After returning to the Wisteria House, Rengoku did not sleep for a single night. He kept watch through the depths of the night until dawn, then from dawn until dusk. At last, he waited until Yoriichi and Hiru returned.
He went to greet them at once, his gaze lingering more on Hiru.
“You’re back. About yesterday—”
“I’m sorry, Rengoku-san,” Yoriichi said as he pulled Hiru along, sorrow heavy in his voice. “Could we talk about it tomorrow?”
Rengoku looked at Hiru, who quietly followed behind Yoriichi. After a mont of silence, he nodded.
“Alright. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
…
The next day, when Rengoku sought Yoriichi out again, Yoriichi still refused.
“I’m sorry, Rengoku-san. Hiru, he—”
Rengoku cut him off.
“Yoriichi, we both know this isn’t sothing that can be hidden forever.”
“I know. I just wanted to—”
“Let go in and speak with Hiru.” Rengoku looked at him steadily. “I know you’re both good children, but as a Hashira, I can’t simply ignore this.”
“…I understand.”
However, when the door was opened, the room was empty—save for discarded sketches scattered across the floor. Hiru was nowhere to be seen.
A flood of ominous thoughts imdiately rushed through Rengoku’s mind.
“Hurry, Yoriichi!” He pressed a hand to Yoriichi’s shoulder and dragged him back out of the room despite Yoriichi’s confused expression. “We need to find Hiru before he does sothing foolish!”
“…Sothing foolish?” Yoriichi asked, bewildered.
“Yes! We absolutely can’t let him do sothing foolish! Otherwise, it’ll be irreversible!”
“Why would it be irreversible?”
“Well, obviously because—”
Rengoku broke off mid-sentence, his gaze snapping to the side.
“That has nothing to do with you—Hiru?”
Hiru stood there with a tricolor dango clenched between his teeth, carrying a large dessert box in each hand. He looked utterly speechless.
“Didn’t you say I was about to do sothing stupid? And now it suddenly has nothing to do with ?”
Rengoku stared at Hiru, half his body bathed in sunlight, his expression completely blank.
“You… you shouldn’t be… That’s not right. Did I see wrong?”
“Rengoku-san wanted to talk to you,” Yoriichi said helplessly as he took the dessert boxes from Hiru’s hands. “And you still went and bought this many sweets?”
“When you’re in a bad mood, you’re supposed to eat sweets,” Hiru said, finally freeing a hand to grasp the skewer and bite down on the last dango. “Sweets are power.”
“Hiru, you… last night… I rember seeing…” Rengoku pointed stiffly at his own eyes. “Are you really alright?”
“Oh, that.” Hiru watched as Yoriichi’s expression instantly turned complicated, yet he continued calmly, making sothing up without a change in tone.
“If you eat a demon, you get that kind of effect. After consuming a demon’s flesh and blood, I can temporarily gain a demon’s power. If you don’t believe , Rengoku-san, you can catch one tonight and let try.”
To Hiru’s surprise, Rengoku visibly relaxed.
“So that’s how it is. You have the constitution of a demon eater, then.”
【…What is that supposed to be?】
Hiru hadn’t expected his offhand fabrication to be accepted so easily, but he nodded anyway, keeping his expression unchanged.
“Mm.”
Yoriichi could no longer bear to watch. He silently turned his head away and carried the dessert boxes into the house.
“Then there’s no problem,” Rengoku said. “I should go write my report to Oyakata-sama.” He patted Hiru on the shoulder. “I know you and Yoriichi have complicated family circumstances, but you still have to look forward.”
“…Alright. Thank you.”
“Good! Once I’m done with the report, let’s eat together. My treat!”
“Huh? Why?”
“It’s nothing! Just a senior looking out for a junior! It’s decided!”
“…That was strange.” Hiru muttered as he walked inside. “What exactly does he want?”
“He probably just wanted to confirm whether you were a demon,” Yoriichi said as he gathered up the sketch papers Hiru had scattered everywhere. “And he even deliberately held back the report… Rengoku-san is a very good person.”
“He is, but he’s a bit slow.” Hiru opened one of the boxes and reached for the exquisitely made wagashi inside. “Tetsushiro even left records about the two of us. And he just believed sothing I made up on the spot. Does that kind of constitution really exist?”
“I think it does,” Yoriichi said as he sat properly at the table, carefully smoothing each wrinkled sheet of paper.
“The Rengoku family has followed the Ubuyashiki clan in slaying demons for a thousand years. Their foundations are deep. Soone must have witnessed such a case and recorded it, which is why Shinjuro accepted it so quickly.”
“That makes sense…” Hiru took a bite. “This cream daifuku is really good too. The texture’s subtle. Want one, brother?”
“Then I’ll have one.”
Hiru pointed out the sweets he liked, and after the two of them finished off both dessert boxes, Hiru slapped his cheeks hard.
“Alright! Enough moping—ti to pull myself together!”
Yoriichi reached out and gently rubbed the top of Hiru’s head, smiling softly.
“That’s good.”
“But next ti you run into Kokushibo, don’t hold back,” Hiru said firmly. “I’ll help you too.”
“I didn’t hold back.”
“That’s nonsense. You didn’t even use the Bright Red Nichirin Sword—how is that not holding back?” Hiru sighed, his gaze resolute.
“Next ti, we’ll bring our eldest brother ho. No matter what form he’s in, he has to bear responsibility for what he’s done. As for reminiscing as brothers… we can do that when we et again in hell.”
Yoriichi fell silent for a long ti. He closed his eyes tightly, then opened them again, clarity returning to his gaze.
“…Yes. Next ti, we’ll bring our brother ho.”
...
anwhile, Ubuyashiki Kagaya also received a letter from Rengoku.
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