old child prying into a secret.
"You travel all over executing missions outside, and you've met a lot of people..."
"Have you met a girl who catches your eye?"
As expected!
Ryosuke's mouth twitched.
Rika, who was eavesdropping nearby, instantly perked up her ears. Her small hands subconsciously wrung the hem of her clothes tightly, stealing glances at Ryosuke with nervousness and anticipation.
Even Shota, who was sulking, pricked up his ears to listen.
Gossip is a human instinct.
Ryosuke felt his scalp tingle under Jigoro's probing gaze.
He originally wanted to just brush it off casually, but he hesitated.
With this kind of thing, if you brush it off once, there will be a second time, and if you brush it off twice, there will be a third time.
However, if we're talking about someone who catches the eye...
The Japanese-style room in Asakusa suddenly flashed through Ryosuke's mind.
A woman, elegant and quiet, with dark hair like clouds, her temperament gentle as jade, bearing a tenderness and resilience forged through the vicissitudes of life, along with the fleeting coldness of her fingertips at parting...
As if possessed, without filtering it through his brain at all, Ryosuke casually blurted out.
"Hmm... if I really had to say, there is one."
Jigoro's eyes lit up with a 'whoosh', as if two lanterns had been ignited.
"Oh? Tell me quickly! Which family's daughter is she? Where does she live? What does she do? How old is she?"
A barrage of questions was thrown at him.
Rika's heart suddenly sank, her small hands wringing even tighter.
Shota also leaned in closer, showing a smile.
Ah?
He has a girl on the outside!
Then you won't be able to ruin my little sister~