Demon Slayer: Breath of Desire

At the rear of the Swordsmith Village, in the guest residence.

After a long stretch of silence in the courtyard, Mitsuri got bored.

She finished swallowing the last of her cherry mochi, brushed the crumbs off her hands, and stood up with a serious look on her face.

"It’s decided! Today I’m going to the hot springs until my head spins!"

Obanai, who was still sitting on the tree branch with his knees pulled up, looked at her in surprise.

"Right now?"

Mitsuri nodded gravely. "We’re leaving soon, and I don’t know when I’ll be back. Today I’m going to enjoy myself properly." She tilted her head up, eyes sparkling. "Do you want to come with me?"

A sudden silence fell over the branch.

Go together... to the hot springs?

Obanai froze, and his cheeks burned instantly.

"I-I..." His voice came out a little dry. "I’d rather not."

"It wouldn’t be appropriate."

Mitsuri tilted her head, and her braids slid over her shoulders.

"Don’t we go in wrapped in towels? What’s wrong with that?"

Obanai’s face turned even redder, and Kaburamaru, the snake coiled around his neck, felt the wave of heat and slithered down to his arm with a hiss.

"It’s still uncomfortable, even with towels," he muttered with mild irritation. "Mitsuri, you’re a girl. You need to pay attention to these things."

Mitsuri blinked, then smiled.

Her eyes narrowed into two little crescent moons, and the corners of her mouth curled up mischievously.

"Ooh~... So Iguro-san is embarrassed."

"Shut up!"

Obanai’s voice rose, but he buried his head even deeper.

Mitsuri didn’t mind at all and waved at him with a smile.

"That’s fine. If Iguro-san isn’t coming, then I’ll go take a bath all by myself~"

She crouched down to pick up the enormous basin with the leftover mochi and went off in little skips, humming a song.

Her three braids swayed against her back in rhythm with the flutter of her skirt.

Obanai stole a glance through the gap in his arms and lowered his head again. Kaburamaru hissed, as if letting out a sigh.

...

At the entrance to the village.

The gate looked simple, yet solemn. Two figures stood before it: one tall, one short.

The shorter one drew a wooden tag from her sleeve and handed it to the other.

"This is your credential for entry and extended stay. Keep it somewhere safe, Marcus-kun."

"I’ll be heading back now. Kagaya still needs me."

Nodding, Marcus took the tag.

"Thank you very much for your trouble, Miss Amane."

Amane shook her head and set off on her return.

Since the Swordsmith Village was the nerve center of the Demon Slayer Corps, not even the Kasugai crows were permitted to fly there; the route was guided in stages.

Even at headquarters, almost no one knew its exact location.

For Kagaya to allow Amane to guide him directly—without blindfolding him or covering his nose—was a clear sign of trust.

Marcus lowered his gaze to Nezuko.

The girl was still asleep against his chest, breathing evenly, a thread of drool at the corner of her mouth.

"Wake up, we’re here."

No response.

He pinched her cheek, but Nezuko only mumbled something and burrowed in deeper.

"...Never mind, keep sleeping."

Having to match Amane’s pace, the trip had taken quite a while. Nezuko had gone from excitedly chasing butterflies to turning into a little sleepyhead.

Standing before the solemn village, Marcus heard the distant ring of hammering and caught the thick smell of sulfur in the air.

It was a good place... but a shame.

He didn’t know when the attack would happen, or whether his own actions would alter the course of events.

Nor did he intend to sit around camping out waiting for a hypothetical attack. If the invasion came before he found the Type Zero and met up with Mitsuri, he wouldn’t mind defending the place; otherwise, he’d simply warn Kagaya so he could consider relocating the village.

That alone would be more than enough.

After adjusting his hold on Nezuko, he went in.

Off to one side, a man in a Hyottoko mask was waiting for him, and he bowed the moment he saw him.

"Demon Hashira-sama! Greetings."

Marcus narrowed his eyes. The man seemed familiar, but with so many identical masks in the village it was hard to tell them apart.

"Who are you?"

"It’s me, Kanamori!" the man answered excitedly. "I’m the one who gave you your first Nichirin Blade! Do you remember?"

Marcus laughed softly. "Oh, it’s you! It’s been a while!"

Kanamori rubbed his hands together, a little self-conscious. "I didn’t expect you to remember me. I’ll be showing you around the village today and taking you to see the chief."

"That’s not necessary," Marcus said, waving it off. "I only came for one specific thing—don’t go to any trouble."

Kanamori hesitated. "You’re here for the Love Hashira, aren’t you?"

Marcus raised an eyebrow. "You know about that?"

"The chief put me in charge of it. Since the maintenance on her sword requires the utmost precision, he asked that no one interrupt him so he can finish as soon as possible—unless it was you."

"How long will it take?"

"Until tomorrow around noon, at the earliest."

Marcus nodded. "All the more reason to let him work in peace. I’ll take a walk on my own."

Kanamori tried to object, but seeing Marcus already moving ahead, he just nodded. "...Understood."

After a few steps, Marcus stopped and took a deep breath.

Rust, sulfur, charcoal, wood, and earth... The mixture of smells saturated his heightened sense of smell to the point of being unpleasant.

Even so, there was one faint trace that never once escaped him: the scent of a woman.

Right then, for instance, he’d caught an exceptionally sweet aroma.

It was a cloying sweetness, like honey, the kind that stirred the instinct to bite.

A smile spread across his face. He got a firm hold on Nezuko and, in a single burst, vanished.

Swish

Kanamori only felt the gust of wind rush past him, and when he looked again, the space in front of him was empty.

"That... that’s fast..."

At the far rear of the village, Marcus followed that sweet scent toward the hot spring mountain, casting a puzzled glance backward along the way.

Obanai?

What was he doing standing guard at the foot of the mountain?

He understood the moment he saw the figure at the summit.

Skin so delicate it looked fragile. The soaked towel clung to her body, tracing out generous curves. With flushed cheeks and fine beads of water on her lashes, her face wore an expression of pure bliss.

Mitsuri!

Obanai didn’t dare bathe with her out of sheer shyness, but he wasn’t about to let anyone else lay eyes on her either, so he’d appointed himself her guardian.

"Eh? M-Marcus-kun?!!"

Seeing Mitsuri startled by his sudden appearance, a pleased smile curved Marcus’s lips.

He tilted his head and looked down.

Beneath the pine, the striped haori sat hunched over, like a dog guarding a bone it doesn’t dare taste.

Thanks for taking such good care of this meal, Obanai. 🖕

Gently, he set Nezuko down on the ground and, with a smile, stripped off his clothes... and his pants.

Since you love protecting things so much...

Then please, go right ahead... and keep watching the foot of the mountain for the two of us.

Make sure no one disturbs us.

"It’s been a while, Mitsuri."

A burning glint flashed through Marcus’s eyes. "Do you mind if we share the bath?"

Watching him appear out of nowhere and strip down to nothing but his underwear in an instant, Mitsuri covered her mouth with both hands, her face going completely red.

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Throw your stones, drop them ALL! 💎

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