Roy slowed to a stop, standing there in the dense mountain forest as sunlight filtered through the leaves and scattered patches of light across his body, draping him in a mottled robe of sun and shadow.
He couldn't help thinking back to when he had first entered the world of Demon Slayer, when he had returned home with Tanjiro just like this. At that thought, his emotions surged like an endless tide. Then he took a deep breath, lifted his foot again, and slowly walked toward the small fenced yard ringed with wooden stakes.
Tap… tap…
The footsteps drew closer and closer.
A faint trail of steps extended all the way out of the forest. At some point, hearing the sound, Takeo and Shigeru—who had been in the yard spinning tops—thought Tanjiro had returned from chopping firewood. Calling out "Tanjiro-nii," they turned around—
and met Roy's warm, gentle eyes head-on.
The hemp whips they were holding in their hands dropped to the ground with a slap.
"Big brother!"
"It's big brother!"
Excitement, shock, disbelief—all of it burst into the Nen rising from above their heads, painting the air in a brilliant crimson glow.
Takeo and Shigeru shouted at the top of their lungs, forgetting all about their tops as they bolted toward Roy like the wind. In their panic, Shigeru tripped over a rock and let out a startled yell as he pitched forward toward the ground.
But just then, a leaf drifted down, a breeze stirred, and with a casual flick of Roy's hand, [Breath of Wind] swept out, spiraling around Shigeru and gently setting him down by Roy's side.
Shigeru's little head filled with big confusion. He clearly froze for a second, then came back to himself, looked up at Roy—who was a full head taller than even Tanjiro now—and threw both arms around Roy's leg.
"Big brother… I missed you so much!"
"Big brother, me too… I missed you too!" With Shigeru already wrapped around Roy's left leg, and before Roy could even give them a mock glare, Takeo pounced in right after him and grabbed his right leg with both hands.
As the commotion grew louder and louder, Roy stood there at the gate with three little ones hanging off him and smiled toward the yard…
Nezuko, Grandma, and a tiny little girl still learning to talk—her hair tied into two little tufts on top of her head—came wobbling out, led along by the others.
"Nezuko, Grandma, Hanako…"
"Rōichirō-nii…"
"Good child…"
"Yiyaa…"
Little Hanako shrank timidly behind Grandma, clearly shy around strangers. Seeing that, Roy crouched down and patted his arms open toward her.
"Come here, Hanako. Come to big brother."
Behind him, Tanjiro took the chance to slip back down to the ground, smiling as he listened and watched. Encouraged by Grandma and Nezuko, Hanako was eventually gathered into Roy's arms along with them.
Soft little sniffles could be heard.
It was Nezuko crying from how much she'd missed him.
Roy didn't say anything. He just gently stroked the girl's forehead in silent comfort, until—
the curtain at the kitchen doorway on the east side of the yard was lifted, revealing Kie, her head wrapped in a scarf.
Still crouched there, Roy grinned at her.
"Mother, I'm home."
Kie was still wearing her apron, and there were bits of steamed rice stuck to her hands. She froze for a second—then her eyes instantly reddened.
"You're back… It's enough that you're back… that's enough…"
"Anata…"
"Rōichirō's home…"
Cough, cough—
A violent fit of coughing sounded from the main house. Then a thin, gaunt figure slowly stepped out. One hand was clenched over his mouth as he tried hard to suppress the discomfort in his lungs. Even though it was already summer, he still had a blanket draped over his shoulders. Leaning against the doorframe, he looked over with a smile…
Father and son.
Their hearts moved as one.
They nodded to each other at the same time.
In that single moment, it was as if nothing had been said—and yet everything had.
"Back?"
"Back."
"Come inside."
"Mm."
Roy stood up. Takeo hung from one leg, Shigeru from the other. One hand held Hanako, the other held Nezuko. Behind him came Tanjiro, thoughtfully taking the basket off his brother's back.
Together, they slowly headed toward the main house.
"Heh heh… good child. Go keep your father company. I'll help your mother."
Grandma, her white hair now streaked with even more silver, hunched over and stepped aside to let him pass. Then she turned and shuffled slowly toward the kitchen.
At the kitchen entrance, Kie lifted the curtain, wiped away her tears, and smiled at Roy.
"We're having sushi today. Two days ago I had Tanjiro buy a live fish at the market, and we haven't killed it yet—it's still in the tank. We'll prepare that too in a bit."
Roy had no objection. "Sounds good. I happened to stop by the market too and bought some things."
With that, he led the younger ones over to sit down along the veranda of the main house. With a thought, he activated [Sumeru Mustard Seed]. Reaching into it, he started pulling things out one after another like a magician doing tricks, leaving Tanjiro, Takeo, Shigeru, Nezuko, and the others staring in complete shock.
There were new clothes for Nezuko, Takeo, and Shigeru.
A bamboo pinwheel for Hanako.
Fabric for Mother, Father, and Grandma.
Snacks for the children.
Meat, rice, oil, and other household supplies.
It piled up in front of them like a small mountain, so much that everyone's eyes went wide.
"Nii-san, did… did you empty out the whole market?!"
"How did you even carry all this back?"
"Oh my God…"
There was too much—far too much. The dazzling spread was almost impossible to take in all at once.
Roy just smiled and didn't explain. Then, with a flip of his hand, he pulled one more thing out of [Sumeru Mustard Seed]—
a [Nen-crafted wooden sword] he had carved in advance for Tanjiro—
and tossed it to him.
Thanks to Ging, Roy now had his own unique understanding of how to successfully "enchant" objects.
This [Nen-crafted wooden sword] carried part of Roy's understanding of the sword. How much Tanjiro would be able to grasp from it in the future would depend on his own diligence and talent…
"Ah—"
The moment the sword landed in his hands, Tanjiro's eyes lit up at once. He hugged it like a treasure, turning it over and over in his hands, staring at it from every angle. There was no room for anything else in his eyes anymore.
Right on cue, Takeo shouted, "I knew it! Nii-san—people keep saying you're a god. And sure enough, only a god could make a giant pile of stuff appear out of nowhere, right?"
"Who said that?"
"Tanjiro-nii did…" Shigeru and the others stared at Roy with sparkling eyes, then immediately pointed at Tanjiro and tattled. "Nii-san said all the aunties at the market were saying that…"
Only then did Tanjiro reluctantly tear his gaze away from the [Nen-crafted wooden sword]. Scratching the back of his head awkwardly, he said, "Everyone saw it. I wasn't making it up."
Roy reached out and accepted the teacup Tanjuro handed him. After taking a light sip, he answered vaguely, "If they say so, then let them say so."
Takeo and Shigeru immediately let out excited yelps and started bouncing around Roy in circles—
only to have Nezuko grab each of them by the ear after shooting them a fierce glare.
Apparently, while their big brother had been away, Nezuko, as the eldest sister, had done quite a bit of "disciplining."
Roy smiled at the sight. Then he closed [Sumeru Mustard Seed], slowly took several boxes of medicine from his clothes, and, according to the usage instructions, carefully arranged them one by one in front of Tanjuro.
His flame-red hair swayed gently in the breeze as he smiled at his father.
"Father. Medicine… medicine that can cure your illness."
The instant those words fell, the wooden veranda went silent.
Tanjiro and Nezuko visibly trembled.
Even Takeo and Shigeru, who were still being held by the ears, stopped fooling around.
Even little Hanako, clutching her bamboo pinwheel as she lay on the wooden floor covered with a soft rug, looked up first at him, then at her father—
and stayed quiet without making a sound.
In the end, only Tanjuro remained seated there cross-legged before the low table, staring down at the medicine boxes. Ripples stirred in his eyes, and his breathing clearly quickened.
His heart was anything but calm.
He still remembered that snowy, storm-filled night.
Right there behind the house.
The moment he handed over the hanafuda earrings the Kamado family had passed down for generations, the boy had sworn to him:
"I'll absolutely find a way to cure you."
And now…
he had really done it.
The man covered his mouth, forcing himself not to cough. Then he raised his eyes again and stared blankly at the hanafuda earrings hanging beneath the boy's ears, swaying along with that blazing red hair.
Kie and his mother approached with sushi, fried fish cutlets, and miso soup.
Tanjuro never once questioned whether the medicine would work, nor did he ask Roy where it had come from.
A faint smile rose at the corner of his mouth.
Looking at the boy gently, he said, "Those earrings chose the right person."
Suddenly, something stirred in Roy's heart. Vaguely, it felt as though he had seen Yoriichi smile freely before him.
Borrowing the words of a certain predecessor, Roy replied, "Father… in the end, I was fortunate not to fail my duty."
Fortunate not to fail my duty…
Tanjuro, with that same flame-red hair draped behind him, paused for a beat—
then smiled too.
Just then, Kie and Grandma arrived.
"Time to eat."
Roy and Tanjuro shared another smile.
One calmly told Tanjiro to slice up the cooked food Roy had bought and arrange it into a platter, while the other simply sat there watching the boy direct everything with quiet assurance, his eyes full of pride.
Very soon,
the dishes were all ready,
everyone was gathered,
and on that bright, breezy noon,
they shared a rich, hearty meal together.
After the meal,
Grandma took Hanako for a nap.
Nezuko led Takeo and Shigeru off to sort through the gifts Roy had brought.
Mother Kie gathered up the dishes and carried them to the kitchen to wash.
And just like that,
it was Roy sitting with Tanjuro again, talking, and spending some time playing with the younger ones until the sun tilted west and night finally arrived.
Only then did Roy stand up. After teasing Hanako for a while and letting her chubby little hands grab at his face, he turned his head toward Tanjuro and said, "Father, good night."
Then he lifted Takeo in one hand and Shigeru in the other, brought Tanjiro along, and headed back to the west room to sleep on that familiar shared sleeping platform.
Tap… tap…
The tall boy walked ahead, with the slightly smaller Tanjiro following behind, while the two little ones bounced around at the side. Under the moonlight, their shadows stretched out and tangled together, falling into Tanjuro's eyes.
The man watched them deeply.
Until the door opened,
then closed again,
and a trace of melancholy surfaced in the depths of his gaze.
Creak—
The door shut, separating father and son into inside and outside—
into two different worlds.
A summer night breeze rose, carrying the scent of earth and washing away the day's heat.
With his back to the door, Roy could clearly sense that the aura outside—Tanjuro's aura—had taken on a muted gray sadness.
The boy stood there in silence for a moment. Then he took off his shoes and socks, climbed onto the sleeping platform, and casually laughed and played with Tanjiro, Takeo, and Shigeru for a while longer.
Only after watching them fall asleep
did he quietly get off the bed, step outside under the clear moonlight, and gently push the door open.
He looked toward the veranda of the main house…
Just as before, Tanjuro was already seated there, a pot of cold tea prepared on the low table in front of him, silently waiting.
"Father."
"Come."
At his call, Tanjuro gestured for Roy to sit.
So once again, they sat facing each other across the low table.
Not in the bitter cold of winter this time—
but in the heat of summer.
Father and son looked at one another.
It felt as if everything had changed.
And yet, as if nothing had changed at all.
Neither of them was the first to speak.
After a long while, Hanako suddenly let out a soft baby murmur from inside, and by sheer coincidence, it broke the silence.
Only then did Tanjuro slowly pass Roy a cup of tea and ask,
"You're leaving again?"
"Yes."
Roy took the teacup in hand and rubbed its surface without drinking from it.
He answered honestly.
Across from each other,
father and son
fell into silence once more…
The heavy mood slowly spread.
Roy took a deep breath, pretending not to notice Kie listening in from inside. Gently stroking the curse on the back of his hand, he said in a low voice,
"The world's troubles may have been settled, but my own story is far from over."
"Father, there are things I have to do. Things I must do."
"So please… forgive me, and forgive Mother as well."
"Rōichirō…"
From inside, Kie could hold herself back no longer. Carrying a lamp, she stepped out of the darkness.
The woman came to Roy, sat down beside him, set the lamp on the low table, and reached out to touch his cheek. Her eyes turned red again almost immediately, and her voice trembled as she said,
"My son, you've done nothing wrong. You don't need to apologize to us."
"If there are still things you haven't finished, then go and do them. As long as your father and I are alive, we'll wait for you—one day at a time."
A long sigh drifted up beneath the rafters and lingered there for a long time.
Tanjuro stayed silent, simply watching and listening as Kie fussed over Roy, giving him one instruction after another. One cup of tea after another went down in his hands.
Tonight, there was clearly no hope of getting a good night's sleep.
Only after the mother and son had finished speaking their hearts out
did the man finally speak.
Looking at Roy kindly, he said,
"You heard your mother. There's no need for me to repeat it all."
"Rōichirō."
Tanjuro straightened his posture and looked at the boy with rare solemnity.
"Your mother and I aren't the same. I only have one request of you."
"Stay alive."
"Even if you never come back, I don't care—as long as you are safe and unharmed."
The [Transparent World] opened.
At that instant, when Roy met Tanjuro's bright, clear, tranquil gaze head-on, Silva's figure overlapped with it in his mind.
They were two people utterly different in temperament, power, life experience, worldview—even the worlds they belonged to were completely different.
And yet, in that moment, they aligned perfectly. You were in me, and I was in you, impossible to separate.
At some point, even Yoriichi Tsugikuni—who now lived within Roy's "swordsmanship" as little more than a final thread of spiritual force—couldn't help but let out a quiet sigh in Roy's heart.
"Rōichirō… you have a good father. A very good father. Far better than the father I ever was…"
"Yes," Roy replied inwardly, his heart surging. "My fathers are both wonderful."
"That's why I have to give everything I have to fulfill the promise I made to them…"
"And defeat him fair and square."
Yoriichi: "?!"
~~~
Patreon(.)com/Bleam
— Currently You can Read 50 Chapters Ahead of Others!