Actually, I still hadn't quite recovered. Seeing him too close now, I couldn't help wanting to shrink back.

  When I'd nearly been cut, I'd seen Ohagi waving at me from across the river.

  But Uta hadn't calmed down yet. If I showed signs of psychological trauma, she'd very likely scold Yoriichi until dawn.

  That wasn't good. Him trying to kill me wasn't originally wrong. Couldn't let him be blamed by Uta for this forever.

  I gritted my teeth, suppressing the urge to tremble. Just my voice was a bit stuttering. "Oh, oh, I, um, my name is Tachibana Chihaya."

  Yoriichi sat very properly. He'd removed that blade, placing it aside. He suddenly stood again, moving his cushion farther back before bowing deeply to me.

  "Thank you for saving Uta and the child."

  Uta said he didn't like talking, but when he spoke, he was clear and methodical. Felt very steady.

  "This is undoubtedly extremely important kindness to me. Yet I didn't verify the facts, raising my blade against you. I'm very sorry."

  With him farther away, I could relax slightly. Shook my head slightly. "No need to apologize to me. As a demon hunter, seeing a demon, you should act. That's not wrong."

  My existence already counted as the Demon Slayer Corps' taboo. Before consulting this generation's Ubuyashiki, I couldn't tell Yoriichi about myself.

  But he seemed to accept that demons who didn't eat people also existed in the world.

  "You differ from the demons I've encountered before. Your aura is very pure," Yoriichi said. "I should have noticed this."

  From his meaning, seemed like the person I'd sent to stake out had been caught by the Demon Slayer Corps.

  That person was just an idler. After being caught, scared half to death, couldn't even speak clearly.

  Holding Uta's handkerchief, saying I wanted Yoriichi to come to this residence address. Must come alone.

  I fell into thought. This, this way of expressing it, indeed sounded very ominous.

  So him having preconceptions, thinking a demon who'd killed Uta was hidden here, using his wife's personal item to provoke him—didn't seem so strange after all.

  After Yoriichi briefly explained the reason, he immediately stood to take his leave.

  "I still have companions not far away providing support. I must explain clearly to them," Yoriichi said. "Please allow me to visit again in a few days."

  He walked out. Just then, Uta carried sleeping Koe over from next door.

  "Yoriichi, look! This is Koe!" Uta smiled, shaking the baby's hand. "See how cute she looks sleeping!"

  Yoriichi didn't respond. I craned my neck toward the doorway, discovering he seemed frozen. His back indescribably stiff.

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  After a very long time, he carefully extended one finger, lightly touching Koe's face.

  The baby's tender skin made him rapidly withdraw his hand, becoming flustered.

  "I'll return soon." He said softly to Uta, as if not daring to look at that tiny baby again.

  To get a better look at this rarity, I'd already moved from inside the room to the doorway, watching him flee rapidly from the residence. This time he remembered to use the front door.

  Uta turned back, seeing me, smiled. "Yoriichi got shy. Ah, tonight really startled you. Do you want to eat anything else? I'll make some food. After you eat, rest well."

  Don't know how Yoriichi explained to his companions. Anyway, no second person climbed the wall again.

  After eating, I peacefully went to sleep.

  Several days later, Yoriichi indeed came again. This time showing especially high emotional intelligence, even bringing a box of premium sweets as apology for the other day.

  The only flaw—he brought a companion.

  Though I'd never met that person, he looked especially familiar.

  Especially when he sported very distinctive hair, grinning at me with big white teeth, I blurted out, "Rengoku? What are you doing here?"

  "Pardon me. I am Rengoku Seijuro. Coming uninvited, please forgive me." His voice was resonant. From his volume, very much in the Rengoku family style.

  "I learned about matters concerning Miss Chihaya from my great-grandfather's notes. Therefore, Yoriichi didn't conceal it."

  He pulled out a letter from his chest, handing it over with both hands. "Furthermore, I came also to deliver a letter for the Master."

  Hm? Even if Yoriichi discovered me, no need to specially write me a letter, right?

  The Ubuyashiki hadn't contacted me for many generations.

  Puzzled, I accepted it, waving my hand for Yoriichi to go see Uta. Only keeping Rengoku beside me to wait, opening the letter on the spot.

  The letter indeed mentioned something extraordinary.

  After Yoriichi joined the Demon Slayer Corps, he brought "change" to this organization passed down for centuries.

  This was my first time hearing about Breathing Styles' existence, and that Nichirin blades in the hands of swordsmen using Breathing Styles would actually change color.

  No wonder Yoriichi held a black blade.

  Thinking of this, I poked my head around, deliberately lowering my voice to quietly ask, "What color is your blade?"

  Seijuro of the Rengoku family, meeting me for the first time, cooperatively also lowered his voice. "My blade is red. Very beautiful!"

  Tch. He actually showed off.

  Limited by length, the letter was rather brief. Details would be supplemented by Rengoku.

  What first revealed Yoriichi's specialness—his instructor discovered his astonishing swordsmanship talent. Any technique, just one look and he'd learned it.

  Moreover, Yoriichi would improve learned techniques, displaying terrifying lethality in sparring.

  When others asked about the secret, Yoriichi realized besides him, no one knew that special breathing method. Similarly couldn't see the world in his eyes.

  "In Yoriichi's eyes exists a world ordinary people cannot reach. He seems able to see the essence of all things."

  The Ubuyashiki's letter wrote thus. "Learning of this, I was overjoyed, sleepless all night, couldn't help recalling the difficulties along this path... Without question, Yoriichi is heaven's gift to the Demon Slayer Corps—a turning point."

  Ubuyashiki writing me this letter had no other meaning. He wanted to ask me to also learn Breathing Styles from Yoriichi.

  Because I had more time than ordinary people. Even if my talent didn't match his... as long as I persevered in practice, one day I'd see that transparent world in Yoriichi's eyes.

  This matter was very important to Ubuyashiki. I needed to pass down Yoriichi's talent... until some future day when a child similar to him appeared, then pass this precious experience to that person.

  The Demon Slayer Corps, passed down so many years, actually already had stable swordsmanship lineage inheritance—divided into five major schools: Flame, Wind, Water, Thunder, Stone. Though Yoriichi learned basic sword techniques, based on his own Breathing Style, he created completely different swordsmanship.

  Rengoku said, "Our individual physiques differ. We cannot completely master the Breathing Style Yoriichi described. So we combined our respective practiced swordsmanship to improve and adjust. Now showing initial results."

  Initial results meant their combat power against demons shot up a huge chunk. Casualty rates continuously dropped considerably.

  Rengoku also told me this generation's Demon Slayer Corps Master believed the Breathing Style Yoriichi mastered should be called Sun Breathing.

  It was the origin of all Breathing Styles. Also like the sun, bringing everyone new hope.

  ~~~~??~~~~~~~~??~~~~

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