Are you sad because the former Pillar is about to commit seppuku?
A moment later, Himejima Gyomei provided the answer.
"That young boy named Kaigaku..."
Himejima Gyomei fell silent right after starting his sentence, seemingly unsure how to continue.
Before the two could ask, he inexplicably changed the subject.
"A so-called child is pure and innocent..."
Mizuki, Kochou Shinobu: "?"
What's going on?
"...weak, prone to lying, a collective mass of selfish desires that acts cruelly without a care." Two lines of tears streamed down Himejima Gyomei's face.
Hearing his evaluation, Mizuki couldn't help but twitch her mouth slightly.
Monk, your psychology is a bit dark.
She thought she was already pessimistic enough, but she didn't expect someone to be even more intense than her.
The two couldn't understand Himejima Gyomei's thought process—how he could mention Kaigaku in one sentence and then connect it to children and "a collective mass of selfish desires" in the next.
Himejima Gyomei slowly spoke, offering an explanation: "I once raised helpless children at a temple..."
He began recounting his past memories.
"Although we weren't related by blood, everyone got along and helped each other."
"We lived together like a family."
"I intended to live like that forever."
But... Mizuki murmured to herself.
"But, one night," Himejima Gyomei's voice shifted, "a child who hadn't listened to my instructions hadn't returned after sunset."
"He encountered... a Demon."
Was he eaten?
The two listened silently, not interrupting him.
"In order to save himself, he told the Demon that if it spared him, he could bring it more food."
"To this end, he led the Demon to eat me and the eight children at the temple."
Mizuki raised her eyes, having roughly guessed what he meant.
"That child's name was Kaigaku."
As expected.
Mizuki slightly closed her eyes. With such a history, it makes sense that he would betray the Demon Slayer Corps again, right?
She just didn't know why someone like that could still join the Demon Slayer Corps.
"The region where I lived had a deeply entrenched custom of Demons harming people, so we lit wisteria flower incense burners every night." Himejima Gyomei continued, ignoring their reactions. "That child extinguished the fire in the incense burner and put it away."
"He led the Demon into the temple."
"Soon, four people were killed." Mentioning the painful memory, a faint sadness entered Himejima Gyomei's tone. "I tried hard to protect the remaining four, but three of the children didn't listen to me."
"Those children probably thought I was weak and frail due to limited food, and my Qi was deficient."
Weak and Qi-deficient.
Mizuki's eyelid twitched.
Indeed, a thousand-mile horse is born a thousand-mile horse; talent is innate, and it is difficult to compensate for it no matter how much effort is put in later.
"Unable to shout loudly, and unable to see, what use is an adult like that?"
"Only the youngest, Sayu, listened to me and hid behind me."
"The other three children didn't rely on me and ran away on their own."
"They had their throats slit and died in the darkness."
"I thought I must protect Sayu no matter what, and I stepped forward to fight." As he spoke, veins pulsed on Himejima Gyomei's forehead; clearly, this memory was still an unreleased pain for him.
"The sensation of beating a creature felt like Hell, and I can never forget that revulsion."
"It was the first time in my life I had swung my fist with all my strength, and the power terrified even me."
"If I hadn't been attacked by a Demon, I would never have known how strong I was until I died."
"I kept beating the Demon's head until dawn."
Mizuki suddenly struck her right hand against her left palm, making a 'poof' sound.
Kochou Shinobu subconsciously turned her head, tilting it with a look of confusion.
Mizuki lightly nodded her head: "As a human, you are indeed stronger than Michikatsu."
"Eh?" Kochou Shinobu, unable to follow her train of thought, voiced her confusion.
"I've told you about Michikatsu and me being attacked by a Demon, right?" Mizuki raised her index finger and said, "That guy was useless; if I hadn't stepped in to save him, he would have definitely died."
Kochou Shinobu was stunned for a moment: "Didn't Mizuki say it was Yoriichi-san who saved you?"
"Eh? Was it? Then I must have saved Michikatsu first, and then Yoriichi saved both of us."
Kochou Shinobu: "..."
She figured it didn't make much difference.
Mizuki showed an apologetic expression: "My apologies, please continue."
Himejima Gyomei paused. Being interrupted like that inexplicably lessened the grief in his heart.
He had originally wanted to emotionally state, 'I lost countless things that night.'
"I was injured, risking my life to protect Sayu," Himejima Gyomei recounted. "But that child told the people who arrived..."
"That person is a monster, and everyone was killed by that person."
Kochou Shinobu's pupils slightly constricted. "How could that be..."
No wonder Himejima-san lamented that children are a collective mass of selfish desires, prone to talking nonsense.
"Perhaps she was confused after encountering something terrifying," Himejima Gyomei explained. "The child was only four years old, so it was understandable."
It sounded more like he was rationalizing his own internal sadness, comforting the grief of being betrayed.
"But I, even so, still hoped that at least Sayu would reward me, that she would say thank you."
Good people doing good deeds without expecting repayment does not mean they do not wish to receive thanks from others.
This is not contradictory.
The desire for recognition is human nature.
Just like Himejima Gyomei recounting his memories now, it is perhaps a way to express his grief and seek affirmation from others.
Mizuki, having lived for several hundred years, was no stranger to such incidents, so she could understand Himejima Gyomei's feelings.
She smiled faintly: "Speaking of which, I've also encountered something similar."
Both of them turned their attention to her, adopting a listening posture.
"That happened when I was still a member of the Demon Slayer Corps, when I rescued several young girls from an Evil Demon."
"One of those girls chose to join the Demon Slayer Corps to help the weak, in order to thank me."
Kochou Shinobu was slightly startled. Wasn't this the same as her and her older sister?
Joining the Demon Slayer Corps to thank a Demon Slayer swordsman for their help.
To save more people.
But... Kochou Shinobu looked at Mizuki with faint sadness in her eyes.
It's just that the continuation of this story seemed to be a sad one.
Mizuki was exactly like that—always hiding things that caused her pain deep inside, not wanting others to worry about them.
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