Chapter 123: If Tomorrow Comes As Usual.

...

Meanwhile.

Butterfly Mansion.

"Cough!"

Inosuke lay unconscious in the yard, a huge bump on his boar's head, and foam coming out of his mouth.

"Are, are you okay?!"

Tanjiro looked worried, quickly squatting down, carefully feeling the pulse, and then looking around somewhat at a loss: "What should I do..."

He was just passing by, but this guy who his father said was called Inosuke insisted on pestering him.

Even attacked him.

Out of necessity, Tanjiro chose to give Inosuke a headbutt.

"Ooh~wah!" Agatsuma Zenitsu also squatted aside, quietly looking at Tanjiro's unharmed forehead: "Poor guy."

——A broad forehead is not just broad.

Zenitsu quietly hugged his knees, his gaze resting on Tanjiro.

"I'm really sorry."

Looking at the unconscious Inosuke with foam at his mouth, Tanjiro sat beside him, his hands on his knees, speaking with a guilty expression.

Beside him.

Under the eaves.

Tanjuro withdrew his gaze, he took out a paper man from his bosom.

His fingers stroked it, counting the number of paper mans.

Rustle...

After the last folded paper doll was counted, Tanjiro's expression was taken aback.

——One is missing.

...

...

Near Himejima's residence.

"Meow?"

The white cat curiously poked its head out of the door, curiously looking in the direction where its owner was running away.

It withdrew its gaze, slowly sat in place, licking its pink paws.

At this moment.

Plop.

Chachamaru, carrying a small bag and wearing a drawing of an eye around its neck, suddenly appeared in front of the white cat, its body shifting from ethereal to solid.

The white cat's grooming action suddenly stopped.

The two cats looked at each other.

!

"Meow!!"

The white cat's fur bristled as it let out a loud cry, jumping up in fright, staring ahead, a growling sound coming from its throat.

—But by the time it reacted, Chachamaru's figure had already disappeared.

Meow! It's like seeing a ghost!

After glancing left and right with an uneasy gaze, the white cat leaped up and climbed onto the roof.

Leaving the now invisible Chachamaru squatting in place.

Chachamaru quietly watched the white cat's retreating figure, sniffing the scent on the ground in confusion.

Lifting its head, its amber eyes looked across the street at Senjuro.

—Strange.

The little cat brain thought so.

—It clearly followed the scent here.

—But why... isn't it that human?

In its mind, the image of Tanjuro surfaced.

After thinking for a while.

Chachamaru turned its head to look at Himejima's house.

It seemed that a very fragrant scent was wafting out of the house.

The thoughts in its little head were immediately filled with the scent, and Chachamaru stood up, tiptoed, and hopped into the yard.

In the small bag, a pink liquid, mixed with cherry blossom petals, gently swayed in the test tube.

...

On the street.

"Here it comes again!"

"It's really amazing... even though it can't see anything."

The neighbors on the street heard the noise outside and poked their heads out one after another.

Watching Himejima's agile figure leaping over the roadside boxes, they looked at each other:

"...Is that guy really blind?"

Step! Step! Step!

"Namu Amida Butsu..."

Gyomei Himejima was running, each step stomping on the street, his muscular body bulging under his monk's robe, looking incredibly shocking.

The large monk's robe draped on his back, slightly swaying with the running motion.

His ears twitched, feeling the flow of air brushing against his body, Himejima was judging everything around him.

Whoosh!

In the middle of his run, he subconsciously turned his head and noticed Sayo, who he had just passed by.

Noticing the clothes Sayo was wearing.

—Kakushi?

His pale eyes blinked slightly.

—That child.

At this moment, Sayo was pulling on the somewhat helpless Senjuro and shouting with tears in her eyes.

Himejima's clear vision swept over the two of them, and his normally calm emotions subtly stirred up a wave.

His heart rate was speeding up.

"Namu."

Feeling the unrest in his heart, Himejima slightly furrowed his brows, quickly put his hands together, and did not forget to chant the Buddha's name while running.

After Tanjuro's transparent world training, he had correspondence with Himejima.

—Of course, the letters were all read by the crow.

In the first letter Tanjuro sent to Himejima, he wrote:

[Do not let your body temperature reach 39 degrees while your heart rate exceeds 200 beats per minute.]

[This will trigger a "state" called "Mark".]

[After opening the transparent world, it is easier to control every inch of muscle in the body, and the above conditions can be achieved autonomously—]

[—But don't.]

[Remember, remember.]

Yes, the letter Tanjuro gave to Himejima was to remind him not to open the mark state.

Opening the pattern can achieve an instantaneous qualitative change in physical fitness, but it also has serious consequences.

—All Demon Slayer who has activated the mark cannot live past 25 years old.

Except for a few people.

And Himejima Gyomei, is exactly 25 years old this year.

In the original work, Himejima did not open the transparent world as early as now.

But he was able to autonomously open the pattern without any external stimulation.

This is what Tanjuro was worried about.

If Himejima "accidentally" opened the pattern under these circumstances—then he would die at dawn on the night he opened the pattern.

...

Himejima is a monk, so he is not curious about the [consequences] Tanjuro talked about.

He had never experienced what Tanjuro had said, being able to control his body to reach a temperature of 39 degrees on his own.

But just now.

The moment he noticed Sayo.

Step.

Himejima turned his head, stopped, and the prayer beads in his hand swayed due to the movement.

His pale eyes looked at Sayo.

Probably——he had mastered the way to activate the patterns.

In a daze, Himejima came back to his senses.

At this moment.

Behind him.

"Ugh——cough cough!!" The old woman used the broom to support herself on the ground, sweating profusely, obviously not light from chasing Rui, she shook her head:

"...No wonder everyone says you're pretending to be blind..."

The hoarse voice coughed, murmuring in a low, helpless voice:

"You were born so strong, how did you become blind... this damned world."

After a pause, she frowned, her face full of wrinkles, and struggled to straighten up, cursing at Himejima:

"Stop blowing your broken shakuhachi!"

"It's so unpleasant!" She cursed as she supported her waist and headed home:

"Your cat..... sounds better than this!"

The old woman walked away, not forgetting to shout back.

Upon hearing this.

"Ah...how heartbreaking..."

Himejima lowered his head a bit sadly, two lines of clear tears silently slid down his cheeks.

Step step step.

"Himejima-san——!"

Senjuro, pulling Sayo, waved his hand and ran towards him.

But he ran for a while, but couldn't pull Sayo who was behind him.

"What's wrong?"

Confused, Senjuro looked back.

"Wait!" Sayo's face tightened, she anxiously pulled Senjuro's hand that was holding her, her eyes hurriedly looked at Himejima in front.

That person!

The robust and intimidating figure is completely different from the tall, thin, gentle and smiling teacher in her memory!

And——

Sayo's gaze lifted, looking at the large Nichirin Chained Flail and Axe under Himejima's large monk robe, a chill flashed.

——What is that?!

Meteor hammer?!

As Sayo's legs were trembling, like a cat that didn't want to go home, she desperately pulled her hand out of Senjuro's.

Suddenly.

Her panicked gaze caught a glimpse of Himejima's eyes and forehead.

Eh?

The long scar and pale eyes overlapped with the teacher in her memory in an instant.

Although there was no eye contact.

But Sayo truly felt it, the emotion called "compassion".

In an instant.

Thoughts kept crossing in Sayo's mind.

Then.

Plop.

Sayo stared blankly, forgetting to resist for a moment, letting Senjuro pull her forward.

Step.

Senjuro raised his eyebrows, he looked at Sayo worriedly.

The girl he was pulling seemed to have her brain crashed.

At this moment.

Without him even noticing.

Creak...

A wrinkled paper man slowly struggled out of his bosom and floated in mid-air.

It attached itself to Sayo, who was coming back to her senses behind him.

The moment it came into contact with the paper man.

Sayo blinked, as if she suddenly found her brain, and raised her head.

But——she was already standing in front of Himejima.

"Excuse me, Himejima-san."

Senjuro was standing to one side, smiling, watching the two of them: "This Kakushi member wants to have some conversation with you, so I brought her here."

"Hmm." Upon hearing this, Himejima slowly nodded, didn't speak, twirled the prayer beads in his hand, bowed his head, and faced Sayo.

He "looked" at the flustered Sayo in front of him.

His emotions were somewhat complex for a moment.

Some things, when he met Kaigaku last time, he had already thought about.

——Why did Kaigaku choose to join the Demon Slayer Corps?

He had made a deal with a demon in the first place.

This question, Himejima had been thinking about it ever since.

Perhaps because of... guilt... atonement... or... survival...

——He was not sure.

But at this moment, upon seeing the child in front of him dressed in the "Kakushi" uniform, nervously facing him.

Himejima's emotions gradually calmed down.

After that near out-of-control rage, he was now incredibly clear-headed.

He knew the answer in his heart.

His "gaze" softened.

In front of him.

Sayo, dressed in a black Kakushi uniform, stood in front of Himejima at the age of twelve, looking very small.

"Ah... ah... yes..." Sayo's voice trembled, she stuttered.

for a long time, her gaze scattered, she stiffly turned her head, looking helplessly at Senjuro beside her:

"Sen..."

Oh no...

Her voice won't come out...

Her eyes were trembling, a sour feeling accumulated in the bottom of her eyes.

She had been waiting for this opportunity all along...!

Under the anxiety and nervousness, tears welled up in Sayo's eyes.

Just when she thought she had messed everything up.

Plop.

"...You've worked hard."

A broad and warm hand gently covered Sayo's head.

"...Eh?" Sayo was puzzled for a moment, her eyes sparkling with crystal tears, she looked up at the top of her head.

It was Himejima.

His expression was gentle, his hand gently stroked Sayo's head,

"You're already twelve years old this year." His pale eyes drooped, Himejima smiled, his voice deep and kind:

"Happy birthday, Sayo."

Himejima had once adopted, all were orphans.

Everyone didn't know their own birthday, so together—they let Himejima, who was like a "father", choose a day for them.

And today, was Sayo's birthday back then.

Upon hearing the words "twelve years old" and her own name, Sayo's trembling eyes could no longer hold back.

Teacher, teacher he—

The tip of her nose was incredibly sour, her eyes quickly reddened, she nodded her head forcefully, guilt surged up in her heart like heavy seawater.

Tears of guilt kept flowing from her eyes:

"Yes! Yes!!"

Plop!

Sayo gritted her teeth, she held back the sourness in her nose, lowered her head, put her hand on Himejima's hand, she sobbed loudly:

"—I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

Feeling the warmth in her palm, the memories of when she was only four years old but were now incredibly clear surged in her heart.

Bean-sized tears fell down her cheeks, her throat choked:

"We, we.....!"

—The paper man on her back was slightly covered, the edges showing signs of being scorched.

In an instant.

Whoosh——

Seven different figures of different appearances and heights gradually appeared around them.

They were all in the form of children, dressed in somewhat worn clothes, a few of them looked at each other.

And together, they slowly put their hands on Sayo, who was crying non-stop.

Sayo lifted her head, her tears blurred her vision, the wound in her heart was opened, and sadness kept pouring out:

"We've always wanted to apologize for what happened that day!"

"Teacher!"

"My brothers didn't mean to run away..."

"Because the teacher's eyes can't see, we must protect the teacher, there are farming tools outside, so we wanted to use them as weapons..."

She hugged Himejima's arm tightly, her guilt pouring out:

"Everyone wanted to go find help..."

"So we scattered..."

—Why do I know these...

Sayo explained in a crying voice.

In her dazed vision, she seemed to see everyone gathered around.

Opening her blurry eyes, she reached out her little hand, wiped her face full of tears, she sobbed:

"If."

"—If we can welcome tomorrow as usual, we can explain everything properly."

"Everyone likes the teacher the most!"

She took a deep breath, recalling everything she had messed up:

"I'm sorry! I'm too stupid, I didn't explain it clearly in the end!"

"It was the teacher who saved me... the one who killed everyone was a demon...!"

"The wrong person is me!"

After saying this, Sayo seemed to have drained all her strength, and she collapsed all at once.

Himejima squatted down slightly, letting her fall on him.

Sayo's eyes were red from crying, her head deeply buried in her arms, her tears quickly soaking her black uniform.

The hoarse sound of crying came muffled from beneath her:

"——Thank you..."

After hearing this thank you that was eight years late.

Himejima squatted on the ground, looking at Sayo who was crying and sleeping on his knee, he was slightly stunned.

Plop.

Tears slid down his cheeks, falling on Sayo's head:

"Ah...ah..."

Creak...

The prayer beads in his hand gradually tightened.

"I am the one... who failed to protect you..."

He slowly bent down, holding Sayo who had fallen asleep, his usually steady voice now trembling slightly.

Vaguely, seven small figures appeared around him, clinging to Himejima like koalas climbing a tree.

Everyone huddled and cried.

...

Himejima's eyebrows drooped, trembling slightly.

Yes——

If tomorrow.

Comes as usual.

He might really become an ordinary monk in a temple.

The children could also grow up smoothly.

Everything——would not develop as it is now.

Creak...

The hand gripping the handle of the meteor hammer gradually strained, the veins popping up.

Everything——is because of...

Himejima raised his head, his pale eyes were extremely heavy at this moment.

——The existence of the Demon King, Muzan.

-----

read up to 20++ advanced chapters on patreon.com/GMadman