52 Demon Slayer: Floating Comment

While Haruto was lost in thought, the Kamado siblings noticed the unexpected visitor standing at their door.

"Who are you?" asked a boy with a small tear-shaped mole under his eye. He straightened up, his expression wary.

"Takeo!" called the girl in the pink kimono, waving him over. At her gesture, the boy hesitated but quickly retreated behind her.

"I'm sorry," Tanjiro said, stepping forward to shield his younger siblings. "The Kamado family isn't selling charcoal right now."

He flared his nostrils slightly, taking in the crisp scent of snow and something deeper, fresher—almost like the essence of the starry sky itself.

Whatever it was, it didn't carry a hint of malice.

"I'm just passing through," Haruto replied, his voice calm. "I was hoping to ask—did anyone here witness a battle nearby? It would've happened either late last night or very early this morning. One of my comrades was injured here, and I'm trying to piece together what happened."

Tanjiro paused, thinking for a moment, before nodding.

"I didn't see anything, but... I smelled it."

"Smelled it?" Haruto raised an eyebrow.

The red-haired boy smiled brightly. "I have a sharp nose!"

"Brother's nose is sharper than a dog's!" Takeo blurted out, only to shrink back as Nezuko shot him a warning look.

Tanjiro chuckled, ruffling Takeo's hair. "It's true," he admitted with a nod. "My sense of smell is extremely sensitive. Last night, there was a foul stench fighting against two others—cleaner, like they carried the scent of water with them. It was brief, and they passed through quickly, so I couldn't pick up much more than that."

Haruto nodded thoughtfully. It wasn't much, but it was a start.

As he processed Tanjiro's words, fragments of text—almost like subtitles in his mind—flashed before him, filling in gaps in his understanding. The girl in the pink kimono was Nezuko, and the boy, Takeo.

[So the cat demon tracked down the Kamado family? They're rushing to report back to Muzan?]
[Obviously. They'll be groveling for Muzan's favor.]
[Nezuko… my Nezuko…]
[Wait, Tanjiro isn't wearing his hanafuda earrings today?]
[Muzan's heart probably skips a beat every time he sees those earrings, lol.]
[If the senior disciples hadn't taken out the cat demon, Muzan might've shown up tonight.]
[Right. The hanafuda earrings are Muzan's only nightmare—Yoriichi's shadow still haunts him.]

The random comments were bizarre and fragmented, but Haruto sifted through them, catching a few key phrases: "hanafuda earrings," "Yoriichi," and "Muzan's fear."

So the demon had been targeting the Kamado family... but why? A family of humble charcoal sellers didn't seem like they'd warrant Muzan's attention. Even with the cat demon dead, were they really safe here?

Haruto glanced at the children, their innocent faces untouched by the danger circling them. He clenched his fists.

"Strong kid!" he said suddenly, giving Tanjiro's arm a playful squeeze and patting his shoulder.

Tanjiro blinked, startled. "Uh… thank you?"

Before he could react further, Haruto continued, "Broad shoulders, firm muscles—yeah, you're in great shape!"

Tanjiro's momentary confusion melted into a proud grin. Puffing out his chest, he declared, "I work hard to stay strong every day!"

"And your head—it's nice and round. Feels solid, too!" Haruto added, ruffling Tanjiro's hair.

Tanjiro beamed, nodding vigorously. "Yup! My head's really tough!"

"You'd make a great swordsman. Come with me—I'll train you to be one of the best!"

"Absolutely, I—wait, what?" Tanjiro froze mid-sentence, the smile slipping from his face. Carefully, he ducked out from under Haruto's hand, frowning slightly. "I'm sorry, sir, but that's not possible."

Haruto blinked. "Why not? I'll even cover your family's expenses!"

"It's not about money," Tanjiro said earnestly, shaking his head. His warm brown eyes softened as he explained, "I'm honored by your offer, truly. But my family needs me here. I can't leave them."

Haruto sighed, his shoulders slumping. "What if they came with us? I'll find you all a place to stay and a new livelihood. Charcoal isn't a trade that'll last forever, you know."

At that, a young woman emerged from the house, holding the younger children close. Her gentle expression was tinged with quiet suspicion.

Tanjiro sniffed the air again, reassured by the steady presence of warmth and kindness emanating from Haruto. Still, his resolve remained firm.

"I'm sorry, Haruto-san," he said, bowing slightly. "My father passed away recently. He's resting there." Tanjiro gestured to a small grave mound beside their home. "It's my duty to stay here, to protect what he left behind."

He straightened, his smile genuine. "Thank you for your kind words and recognition. They mean a lot to me."

Haruto sighed again, running a hand through his hair. This kid...

He knelt on the porch, pulling out some paper and writing tools.

"Fine. But take this. It's a breathing technique—Star Breathing. Along with some physical training methods from a master swordsman I know."

Tanjiro hesitated, but Haruto pressed the notes into his hands.

"Train with these. If you ever face danger, they might save your life."

Haruto also left a pouch of coins, enough to support them for a while. As he walked down the mountain path, he glanced back to see Tanjiro waving.

"Take care, Haruto-san!"

A small bird landed on Haruto's shoulder.

"Mark this location," he told it.

The bird nodded.

"And send a nichirin blade here later."

Haruto sighed, glancing back one last time. The boy, with his dark red hair and unwavering smile, was still standing there.

"Such a good kid," Haruto murmured.

He clenched his fists. If fate meant to repeat itself, it was an injustice he couldn't bear to let happen.