Chapter 84 Agatsuma Zenitsu.

...

On another mountain top.

A bare, charred tree stood here, struck by lightning.

On the tree, a blond boy with his arms wrapped around the fork of the tree, his mouth open, his eyes rolled back, was moaning unconsciously:

"Cough ah..."

White smoke rose from his body, the tears just now were evaporated by the lightning, and he weakly let go of the tree trunk he was holding.

Whoosh...

The whole person lost his balance and fell heavily to the ground under the tree.

In his mind, his consciousness was hazy.

- Struck... by lightning...

- What a tragic life...

- Could it be... I'm going to die like this?

A great sadness suddenly engulfed him in his heart, but the tears of crying were powerless to well up in his eyes.

- How embarrassing...

His golden hair was smoking, and his yellow kimono was faintly blackened.

Thud!

He fell heavily to the ground, his limbs stiff, his feet facing the sky.

On the side.

An old man with a peach wood cane, white hair, a scar on his face, and a somewhat fierce look, was opening his mouth:

"Ah...!" He opened his hands, staring blankly at his disciple falling from the tree.

Tap tap tap!

He quickly took a few steps and walked to the side of the blond boy.

He casually threw the cane in his hand to the side,

"Zenitsu... Zenitsu!"

He squatted down, his eyes scanning over Zenitsu, the old man was a bit flustered - this was also the first time he had encountered such a situation:

"Can you still hear me?!"

His gaze lingered on Zenitsu's head for a second.

The hair color... the hair color has changed!

The old man looked at Agatsuma Zenitsu, who was lying down with his eyes rolled back, in horror, and a bad idea rose in his heart.

- This kid is not very smart, his brain won't be fried, will it?!

- What should I do...

But looking at Agatsuma Zenitsu's rigid appearance, the old man didn't dare to move him on his own for a while.

"Ha..." Zenitsu unconsciously opened his mouth, and white vapor kept coming out of it.

The old man bent down, put his ear on Zenitsu's chest, and listened carefully to the strong heartbeat coming from it.

After listening for a while and finding that there was no major problem, the old man let out a long sigh of relief.

Clap clap!

He helplessly sat on the ground, patted Agatsuma Zenitsu's head with his hand, and said:

"It's good that you're not dead, it's good that you're not dead..."

At this moment.

Tap tap tap!

Two layers of fast running footsteps came from the other side.

The old man's ears twitched slightly, he instinctively gripped the peach wood cane lying on the ground next to him, and watched the direction of the footsteps vigilantly.

Until -

"Sakonji!!"

A familiar shout came from that direction.

Kuwajima Jigoro was taken aback, he looked at Zenitsu in front of him, and looked back.

After seeing the red tengu mask of the comer, he exclaimed in a somewhat hoarse voice:

"Sakonji?! "

Click.

Propping himself up with a cane, Kuwajima Jigoro blinked his eyes, glanced at Tanjuro standing next to Urokodaki Sakonji, and then asked in confusion:

"How did you get here?"

It was at this moment.

Kuwajima Jigoro's right leg, supported by a wooden prosthetic, was fully revealed to them.

Tanjuro stood next to Urokodaki Sakonji, looking at Kuwajima Jigoro.

The former Sound Hashira—Kuwajima Jigoro.

Once hailed as the "strongest in the Demon Slayer Corps," he held the same influence in the corps as Himejima Gyomei does today.

He retired after losing his right leg in a battle.

He and the former Water Hashira—Urokodaki Sakonji, were once partners.

At the same time, Tanjuro's slightly apologetic gaze bypassed Kuwajima Jigoro.

Looking at the unconscious Agatsuma Zenitsu being protected behind him.

The poor child who was struck by the lightning he had summoned this time.

I'm sorry.

Tanjuro stared at Zenitsu, whose hair had turned golden, and silently apologized to him in his heart.

However...

Recalling the original story, Agatsuma Zenitsu was also struck by lightning.

Tanjuro couldn't help but reach out, scratch his own face, shift his gaze to the side, and look at the distant mountains.

What is this—inevitability of fate?

At the same time.

Urokodaki Sakonji silently looked at Agatsuma Zenitsu on the ground, hesitated for a moment, and then looked back at Tanjuro.

When he just met Tanjuro and found that the other party was unharmed.

Urokodaki was shocked.

—From his perspective just now, that lightning really struck near Tanjuro.

And the falling of that lightning...

Was it just a coincidence?

He glanced at Tanjuro, who was avoiding his gaze.

Urokodaki Sakonji came back to his senses, and he explained to Kuwajima Jigoro:

"...I saw the lightning strike, and I happened to think you were nearby, so I came to check."

"I see."

Kuwajima Jigoro looked a bit tired, he turned his worried gaze back, and looked anxiously at the two in front of him:

"As you can see... Sakonji, and you, can you help me..."

He looked at Zenitsu: "Take this child back first."

"He is my disciple, an unlucky kid."

Step.

Tanjuro took a step forward under the puzzled gazes of the two.

"Let me do it." He said, squatting down, and gently lifted Zenitsu.

Seeing this, Kuwajima Jigoro moved his gaze away from Tanjuro and looked at Urokodaki in confusion, as if asking—who is this guy?

As a comrade-in-arms for many years, Urokodaki understood Kuwajima Jigoro's meaning in an instant.

"This is Kamado Tanjuro-san." Urokodaki explained, and gave an example:

"He is the swordsman who was talked about in the corps a while ago, who defeated an Upper Rank."

Upon hearing this, Kuwajima Jigoro was stunned, he stared at Tanjuro, feeling the other's presence that seemed to be non-existent:

"Is it him?"

After lifting Agatsuma Zenitsu, the group followed Kuwajima Jigoro back to his residence in the peach grove.

...

...

On the other side.

Himejima Gyomei's residence.

He lived in a city, on a street, in a house that looked like a temple from the outside.

Step.

A robust figure walked to the front of the house.

After finishing the mission report and submitting it, he also finished some trivial matters in the team - after all, two Upper Ranks died at once, which was a major issue.

Only then did Himejima have time to return to his residence.

"Amitabha." Himejima put his hands together, twirling the prayer beads, the tears on his face seemed to have never dried up. 

He reached out and gently opened the door, his movements as gentle as if he was afraid of waking something.

Creak...

But the wooden door inevitably made a sound.

At this moment.

Inside the house.

Under the huge monk's robe covering the floor.

There was a small bulge moving.

"Meow, meow~"

A small white head peeked out from under the monk's robe, it curiously looked at the position of the door, its deep blue eyes blinking.

Plop, plop.

"I'm sorry..." Himejima walked into the house lightly and closed the door: "I came back late."

He turned around, picked up the white cat that had jumped over with both hands.

He casually took out some food from his body, crushed it with water, and fed it to the kitten.

As he gently stroked the cat, a sincere smile appeared on Himejima's face.

But while stroking the cat.

Himejima suddenly paused.

He suddenly remembered Tanjuro's unparalleled perception ability the night before.

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