Two figures made their way down the mountain path, one ahead of the other.
Tanjiro’s face still carried the excited flush from splitting the boulder, but exhaustion had settled in underneath it.
Two years of grueling training had surged to a peak in that one moment and then quickly drained away, leaving nothing behind but aching muscles.
“I’m starving…” Tanjiro rubbed his stomach and muttered under his breath.
“I think I smell food.”
“Don’t look at me,” Shinsuke said.
“It’s your turn to cook tonight.”
Tanjiro pointed toward the cabin.
“No, no, Senior, I mean Master!”
Shinsuke took a proper sniff this time, and sure enough…
A faint, warm aroma was drifting from the direction of their cabin.
The rich savoriness of broth, layered with the smoky char of something grilled, and the deeper, more complex notes of seasoned sauce.
The two exchanged a glance and picked up their pace without a word.
The moment they pushed open the wooden door, a wave of heat and fragrance hit them in the face.
Tanjiro stopped dead.
Inside, the hearth was burning bright and hot.
A large pot sat over the flames, thick milky-white broth rolling in a steady boil, and on the small charcoal grill beside it, several fish had been grilled to a beautiful golden-brown, their skin gleaming under the firelight.
The surrounding space was covered in ingredients, crisp green wild vegetables, plump mushrooms, soft white tofu, cleanly sliced daikon, and even two small plates of fresh meat.
Urokodaki sat beside the hearth, his tengu mask set aside, his face wearing that expression that tried to look stern but couldn’t quite hide how gentle it was.
He looked up at the sound of the door.
“Did you do it?”
“I did!” Tanjiro straightened up immediately and nodded hard.
“I split it!
Master!
I split that boulder!”
Urokodaki held his gaze for a moment, then shifted his eyes to Shinsuke.
Shinsuke raised his hand with a grin.
“I can vouch for it, clean down the middle, smooth as a mirror.”
Urokodaki was quiet for a few seconds.
Then he gave a small, unhurried nod.
“…Tanjiro.
You’ve done well.”
Tanjiro stood there a little stiffly, because over two years, he hadn’t been praised all that often.
Shinsuke reached over and gave him a pat on the shoulder to help him relax.
“Now that you’ve split the boulder,” Urokodaki said slowly, “the two of you are qualified to participate in the Demon Slayer Corps’ Final Selection.” This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
Tanjiro’s eyes went wide instantly and he held his breath.
Shinsuke just raised an eyebrow, looking completely unsurprised.
“The selection is in three days,” Urokodaki continued.
“The location is Mt.
Fujikasane.
I’ll give you the route.”
He waved them over to sit, his voice softening just slightly.
“For now, eat first.”
“Hot pot~”
Shinsuke had already kicked off his shoes and stepped inside, eyes lighting up.
“And grilled fish!
Master, you’re finally showing off your cooking today!”
“Less talking, wash your hands.” Urokodaki pointed to the washbasin in the corner.
“Then sit down and eat.”
“Yes sir!” Tanjiro nodded vigorously, his eyes going a little red around the edges.
The two of them washed up quickly and settled down by the hearth.
The warmth and the smell of food wrapped around them, driving off the cold of the mountain and the bone-deep fatigue of training.
“Let’s eat!” Tanjiro pressed his palms together and announced it loud enough to nearly lift the roof.
Shinsuke had already picked up a grilled fish and taken a bite.
“Five stars!!!”
“Crispy outside, tender inside, Master your cooking is something else!”
“So good!” Tanjiro ate with both cheeks stuffed full, happiness shining in his eyes.
“This grilled fish is incredible!”
“Master’s cooking is a hidden talent,” Shinsuke said through a mouthful of fish.
“I spent the first eight months trying to learn it and managed to burn things five times.”
Urokodaki made a sound of dismissal.
“That’s because you’re slow.”
“Yes, yes, absolutely, I’m very slow.” Shinsuke agreed cheerfully and dropped a piece of tofu into Tanjiro’s bowl.
“Eat up, little brother-in-law, feed your brain, try not to hold us back during the selection.”
“I am not going to hold anyone back!” Tanjiro shot back immediately, but ate the tofu anyway like the honest person he was.
It turned out to be scalding hot, and he spent the next few seconds doing an involuntary juggling act with it in his mouth.
Urokodaki watched the two of them wolf everything down in silence, then picked up the ladle and added a scoop of hot broth to each of their bowls.
The warm broth went down smooth and rich and savory, sending heat all the way to the stomach.
Tanjiro drank a big mouthful and let out a long, relieved breath.
“I’m alive again…”
Steam curled up lazily from the pot, and the smell of food and the warmth of the room made the little cabin feel like the coziest place in the world.
Tanjiro talked about what it had felt like in the moment the boulder split, Shinsuke threw in the occasional teasing remark, and Urokodaki mostly just listened quietly, nodding here and there.
In that moment, there were no demons, no Rare Blood, no heavy fate looming overhead.
Just a master and his two students, sitting around a bubbling hot pot, like the most ordinary family in the world.
As the meal was winding down, Urokodaki set down his chopsticks and walked over to a cabinet.
A moment later he turned back around, holding two objects.
They were two fox masks.
One had a sun painted on the forehead, and the other wore a gentle, smiling expression with curved eyes.
Tanjiro’s attention locked onto them immediately.
“These are…” he asked softly.
“Protective masks,” Urokodaki said, handing the sun fox mask to Tanjiro.
“I’ve placed a charm on them to keep misfortune away from you.”
Tanjiro accepted it carefully with both hands, and his reddish eyes filled with warmth.
“Thank you, Master!”
Urokodaki nodded, then picked up the smiling mask and turned toward Shinsuke.
“This one is for you…”
“Master, I won’t be needing one.”
Shinsuke spoke up suddenly, cutting Urokodaki off mid-sentence.
Urokodaki’s hand froze in the air, caught off guard.
Tanjiro looked over at Shinsuke, equally puzzled.
Shinsuke smiled, reached into his robe, and slowly drew something out.
It was also a fox mask.
But it looked nothing like either of the two Urokodaki was holding.
On the left side of this mask’s face were two delicately carved blue flowers, giving its smiling fox expression a warmth and liveliness that set it apart entirely.
This is…!!!
Urokodaki’s pupils contracted sharply.
He recognized this mask.
He recognized it far too well.
It was Makomo’s mask.