Ley stretched out his hands and said, "A hug."

Tomioka Yoshiyuki refused with a cold face: "No."

Rai's eyes gradually became filled with moisture, and Tomioka Yoshiyuki's heart began to loosen. After looking at each other several times, the latter reluctantly surrendered and stretched out his hands to lift her off the ground.

Rai's body was very light and soft. When Rai's body pressed against his chest to find a comfortable position to rub against, Tomioka Yoshiyuki froze and did not dare to move at all.

Children are very fragile, and Tomioka Giyu is a martial arts practitioner. What if he accidentally injures Rai because of his inability to use his strength? He regretted that he had suddenly soft-heartedly agreed to her just now.

Tomioka Giyuu had rested, and they were preparing to head to the next village. After dark arrived, Lay felt that she had another tough battle to fight, so on the way, she very shamelessly wanted Tomioka Giyuu to be her substitute.

Tool, the other party was easy to talk to, so Rai closed his eyes with peace of mind.

... fell asleep.

Rai's little head rested on his shoulder, and the part of Tomioka Giyuu's neck where the broken hair rubbed was slightly oxygenated. One of her little hands unconsciously grasped Tomioka Giyuu's haori, and her chest rose and fell regularly.

Close to his heart.

Just like a kitten that clings to its owner and trusts him wholeheartedly, a strange tingling sensation stimulates Tomioka's whole body. It's strange, but not annoying.

The stiff body slowly relaxed over time, and Tomioka Giyuu was already unconsciously getting used to Lay's presence. He recalled the feeling of his sister holding him in her arms, and fixed Lay with one hand.

He supported Rai's body with a moderate force, and then spread the palm of his other hand to slowly cover Rai's little head, and used his fingers to push away the fine hair stuck to the corners of her eyes.

Looking at the sleeping face of the little girl, the corners of the man's mouth, as pale as water, were slightly curved. The sun was shining favorably on both of them, and the halo of light dimmed Tomioka Giyuu, making him look much gentler.

Such a beautiful scene stimulated Sister Tomioka to tears. She never expected to see such bravery after death. Such a heartwarming scene between father and daughter gave Sister Tomioka the hope that her brother would still be able to get married and start a business in the future. At least she was sure

——Yiyong can definitely become a good father.

Look, wouldn’t it be nice to try out Rai now?

And Tomioka Giyu, who was looking at Rai's peaceful sleeping face, was thinking about something about her——

It is known that Rai often has trouble sleeping. This may be related to what she experienced before coming to the Demon Slayer Corps. Her family left, and she brought with her wonderful medical skills and an unusual persistence in saving people.

Butterfly Ninja mentioned at the Hashira Meeting that Rai might have experienced such a bad and sad thing that he had such a mentality of saving others.

The most direct one may be related to Ley's family. She has never mentioned in front of them whether she didn't want to or was afraid, and what was she dreaming about.

Tomioka Giyuu couldn't figure it out, but one fact that appeared directly in front of him was that Rai, who often had nightmares, slept soundly in his arms.

Does this prove that Rai trusts him from the bottom of his heart?

Can someone like him who can't be saved really respond to Rai's expectations for him?

Tomioka Yoshiyuki, who had low self-esteem, was trapped in an endless cycle, and what broke the cycle was the snoring of the girl in his arms.

【...actually started to snore.】

Ruby couldn't stand to watch anymore, and her habit of being embarrassed for her host happened again.

Giyu Tomioka listening to the purring:...It's a little cute.

This is what children should be like, right?

Because of Rai's interruption, Tomioka Yoshiyuki temporarily stopped thinking about those depressing things and snored. It seemed that she slept well, so he was relieved.

In the past, I was just walking alone, always running as fast as I could, but this time Tomioka Giyuu, who was holding the sleeping Lay, was afraid of waking up Lay, so he just walked slowly among the fields.

The golden wheat grains, the blue sky, the gentle wind with the faint fragrance of flowers, Tomioka Yiyu deeply felt for the first time how much scenery he had missed before. It was so peaceful and beautiful that he was healed unconsciously.

This was undoubtedly brought to him by Rai.

It was like all the burdens were suddenly lifted off. Tomioka Giyuu hadn't felt so light and comfortable for a long time.

As he walked, Tomioka Yoshiyuki suddenly discovered that this road seemed a little familiar, and it seemed to lead to...

The bright and clear scene extended into the distance, and was slowly swallowed by the fog. In the misty color of the fog, a vague mountaintop stood there. That was the master who taught Tomioka Giyu how to breathe water.

The Saagiri Mountain where he lives in seclusion.

He never expected to go through this. Ever since he became a ghost hunter of the Demon Slayer Corps, Tomioka Giyu has never been back to Mount Sagi. He is usually either killing ghosts or on the way to kill them, which makes him helpless.

He took time to come back, but the real reason was just because he was escaping.

At that time, he went to Fujishi Mountain to accept the test of a ghost hunter. In the end, he was the only one who came back, a coward who had never killed a ghost on the mountain. However, the person who had been with Master Lintaki for many years and was the most talented person wanted to protect the statue.

People like him died in that trial.

Out of guilt, Tomioka Yoshiyuki never knew how to face his master.

When I passed by this time, I had to go and see him no matter what...

After several battles between heaven and man in his heart, and with complicated emotions, Tomioka Yoshiyuki still set foot on the road up the mountain.

"...Yoyong?"

Rinataki Sako, who was living alone in Mount Sagiri for the next few years, saw a figure that was more mature than the boy in his memory appear in the mist, but he didn't react much.

"Long time no see, Master Lintaki."

The fog slowly receded, and Tomioka Giyuu stepped into the area where Rinatasa had recently lived. He dryly explained the reason why he was here, "I happened to be passing by, and I wanted to come and see you."

"That's right..."

It seems that tonight's menu has been decided. Under the cover of Kiriten Dog's mask, Ningtaki Sakonji smiled in a good mood until he saw the little girl in Tomioka Giyu's arms——

This time, Rai dreamed of beating the enemy Hakka again, and unconsciously murmured, "Well, dad..."

"dad?"

Hearing the little girl's call to Tomioka Giyu, Ninataki Sakonji's whole body felt bad. No way, his disciple wouldn't really do such a bad thing, would he?!

Ningtaki Sakonji took a deep breath to calm down first and asked: "Giyu, who is she?"

"Ley."

Tomioka Yoshiyuki said her name but remained silent.

Kintaki Sakonji: You should tell me about her origin!

——

"I am Rai, a doctor in the Demon Slayer Corps. I am currently training with Mr. Tomioka."

When Rai woke up, she was told by Ruby what happened while she was asleep. Rai took the initiative to introduce to the stranger in front of him: "I have always heard Tanjiro and Nezuko mention you, and I have admired your name for a long time, Mr. Nintaki."

It turned out to be a misunderstanding...

Ningtaki Sakonji secretly breathed a sigh of relief, "Hello."

"Is this the place where Mr. Tomioka and Tanjiro used to practice?"

After entering the house to rest, Rai asked Tomioka Giyu.

Tomioka Giyu, "Well, Master Nintaki is the cultivator of water breathing. Kamado and I both learned from him."

"Is that the place where you practice swordsmanship?"

Rai pointed to the back mountain shrouded in fog, "Can I go there to play? Mr. Tomioka."

"There are many traps set by Master Linlong in the back mountain, which are very dangerous."

Nintaki Sakonji nodded, "This is to train them, it is not suitable for playing there."

Okay, Rai didn't insist anymore.

Sensing Rai's disappointment at not being able to go to the back mountain, Nintaki made a lot of delicious food last night, not just the radish salmon that Tomioka Giyuu loved to eat.

"Thanks for the hospitality."

After eating enough, Rai put down his bowls and chopsticks and expressed his gratitude to Nintaki Sago for the first time.

"Tanjiro also mentioned you in his letter. It's all thanks to you that Nezuko is slowly developing in a good direction. I should be the one to thank you."

Kintaki Sakonji said, "Let's stay here tonight. Giyuu and I also have a lot to say."

At night, after Lye, who had a room to herself, went to sleep, she used the [lv1 Spirit Separation Technique] to prevent her from going to the back mountain, so she could sneak away.

The scenery on Saagiri Mountain is similar to that of other mountains, but Rai can feel the soul-cleansing emptiness in this mountain. This is probably why there is not a single cursed spirit on such a huge mountain. It’s just that the scenery is much more pure.

Less healed Ley's eyes.

It seems that there is nothing gained tonight, but this is not bad. Although there are points, Rai does not want to encounter the curse spirit often, so it is just a forest bath.

Walking through the dense woods, Rai came to an open space. It was still a full moon night. There was a boulder split in half on the flat ground favored by the white moonlight. Rai jumped on the boulder and sat down to admire the moon.

, walking between two worlds, it was rare for Rai to be so quiet, but this peace did not last long, and was soon interrupted.

"Who are you?"

Rai looked down. It was a young man wearing a white feather fabric, a green top and black pants. His light hair was particularly dazzling in the moonlight. Although his face was obscured by a fox mask, he stood out from the crowd.

Judging from the temperament, Rai intuitively felt that his face should be good-looking, but unfortunately, this was the ghost of a dead person.

"The moonlight is so beautiful tonight. Do you want to watch the moon together?"

Ley invited him.

The young man was silent. He silently jumped to another boulder next to Lai. The cut in the middle was like an insurmountable ditch. The young man sat down together and said, "I remember that you were held by Yiyong today.

The girl who came over?"

"Do you know Mr. Tomioka?"

"I came from the same school as him, and I am his senior brother." The young man's voice sounded muffled, "I am like this because I have already died. What happened to you?"

"My eyes can see ghosts, and I also have the special ability to temporarily separate my soul from my body. I slept too much today, and I couldn't sleep at night, so I came out in this form to admire the moon."

"It can be seen that Yiyong cares about you very much, and you have grown a lot..."

The young man smiled.

"My name is Rai, can I know your name?"

"My name is Qiantu."

The boy who called himself Qiantu took off his fox mask and revealed his true face. He was pretty good-looking, but the scar on his face was a bit scary. His blue-gray eyes clearly reflected Rai's face, "I've actually heard of you.

,Ley——"

"The magical little doctor in Demon Slayer Squad, right?"

Qiongtu smiled and said: "Although I haven't left Samagiri Mountain, ghosts will still pass messages among themselves."

"How did you die?"

Rai asked curiously.

"I died in the ghost hunter trial due to lack of ability. If I could have been stronger at that time..."

Qiantu was a little helpless, "In the end, Master Linlong was sad."

"I occasionally listened to some injured swordsmen talking about the past in the Butterfly House. Some people said that with their abilities, they could not pass the ghost hunter test in Fujixi Mountain. It was because there was a swordsman who was very good at that time.

The young man single-handedly killed almost all the evil spirits in the mountain. In the last trial, except for that young man, everyone else survived."

For such tragic heroes, it is precisely because they are difficult to compare with that people can sincerely appreciate them, "You are very powerful, Mr. Qiang Rabbit."

"……Thanks."

Qiantu could tell that the girl was actually comforting him, and her praise made him a little embarrassed, "I just did what I could do."

That night, Rai and the ghost boy Qiang Tu whom he met by chance talked about many things. Rai told Qiang Tu about the people and things he encountered in his team of demon slayers, and Qiang Tu talked about how most of them were him and rich people.

Oka Yoshiyu’s past bonds.

Although I had heard about Tomioka's elder sister's popular science for a long time, Rai was shocked when she heard Souto say that Tomioka Giyu, who had just come to Mount Sasagiri and became Master Rinata's disciple, was a crybaby and had an unmanly personality.

To be honest, it’s a bit hard to imagine Tomioka Yoshiyuki crying with his face full of snot and tears and saying “I can’t do it...”. This also proves how much impact and change the death of Souto has brought to Tomioka Yoshiyuki.

I have decided to treat Mr. Tomioka better after I return.

Lai and Qiu Tu had a great time chatting. They skipped sensitive topics like life and death and exchanged daily interesting things. It wasn't until dawn when the sun was about to rise, when it was about time to say goodbye, that Lai showed reluctance.

emotions.

"I'm really happy to get to know you, Qiotu. If I come to Samagiri Mountain again in the future, you must come out to see me."

"Well, definitely, I will come here to play more in the future."

Under the light, the transparent Qiu Rabbit smiled so brightly, "That guy Yiyong, I'll leave it to you."

Qiang Tu didn’t think there was anything wrong with entrusting a man in his twenties to a little girl who was only 7 years old. After just one night of acquaintance, Qiang Tu clearly realized that in some aspects his friend was really not as good as him.

A little girl.

After bidding farewell to Tsutomu, Rai returned to his own body. After breakfast, Rai and Tomioka Yoshiyu set off.

This time, without Rai's suggestion, Tomioka Yoshiyuki took the initiative to pick up Rai and bid them farewell. Rinataaki Sasa was in a very complicated mood when he saw this, but he said nothing more. He just hoped that they would have a safe journey and prosperous military fortunes.

.

Rai rested his chin on Tomioka Giyu's shoulder and looked at the figure of the old man who watched them leave on the mountain and never returned. In Rai's eyes, this old man who guarded the entire mountain alone was not lonely, because in his

Beside him, there were a bunch of children wearing masks he carved by himself.

Sometimes, it's a good thing to have such a pair of eyes.

Ley smiled and waved to them.

——

After leaving Saagiri Mountain, Rai, who had been chatting with Souto all night, felt sleepy, so he fell asleep in Tomioka Giyu's arms again.

The butterfly ninja who was waiting for them in the village they must pass through saw the scene of Tomioka Giyu holding the baby, and the whole person fell into an eerie silence.

"...Butterfly, why are you here?"

"I'm a little worried about Rai, so I thought I'd come over and have a look if I'm close..." The Butterfly Ninja looked at Rai's sleeping face and deliberately lowered his voice a lot, "Mr. Tomioka and Rai get along better than I thought.

Woolen cloth."

It would be better to say that the harmony is too much...

"Don't worry, we get along very well." Tomioka Yoshiyuki said very confidently.

Butterfly Ninja: ...It looks similar, but it's just a little bit unpleasant.

"You haven't had lunch yet. Do you want to join us? Mr. Tomioka."

Butterfly Ninja extended an invitation. She wanted to stay with Rai for a while, "I've been hugging him for a long time. Mr. Tomioka must be tired. Why don't you let me hug Rai."

"No, butterfly, your strength is weak, Rai might not sleep well."

Tomioka Yoshiyuki shook his head and refused. It took him some time to adjust to a comfortable position for Ley to sleep. It was not easy for Ley to have a good night's sleep, but he couldn't wake her up just like that.

It's good to be considerate, but what Tomioka Giyuu said was full of gunpowder.

Butterfly Ninja:

...For Rai! I endure it!

"Two portions of radish salmon, please."

"Please give me two servings of three fresh udon."

When ordering, two voices sounded at the same time. After the words fell, their eyes met.

Giyu Tomioka, "So you're very hungry, Butterfly."

Butterfly Ninja said, "No, I ordered the other one for Rai."

"...But, I have already ordered it for Rai."

"After coming out, Rai must have eaten radish salmon with Mr. Tomioka a lot. Occasionally, he has to change the taste."

"I don't eat it often..."

"Are you sure?"

"..."

The restaurant owner seemed to understand the conflict between the two families and spoke out to persuade them: "We are all one family. There is no need to quarrel over this trivial matter. It is better to respect the child's opinion after he wakes up."

Butterfly ninja wears the same butterfly haori and the same butterfly hairpin as Rai, and looks like someone close to him, while Tomioka Giyuu holds the sleeping Rai, and the three of them look like each other in the eyes of the restaurant owner.

A family of three going out for dinner.

The smile on Butterfly Ninja's face, who instantly understood what the other party had misunderstood, froze, "...you misunderstood, I have nothing to do with him."

"Well, it doesn't matter."

Tomioka Giyuu nodded and said: "The children are following me." So just follow my menu.

Tomioka Giyu, who was still thinking about the last round, obviously didn't understand that what they were arguing about was actually something else.

The restaurant owner was shocked. Was it a divorced family?

Ruby, whose host was asleep but whose system consciousness was still awake, was also shocked: ...it seemed like she had eaten something terrible.

Butterfly endured his anger, "..."
Chapter completed!