"I have to admit, I'm still a little surprised…" Kagaya said, looking at the Hashira who had collapsed unconscious. His voice carried a trace of emotion. "Hiru's method is certainly… straightforward. When he explained these things to me the same way before, I was quite shocked as well."
"Shocked?" Hiru clicked his tongue. "Your reaction back then was much calmer than mine. After suppressing your appetite, you even had the composure to tidy up the room."
"Well, it was the first time in my life I had experienced such a healthy body," Kagaya said, the faint smile on his lips widening slightly. "I couldn't help wanting to try things I'm normally not able to do."
He glanced at the unconscious Hashira before continuing.
"Besides, no matter how immersive that Blood Demon Art felt, I was always aware that I was only an observer. Naturally, it was easier for me to remain calm."
A trace of regret crossed his expression.
"It's just a pity that I know nothing about martial arts. On the night you became a demon… I couldn't change the outcome for you."
Hiru paused slightly and looked away.
"Even if you had changed the outcome, I wouldn't be able to turn back time. At best… it would only offer a little comfort."
"But for humans, even that kind of comfort can matter a great deal," Kagaya replied gently. "Most of the time, people aren't really seeking a result. What they want is simply the reassurance that something exists."
His gaze slowly shifted toward Yoriichi.
"Didn't Hiru manage to save someone, after all?"
Hiru followed his line of sight. Yoriichi had maintained the exact same posture since the meeting began.
"By the way, Brother," Hiru said, "you still remember what I told you at Miss Tamayo's place, right? No matter what happens—"
Yoriichi paused slightly and turned to look at him. His expression grew solemn.
He opened his mouth several times before finally managing to speak.
"No matter what happens… I must never stop you… And… and…"
"And make sure you become the last demon left in this world," Hiru finished.
A trace of helplessness crossed his face, though the corners of his mouth still lifted into a faint smile.
"If the worst truly comes to pass, I'll be waiting for you then. I told you before, didn't I? Souls do exist—even if people can't see them."
Yoriichi's throat shifted slightly, but he said nothing. He simply lowered his head again, returning to the same silent posture as before.
During their brief exchange, the Hashira who had fallen unconscious began waking one after another.
Uzui was the calmest among them. He merely raised a hand and rubbed his temples
But judging from the sudden chill in the air around him, Uzui's mood was anything but pleasant.
Beside him, tears were already streaming down Gyomei's face. As he rolled the prayer beads through his fingers, he quietly chanted Buddhist sutras in a steady rhythm.
Yet each time the beads turned in his hand, a faint crack echoed from within them. A closer look would reveal that the once smooth, polished beads were now covered in countless fine fractures.
Even without looking at the others, Hiru knew someone had to break the silence.
"In short, if you have any questions or complaints, say them now," he said flatly. "Personally, I don't intend to waste time on this."
"Even if you say that…" Uzui's voice was deeper than usual. "How exactly do you expect me to accept that a companion I've fought beside for years is actually a demon?"
"You seem pretty calm right now, though."
Before the words had even fully left his mouth—
Rrip.
The sharp sound of cloth tearing cut through the silence.
The bandages that had wrapped around the blade were still drifting slowly through the air when the crimson-gold edge was already resting against Hiru's temple.
Uzui held the Nichirin Blade steady in his hand, scarlet eyes glinting coldly.
"You were the one who said we should wipe out demons completely, weren't you? In that case, there's no problem if I cut you down right here… is there?"
"Wait!" Kanae finally snapped back to her senses. "Mr. Uzui, Mr. Hiru isn't—"
"It's fine," Hiru interrupted calmly.
He didn't move at all, allowing the blade to remain pressed against his temple.
"My regenerative ability is extremely strong, and I've already overcome many of the usual weaknesses demons have. Without a Bright Red nichirin… even if I stood here and let you swing, you'd probably collapse from exhaustion before you managed to kill me."
A brief stalemate followed.
Uzui's gaze shifted toward Yoriichi, who hadn't moved at all.
"Tsc."
He reversed his grip and drove the blade into the ground in front of him, refusing to look at Hiru any longer.
"I have a question as well…" Gyomei said, tears streaming down his face. "If Hiru truly is a demon from several hundred years ago, then what exactly is Yoriichi? A human you've bewitched… or another demon like you? In the memories you showed us earlier, Yoriichi never appeared."
"Hmm… Yoriichi really is my brother," Hiru replied. "Though strictly speaking, we're closer to cousins. I was adopted into the Tsugikuni family."
He gave a slight nod.
"As for what happened afterward…" Hiru said, "I had some rather unpleasant dealings with the Demon Slayer Corps. So what I showed you earlier only covered my family's tragedy, how I became a demon… and the memory of the first time I ate."
"Then why didn't you show the rest?" Sanemi demanded, his face twisting as veins bulged across his forehead. "What, did you stop because you ate people afterward and didn't dare show it? Or do you think our resolve to hunt demons would waver over something like that?!"
Obanai also turned his gaze toward Hiru.
"I heard footsteps around that time," he said quietly. "Someone arrived, didn't they?"
"Yes. The one who came was my brother," Hiru replied calmly. "As you can see, I survived. But… I said some extremely embarrassing things back then. And afterward, I really did end up clashing with the Demon Slayer Corps."
He shrugged faintly.
"So that part of the story is something I'd rather not show you."
Uzui finally turned his head again.
"What? You're bold enough to admit you're a demon, yet that's what you're afraid of?" Uzui said incredulously.
"Yeah, I am," Hiru replied without hesitation. "After all, I'm the only one who knows about that embarrassing part of my past. Why would I share it so everyone else can remember it too? I do have my dignity to maintain, you know."
His blunt, almost shameless honesty left Uzui momentarily speechless.
Sensing the conversation drifting toward another deadlock, Kagaya gently spoke up to draw everyone's attention.
"If you'll allow me," he said softly, "I would like to say a few words."
As everyone's gaze turned toward him, Kagaya straightened his posture and bowed deeply.
"Before I begin, I must first ask for your forgiveness."
The Hashira were briefly confused.
But soon, they understood the reason for his action—and their expressions immediately filled with shock.
"To tell the truth," Kagaya continued as he slowly straightened, his gaze still gentle, "I had already deduced the identities of Yoriichi and Hiru one year after they joined the Demon Slayer Corps."
"For keeping this from all of you until today, I offer my sincere apologies."
He continued calmly.
"I believe everyone here studied the Corps' history after joining," Kagaya began calmly. "When the Demon Slayer Corps was first established, Breathing Techniques did not yet exist."
"It wasn't until roughly four hundred years ago—during the Sengoku Era period—that the Five Great Breathing Styles first appeared."
"But what does that have to do with you helping the two of them hide their identities?" Uzui asked.
Although he had a good personal relationship with the brothers, he had no intention of letting the matter end so easily.
"The fact that they're demons can't just be brushed aside today.
"No disrespect," he continued, "but the Demon Slayer Corps having two demons serving as Hashira? Even if it was meant to maintain unity or stability… that's still ridiculous."
Kagaya did not argue.
He simply smiled gently and gave Uzui a small nod, signaling for him to be patient before continuing.
"But the Five Breathing Styles were not the first breathing technique.
"The original breathing came from a wandering swordsman who refused to leave his name behind.
"Yet that Breathing Style was extraordinarily powerful. At the time, even swordsmen who held the title of Hashira found it difficult to master."
He paused for a moment.
"That breathing technique…"
"…was what we now call Sun Breathing."