Izumi Kiyokazu stared at the silver-haired man with the natural perm who was currently shrieking in front of him, feeling an indescribable sense of dissonance.
He knew there were many eccentrics among the Hashira, but... a personality this erratic was truly beyond his expectations.
"Hey! Hey! Young man! If you space out like this in front of a dango shop, the owner will scream your ears off! Although I'm not a dango myself, if you really want one, I can squeeze out two—no, wait, let's go with one!"
"Hurry up and help me! I feel like my guts are about to spill out! They look just like a bowl of overturned soba noodles!"
Hearing the "Stone Hashira's" words, Kiyokazu forced his body to move and walked toward him. He already knew the extent of the two Hashira's injuries from Kokushibo's earlier remarks.
Their wounds were nearly identical to the Wind Hashira's in the original story—to the point where any movement risked their internal organs falling out. Yet, their strength was clearly inferior to the Wind Hashira of the Taisho era.
Though it was a hard pill to swallow, the current Hashira combined probably couldn't even force Kokushibo into his second phase.
As Kiyokazu provided basic first aid for the Stone Hashira, he learned the man's name.
Sakata Ginpillar—a sweets fanatic.
The Wind Hashira, who was still unconscious nearby, was named Hijikata Jusaburo. In the Ginpillar's words, he was a "bastard with a terrible temper."
While Kiyokazu was treating their wounds, a rustling sound came from the nearby bushes. Instinctively, Kiyokazu reached for his sword, but what appeared before his eyes was a giant white dog, three or four times the size of an average household pet.
A person sat atop the giant dog's back. He looked at the three wounded men with a flash of worry in his eyes, but let out a long sigh of relief upon seeing they were all still breathing.
"The demons have all fled! Lord Rengoku Mujuro sustained minor injuries, but his life is not in danger. As for the remaining slayers, there are no casualties so far!"
Upon hearing this, the last heavy stone in Kiyokazu's heart finally dropped.
In that moment of relaxation, his vision went black, and he collapsed into a dead faint.
The night of high-intensity combat had pushed his mental state to the brink. Once he knew they were safe, his brain initiated a forced shutdown.
By the time he woke up again, the sky was beginning to brighten with the first hints of dawn.
Kiyokazu felt a weight on his body. Looking down, he saw Ume fast asleep, huddled against his chest.
The air was thick with the scent of burning wisteria. A pot was nearby, simmering with unknown medicinal herbs; the smell wasn't unpleasant.
Kiyokazu didn't move immediately. He simply lay there, feeling the steady rhythm of Ume's breathing against his chest and the comforting warmth radiating through his thin clothes.
The morning light squeezed through the cracks in the wooden cabin's windows, casting a dappled golden glow across Ume's face. The fragmented light danced on the girl's long eyelashes, making the scene appear incredibly peaceful and serene.
He was alive... everyone was still alive.
Faint sounds of bickering drifted in from outside. Fresh air seeped through the door cracks, and Kiyokazu felt an immense, greedy attachment to the joy of having survived a disaster.
"Hey! You bastard! If I hadn't blocked that demon's strike for you yesterday, you'd be a pile of crap inside a wolf's stomach by now!"
Sakata Ginpillar's voice drifted in, accompanied by jarring, self-censored "bleep" sounds.
"Shut up! You dead-fish-eyed bastard! Take your dog food and get away from me!"
The commotion outside continued, but to Kiyokazu, it sounded like pure tranquility.
He slowly lifted his still-aching arm. After a moment of hesitation, his hand trembling slightly, he gently brushed a stray lock of hair from Ume's cheek.
In her sleep, the girl seemed to feel his touch. She mumbled something incoherent but did not wake.
"What are you doing?"
A low voice came from the side. The moment he heard it, Kiyokazu's fingers snapped back as if he had touched an electric fence.
Gyutaro was sitting behind him, holding a bowl of medicinal soup. He was staring directly at Kiyokazu's hand, his expression somewhat sullen.
Kiyokazu instinctively tried to pull his hand away completely, but Gyutaro stopped him with a low hiss.
"Don't move! You idiot. Let Ume rest for a while. She only just fell asleep; she's been waiting since you went out last night."
Hearing this, Kiyokazu stopped moving. With Gyutaro's help, he carefully shifted Ume to the side, terrified of waking her from her deep slumber.
Seeing that Ume remained asleep, Gyutaro let out a small sigh of relief. He looked at Kiyokazu with a helpless expression.
"When you were brought back last night, Ume saw your wounds and thought you were dead. She cried so hard she nearly fainted. I've never seen her cry like that. You're the first one to make her... If there's a next time..."
Gyutaro didn't finish the sentence, but the implication was clear.
Kiyokazu looked at Gyutaro's own bloodshot eyes and said softly, "Aren't you the same, Brother? Looking at your dark circles, you haven't slept all night either, have you? Sorry for making you take care of me for so long..."
Before Kiyokazu could finish, Gyutaro scoffed. He turned his head away while handing over the bowl of soup.
"Don't get full of yourself. I was only worried about Ume. And stop calling me 'Brother.' I haven't fully accepted you yet."
Kiyokazu simply smiled at Gyutaro's words and said nothing. He took the soup, and just as he was about to drink, Gyutaro added one last reminder:
"Careful, it's hot. It was just brewed."
"Thank you, Brother."
"I told you, don't call me that! Fine, whatever, you won't change anyway. Hurry up and finish the medicine; I have things to ask you."
Gyutaro's expression turned serious as he looked toward the door.
"Those people outside... they're from the Demon Slayer Corps, right? They look like they have money. Are you planning to leave this place with them?"
Kiyokazu wiped the remaining medicinal juice from his lips, his expression becoming solemn.
"Yes. Many demons came here last night. Some of them were specifically after me. If I stay here, I'll eventually involve many people. No matter what, I have to leave."
"Those people said they're heading out before noon today. If I say I don't want Ume to go with you, would you still leave?"
Kiyokazu fell silent for a moment. Having awakened the Slayer Mark, he could clearly sense that Ume had already woken up and was merely pretending to be asleep.
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Demon Slayer: Starting by Snatching Daki(194 Chapter- Ongoing)
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