Hiru watched Sanemi land lightly and looked a little surprised.
"...Nice reflexes."
"Then let me show you even better ones!"
Instead of retreating, Sanemi rushed forward. His blue-green blade swept out in a massive spiraling slash straight at Hiru, but before that powerful strike could even finish its arc, layers of crystal spikes erupted and locked it in place. Sanemi's vision blurred, and in the next instant he found himself staring straight into those gray cross-shaped pupils.
"Your courage is commendable."
The icy voice sounded right beside his ear. A sense of danger unlike anything before swept through Sanemi's entire body, but just then Kitaro cried out again.
"Caw! Yoriichi-san!"
Hiru's movement stopped at once, and Sanemi seized the chance to pull away. Looking at the crystal spikes gleaming with a cold light, his expression turned much graver.
"Not even a sound... Isn't this Blood Demon Art way too unfair?"
"Idiot, that's a Blood Demon Art he converted from someone else, caw! Don't even think about beating him inside the Infinity Castle. Run, you moron!"
Hiru withdrew his gaze from the doorway and turned back to Sanemi, but this time his eyes fell on the Kasugai Crow.
"...What an eyesore."
"Caw! I'm helping you! See that guy over there?"
Kitaro stretched out a wing and smacked the back of Sanemi's head hard.
"That guy's Rare Blood, the kind that only shows up once in a hundred years! Once you kill Muzan, you can eat in peace!"
Hiru: ...?
But compared to Hiru, who looked utterly baffled, Sanemi was even more enraged as he circled the room.
"What the hell are you saying, you bastard crow?! Who the hell wants to get eaten by a demon?!"
"Oh my~ That's Akiwa's Kasugai Crow, isn't it?"
Doma looked over as well.
"How impressive~ It brought a man, but he looks wonderfully nutritious~ What a considerate little pet, taking such good care of its master~"
Kanae and the other two looked just as confused, but they did not become too suspicious of the crow. After all, if it had really wanted Sanemi dead, it would not have warned him to dodge just now.
But... why would it say something like that?
"So if you want to eat in peace, hurry up and get rid of all these demons, caw! You finally got a chance to eat. Are you really going to waste time because of that guy's nagging, caw?!"
Hiru drew back his gaze and looked to Doma instead.
"That's true. He is a little noisy..."
The instant Doma noticed Hiru looking at him, he pulled back without the slightest hesitation. But then he heard the sound of crystallization coming from inside his own body, and in the next second he lost his balance. Seeing that all-too-familiar angle again, Doma was not discouraged at all. Instead, he burst out laughing.
"As expected of Akiwa~ Once the paintings are gone, I really am no match for you~ Though it seems Akiwa has gotten stronger too, hm?"
Watching Doma's head gradually turn into white crystal, Hiru spoke in a flat voice.
"They were only paintings that split apart power and emotion in the first place... Hm?"
Hiru lowered his eyes to Doma, whose body had started to break apart. After a brief moment of surprise, a rather delighted smile appeared on his face.
"So that's how it is. If the original demon dies, the demons he transformed die too? Have I been worrying for nothing all these years?"
"I never thought my lord would lose first~"
The cracking sound of crystal still rang in Doma's ears, but he could not stop the collapse that had begun with the loss of the Demon King.
"What a surprise~ But Akiwa, aren't you going to keep me? Don't you like me?"
"Yes, I do. Because you're white, and your eyes are beautiful, and I do like the way you talk..."
Hiru lowered his gaze.
"It's just a shame you're Muzan's demon."
"Is that so~ Then I suppose there's nothing to be done~"
Doma smiled, unconcerned even as his head crumbled away. His rainbow-colored eyes remained fixed on Hiru.
"I really did want to stay with Akiwa, but since my lord lost, there's not much I can do~ Now then, Akiwa~ I'll be waiting for you in Hell~ But before you get there, remember to eat properly, all right~"
Watching the fragments finally turn to ash, Hiru released his hand and let the half-formed crystal head roll to the floor. Then his eyes turned back to Sanemi.
"...Ah. I really should eat properly."
Pinned by those emotionless gray eyes, Sanemi felt the hairs on his body rise. But after that brief exchange just now, his desire to fight had already dropped. Letting out a long breath, he lowered his voice and glanced at Kitaro.
"Hey. What now? Don't tell me you brought me here just to deliver a meal."
"...Run, caw."
"...Huh?"
"I brought you here to draw his attention so people would be led over to Muzan's side, caw... Who knew that guy would die so fast."
Kitaro turned his head, met Sanemi's stunned stare, and pecked his cheek hard.
"What are you standing there for? Run, caw!"
"I'm telling you right now, if I survive today, you're dead, you damn crow!"
"Don't worry, caw! Even if you die, I won't! Until he eats you, he won't go after anyone else, caw!"
"%￥&...￥￥#"
Hiru: ...
[It smells great, but if I eat it, is my brain really going to be okay?]
Hiru shifted his gaze and looked at the three people who were quietly trying to back away, only to freeze the moment he noticed them.
[These ones don't look very smart either... and they don't smell good.]
Hiru began seriously considering whether he should eat this meal before his brother arrived.
But before he could figure it out, another group of unwelcome guests entered the room, and one of them greeted him with remarkable enthusiasm.
"Hiru-san! It's great to see you looking so lively. How are you feeling right now? Can you still suppress the urge to eat people?"
[...Are there really no normal people at all?]
"There's a confused smell... Did I do something wrong?"
Tanjiro looked up at Hiru.
"Don't worry, I didn't say anything about the memories!"
Hiru stared at Tanjiro for a moment, then turned to the other three who had come with him.
"...He didn't say anything?"
"Well... it's more like he said something without really saying it."
Sabito studied Hiru, one hand already resting on the hilt of his sword.
"So, are we fighting you next?"
But Hiru ignored them and only looked in the direction Sanemi had fled.
"As I thought... I won't be satisfied unless I at least taste it."
"Are you talking about Shinazugawa-san? It smells like he just left here."
Tanjiro followed after Hiru with perfect naturalness.
"But Hiru-san, didn't you say before that no matter how badly you want to eat, you have to endure it? So that you can meet your end as a human."
"...I never said anything like that."
"You did! You said it when you were helping me train to overcome my appetite!"
Hiru frowned, stopped at the doorway, and lowered his gaze to Tanjiro. Then he held out a hand toward him.
"...You're really noisy."