Demon Slayer: I am a Demon.

Su Mu smiled.

Urokodaki Sakonji was slightly taken aback, then smiled and said, "Indeed, time is precious. In the blink of an eye, I've grown old."

He sighed, his expression turning serious: "Just now, I saw you training not far away. Although I don't know everything, I have a general understanding. Now, I will begin training you based on your situation."

"I will completely follow Urokodaki-senpai's arrangements."

Su Mu nodded: "However, there are still younger children like Takeo, Hanako, and Shigeru. I hope Urokodaki-senpai can offer some guidance."

"Ah."

…………

Urokodaki Sakonji was a great instructor. Under his guidance, they corrected many of the mistakes in their previous training. Even though he didn't understand 'battle spirit', he could still give Kanao some advice.

Under Urokodaki Sakonji's guidance, Su Mu felt that his understanding of himself was clearer. In the past, his understanding of many things, whether it was swordsmanship or 'breathing techniques', was all based on his own exploration.

Even though I've developed a set of methods that suit me, there are always some unavoidable mistakes.

Sakonji Urokodaki, who has gone further and has more experience, can undoubtedly provide a lot of experience and help avoid some wrong paths.

…………

Time always passes by in busyness and fulfillment.

Every day, Su Mu is either busy building houses or following Tanjiro to receive guidance from Urokodaki. Sometimes he will also go down the mountain to buy some essential daily necessities.

He was not short of money. Although he was not a swordsman of the Demon Slayer Corps and did not receive any salary, it was still easy for him to make some money at night.

As a few more days passed, the assessment for 'Fujiyama' was about to begin. He noticed that Urokodaki Sakonji was acting strangely when instructing them, and Makomo, who was wearing a mask, was no longer working so hard. She would either stay by Urokodaki Sakonji's side or sit alone on the stone covered with sword marks.

…………

Makomo sat alone on the stone covered with sword marks for a long time, gently stroking the marks on the stone.

Those who left behind the sword marks have mostly left, except for her and only Giyu Tomioka.

She was not afraid of death and had long been prepared to die on this road, but in her heart, there was always something she could not let go of. Just as Sabito entrusted himself to take good care of his master before leaving, she also wanted to entrust someone before leaving.

But she...

There is no one to whom I can entrust my concerns.

now

She was the last one.

If she were to leave too, her most respected master would be left all alone, which was what she couldn't let go of the most, and she was even more afraid and worried that her master would once again place all the blame on her.

Will I repeat the mistakes of my senior classmates?

Under the gentle moonlight, Makomo looked at the bright moon hanging in the dark night, at the cool moonlight that fell, and then turned back to look at the huge stone covered with sword marks.

"If I also fail, let my soul remain here."

She lowered her head and sighed softly. When she raised her head again, the girl's eyes had become firm.

The girl drew her Nichirin Blade from her waist and, under the moonlight, slashed out, carving her own mark on the hard boulder.

Sheathing his sword, Makomo hurried back.

Halfway there, the girl stopped and looked up. Under the gentle moonlight, the man sat on a tree branch, holding a leaf and playing a tune she couldn't understand. Although she couldn't understand it, it sounded very nice.

Seemingly sensing the girl's arrival, Su Mu jumped down from the tree and landed in front of Makomo.

His figure was very tall and imposing, exuding a powerful aura. Makomo had to look up to see his handsome face under the moonlight.

Over the past few days, Makomo has gradually become familiar with this person, as well as the Kamado family.

He must be a very good person.

This is Makomo's assessment of this person.

Good evening, Ms. Makomo.

Su Mu looked at the girl in front of him wearing a fox mask with her eyes closed and a smiling face: "Mind taking a walk together?"

Invited late at night, a lone man and a lone woman, one tall and imposing, the other petite and seemingly fragile—on such a night, if the man were to act on his primal instincts, the woman would generally have little resistance.

Makomo wasn't too afraid, but she felt a little awkward. After all, walking with someone late at night wasn't a very good idea for a girl.

But I felt that the other person had something to say to me.

So, after a slight hesitation, I nodded.

Su Mu shrugged and walked ahead. Makomo glanced at his tall figure, tilted her head, and immediately followed.

Soon, Makomo returned to the huge rock where she had been, and saw Su Mu staring at it.

This puzzled Makomo.

"Miss Makomo, do you think Sabito's soul might still reside here, continuing to protect his beloved Urokodaki-san?"

Chapter 126 Everyone cares about you, even if... you're a ghost (4/4, two chapters combined)

"Miss Makomo, do you think Sabito's soul might still reside here, continuing to protect his most beloved Urokodaki-san?"

Su Mu stood before the massive rock and seemed to see a boy with flesh-colored medium-length hair, silver pupils, wearing a light blue blade, a yellow, orange, and green tortoise-shell patterned haori, a white outer robe, and a serious-looking fox mask with open eyes, standing on the boulder and looking at him.

Makomo couldn't help but look up at the boulder, but she didn't see any figure. She only felt a gentle breeze brush against her cheek, carrying a warm scent.

Will it?

Makomo murmured softly.

"Close your eyes and feel it."

Su Mu spoke in a low voice at this moment.

Makomo hesitated for a moment, looked at the boulder, and closed her eyes slightly.

I didn't sense Sabito's presence, but I felt a warmth watching over me, which seemed to be Sabito's aura.

The familiar scent, which seemed so familiar before, now feels strange.

Makomo didn't know if this aura was Sabito's aura. Perhaps it was, perhaps it wasn't. But if souls truly existed in this world, Makomo roughly knew that Sabito would stay here, just like herself. If she left, she would also stay here as a soul.

A tear rolled down the corner of the girl's eye.

After a while, the girl opened her eyes and seemed to see Sabito's figure on the huge rock. Sabito was standing on the boulder, looking at her, opening his mouth, loudly and urgently trying to say something to her.

A strange bittersweet feeling welled up inside me.

Makomo raised her head, looked at the tall figure standing in front of her, and said, "You asked me to walk with you just to say this?"

Su Mu turned around, looked at Makomo, and asked seriously, "Can you see Sabito's soul?"

"Did you see it?"

Makomo's eyes were filled with confusion.

Su Mu shook his head.

"How could a soul possibly exist in this world? When a person dies, they just die. However, if a soul truly exists, perhaps both Sabito and I would remain here."

Makomo looked at the boulder in front of her, at the sword marks left on it, and her voice became inexplicably low.

"Didn't you see it?"

Su Mu frowned slightly. In the anime, Tanjiro trained here, attempting to split a boulder, and Sabito and Makomo provided guidance in the form of their spirits.

But perhaps, these are just imaginings in Tanjiro's mind.

Or other factors.

After thinking for a long time, Su Mu still couldn't figure it out.

…………

A gentle breeze, carrying a hint of cold, blew by. Su Mu came to his senses and looked at Makomo beside him. The girl seemed to be getting impatient.

However, the girl's personality seems to be quite gentle; even though she wanted to leave at that moment, she was still waiting politely.

He smiled and said, "I heard that Miss Makomo is going to 'Mount Fujikasa' in the next few days to participate in the swordsman assessment?"

Makomo looked up, glanced at Su Mu, but didn't say anything.

"I wonder if Miss Makomo could take us along?"

Su Mu also revealed the purpose of his trip.

Makomo, who had been silent all along, raised her head and looked at the tall man in front of her: "I know you must really want to hunt demons, or you must be very interested in hunting demons, or for some other reason, but I want to tell you that dealing with demons is not that simple."

Although the voice was ethereal and light, it was unusually earnest.

"I know."

Su Mu nodded.

"You have no idea."

Makomo gritted her teeth and looked up at the man in front of her: "Some time ago, I followed a ghost-hunting team to hunt ghosts and track down a ghost... But now, the entire ghost-hunting team has been sacrificed. They were all cruelly killed by that ghost."

Makomo looked at the man in front of her: "Do you know what the meaning of 'total sacrifice' is?"

The image of Hiroshi Furukawa and his group involuntarily surfaced in her mind. They were so warm and caring towards her. It was just a simple farewell, and that was it.

Even just thinking about it fills my heart with sadness.

"Stop thinking about demon hunting. Your master has received a message from Kasugai, who wants you to become trainers of 'Sun Breathing'. It's more important to train more 'Sun Breathing' swordsmen than to kill one or two demons. That's not something that can be compared to killing one or two demons."

"Although Ms. Makomo said so, I still want to see the 'Fujikasayama' test."

Su Mu smiled.

"Don't you understand what I'm saying?"

Makomo was already quite annoyed: "You're playing with your life. You may be happy now, but have you ever thought about the pain that the people behind you will suffer?"

"The person behind you?"

Su Mu looked surprised.

"Kanao, Lady Aoi, Nezuko, Tanjiro, Takeo... they all care about you so much, can't you feel it? If you really leave because of this, what kind of sorrow will they be plunged into? Do you understand what kind of pain they will suffer?"

Perhaps thinking of herself, of Sabito's departure, of her senior brothers and sisters, and of the sudden departure of Hiroshi Furukawa and the others, Makomo was very annoyed: