Chapter 88 Meeting between Kaigaku and Himejima (Part 2)

At the staircase.

The simultaneous motionless action of the two people, as if the air had solidified.

"...What."

Kaigaku's action of going downstairs stiffened, he looked at Himejima Gyomei downstairs, his hand holding the railing instantly broke out in a cold sweat.

He slightly opened his mouth, his eyes trembling in astonishment.

In his blue-black pupils, Himejima's robust figure was reflected.

Although Himejima's physique is much more robust than ten years ago, but...

Kaigaku only felt a chill creeping up his forehead, he was panicked inside, and subconsciously wanted to retreat and run away.

- That face with white pupils and a long scar on the forehead, he recognized it at a glance!

Probably, ten years ago...

The monk who adopted him in the dilapidated temple, it was him!

Kaigaku's breathing became rapid, cold sweat was breaking out on his body, but his legs were like lead, and he couldn't move at all.

Why?!

His emotions gradually turned from surprise to horror.

Why is this guy in the Demon Slayer Corps?!

Kaigaku took a deep breath, his scalp numb.

.....He should have been defined as a murderer and died in prison long ago, right?!

...

At the bottom of the stairs.

Himejima Gyomei looked up, observing Kaigaku.

The expression on his face seemed a bit surprised.

This child...

Memories surged up in an instant.

Ah... it's him.

Eight years ago - the child he adopted and treated as a family member.

The child who extinguished the wisteria smoke in the temple and brought the demon into the temple.

The child who made him see the true nature of children.

After opening the transparent world, Himejima's observation of everything became clearer.

He observed Kaigaku's accelerating heartbeat.

The two of them were almost confronting each other, silent for a long time.

Just as Kaigaku was gritting his teeth, sweating profusely, about to suffocate, wanting to forcibly pretend to ignore Himejima, and go downstairs directly.

Himejima's hands were slightly clasped together, his face was full of tears, and his temples were bulging with blue veins:

"You..." His voice was heavy and deep, which scared Kaigaku and immediately stopped, once again daring not to move.

Kaigaku stared at Himejima's movements.

- You? What? What do you want to ask?

His breathing became rapid.

- Is he here to blame me?!

Thinking of this, he was so anxious and anxious that he couldn't stabilize his mentality for a while, and immediately stood up, his eyes dodging and shouting:

"I did nothing wrong..."

Himejima's voice rang out in unison with his:

"Do you want to become a swordsman..."

Upon hearing this.

Kaigaku, who was shouting with his mouth wide open, suddenly froze, his words stuck in his throat, he opened his mouth forcefully but couldn't say anything.

He looked at Himejima incredulously.

In the suffocatingly frozen atmosphere.

Kaigaku slowly closed his mouth, his eyebrows tightly furrowed, a sound almost squeezed out from his throat:

"...Hmm."

Hearing Kaigaku's reply, Himejima nodded as if he hadn't heard his previous sentence.

Just that the hand holding the bead was pinched white.

The red beads in his hand were moving:

"I see."

Then, he took a step forward, step by step towards the stairs.

Step, step.

The heavy footsteps echoed in Kaigaku's ears, he was sweating profusely, and retreated in a panic.

Step.

Finally, 

Himejima reached the corner of the stairs, he stopped next to Kaigaku, a huge shadow instantly enveloped Kaigaku.

Gulp.

Kaigaku didn't dare to move, he stiffened in place, never thought that the weak monk ten years ago would become so robust today.

He swallowed hard, the sweat from his nervousness soaked the clothes on his back.

Himejima was moving the bead, not saying a word.

In the end, when Kaigaku himself was so panicked that his face turned pale, and seemed to be about to faint and fall to the ground.

He slowly opened his mouth.

"Well."

Himejima took a step towards the second floor, his rosary swaying with the movement of his body:

"Work hard."

After saying that.

Step.

The heavy footsteps passed Kaigaku, gradually moving away.

Kaigaku held his breath.

After standing for a while, when he could no longer hear Himejima's footsteps.

"Puff...huff...ha...ha...!"

Kaigaku's legs went soft, and he suddenly knelt down in the stairwell, his hands propped up the ground in front of him, breathing heavily like a fish out of water.

The sweat on his forehead dripped onto the ground, his dazed eyes were full of fear and the emotions of a narrow escape from death.

—If that guy just now wanted to kill me...

—It would definitely be easy!

Thinking this way, he raised his head and looked forward.

The reason to become stronger, to practice desperately—has always been only one.

—To survive.

To be able to survive in any situation.

As long as you survive, the final victory will definitely be yours.

This is Kaigaku's belief to this day.

Eight years ago, he brought a demon into the temple, just so he could survive.

After a while.

Pitter-patter, pitter-patter.

Kaigaku staggered up from the stairwell, stood up, leaning on the stair railing.

In his expression, there was full of unwillingness and hatred.

He gritted his teeth and muttered to himself, looking back at the direction of the second floor:

"Ah...you don't have to say..."

"I will work hard..."

"To become stronger than you..."

By then—you won't be able to kill me anymore!

Suddenly, Kaigaku's eyes became fierce.

No!

By then...

He will strike first.

Thinking this way in his heart, he staggered towards the courtyard.

...

...

Second floor.

Himejima was walking in the corridor, feeling the breath of the people in each ward in the corridor.

The changes in Kaigaku's body just now were all seen by him.

The bulging veins were still throbbing near his temples.

No matter what kind of person—they will reveal their bad nature at the moment of life and death.

Children are even more so.

They are pure, weak, lie casually, and act cruelly without care.

The scene eight years ago, thinking about it now, even he who recites Buddhist scriptures all year round, would still have unstoppable anger surging in his heart.

Just now when he saw Kaigaku, the anger that surged in his heart almost drowned his reason.

Thinking of this.

Plop.

Himejima put his hands together, silently chanting Buddhist scriptures.

At this moment.

At the other end of the corridor.

Tanjuro, leading two children, noticed the arrival of Himejima.

"Himejima-san?"

...

...

Meanwhile.

In the hidden logistics area unknown to Himejima Gyomei.

At this time, it was just the time for the Kakushi to recruit new members.

And the new members of the Kakushi are generally selected from the swordsmen who dare not participate in the final selection, or those who aim for the hidden from the beginning.

"What's your name?"

The Kakushi person in charge of registering the names looked at the young girl in front of him, his eyebrows slightly frowned, and then he sighed helplessly:

"Age? The reason for wanting to join the Kakushi?"

The girl was wearing the hidden uniform she had just received, her expression serious, holding her breath:

"Sa, Sayo, twelve years old!"

She was a bit nervous, the sweat on her forehead betrayed her inner panic:

"I, I want to find a tall and thin person with the surname Himejima."

Saying this, Shadao suddenly closed her eyes, as if resigned, shouting:

"I want to apologize to him!"

Kaigaku will die.

-----

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