Bathed in sunlight, the demon extended his hand as though to embrace the radiance itself. Turning back to Tanjiro, his voice deepened, carrying a quiet, almost oppressive weight.
"On what grounds do you insist that I am a demon?"
Tanjiro found himself at a loss for words.
In his heart, he knew—knew without doubt—that the man before him was a demon. And yet…
"Have you ever seen a demon stand in sunlight?" Soma continued, his gaze unwavering. "Have you ever seen one capable of suppressing the urge to devour human flesh?"
His eyes bore into Tanjiro, as if demanding an answer, pressing the question deeper with each passing second.
"Then tell me—what makes you so certain that I am a demon?"
The boy fell silent. He could not refute the argument laid before him, and yet something within him resisted stubbornly. Even if this being could walk in the sun, even if he could restrain his hunger…
Did that truly change what he was?
Did it erase the fact that he was still, at his core, a demon?
Soma stepped forward until he stood directly before Tanjiro, his eyes locking onto the boy's wavering gaze.
"Has it never occurred to you that your understanding itself might be flawed? That perhaps… the problem lies with you?"
Tanjiro: "…"
"Demons were once human," Soma continued, his voice soft but unwavering. "Even the first of them—Muzan Kibutsuji—was once a human. If a human can fall and become a demon, then why is it so impossible to believe that I have taken the final step? That I have surpassed that origin… and returned from demon to human—becoming something greater, something… perfect?"
He watched Tanjiro closely, his tone dipping into something quieter, tinged with an almost reverent mystery.
"Or perhaps," he murmured, "you could think of me as…"
His voice grew softer still, as though the words themselves carried weight beyond their sound.
"A god—or a Buddha—walking among mortals."
At that moment, the fire in the hearth seemed to leap, its flames flickering higher as though stirred by an unseen force. Sunlight streamed through the window, spilling across Soma's figure, while the firelight danced in warm, restless contrast.
The entire room seemed to shift, suffused with an air that was at once sacred and unfathomable.
Beside them, Kanao tilted her head upward, her eyes fixed on him with a quiet, reverent awe. To her, the being before her was not merely divine—he stood even above the gods she had ever imagined.
Why, then, could he not be called a god walking among men?
Even if—
Even if he truly was a demon.
…
Still standing within that almost sacred glow, the demon turned his gaze back to the boy.
"What do you think, Tanjiro?"
Their eyes met once more. Beneath the calm black of Soma's pupils, Tanjiro glimpsed a hidden crimson—and for reasons he could not explain, fear stirred within him. Yet mingled with that fear was something else… a faint, almost imperceptible sense of awe, as though he stood before something holy.
It was faint—but undeniable.
What right did he have to call him a demon?
What right?
Tanjiro lowered his head, unable to meet that gaze any longer.
Seeing this, Soma returned to his seat, his tone lightening as though the weight of the moment had never existed.
"So tell me—what does your mission to slay evil demons have to do with me?"
"What do I have to do with it?"
He leaned back slightly, his voice calm, almost indifferent.
"Those demons who cannot restrain their hunger for human flesh—what do they have to do with me? Or do you, Tanjiro, believe I am the same as them?"
A soft, questioning hum followed.
Tanjiro bowed his head even lower.
Soma reached for the wine jug, intending to pour himself a cup and drink deeply—but found it empty. Not even a drop of coarse sake remained. A trace of disappointment flickered across his expression.
It was… somewhat unsatisfying.
Still kneeling where he was, Tanjiro looked up again, a hint of shame surfacing in his eyes.
Soma remained seated, waiting patiently until the boy had digested enough of what had been said. Only then did he speak again.
"Tanjiro, sooner or later, you will walk the path of hunting demons. It is the mission—no, the inheritance—of your Kamado family."
He smiled faintly, though his eyes were deep, almost unfathomable.
"From the very beginning, you never truly had a choice."
Tanjiro's hands tightened into fists without him realizing it. His head remained lowered.
If it were possible, all he wanted was a quiet life with his family. Even if their days were difficult, he believed that as long as they stayed together and worked hard, things would slowly improve. Step by step, they would find their way to something better.
The taste of happiness—
It should never have been so far beyond his reach.
"Oh, right," Soma said suddenly, as though recalling something trivial, "on my way here today, I saw several people arguing with your mother. I took care of the trouble for you—but judging by the looks on their faces, they didn't seem willing to let it go. They may try to retaliate."
His tone was casual, almost offhand, yet the reminder carried weight.
"They're from the 'Renyi Syndicate,'" Tanjiro replied almost instantly, his expression tightening as recognition dawned.
The name Renyi—"benevolence and righteousness"—sounded noble enough, but in truth, it belonged to a gang of local thugs and bandits who extorted protection fees and, in the shadows, committed acts of arson, murder, and plunder without restraint.
When Tanjiro had first moved here with his family, he had already encountered some of them. Back then, he had gripped his axe tightly and stood his ground, ready to risk his life, and it was only that desperate resolve that had driven them away.
But recently, one of their leaders—Hasegawa Satoshi—had set his sights on his mother, harassing her repeatedly.
He hadn't expected that, in his absence, they would dare trouble his family again. Had this demon not intervened, there was no telling what harm might have befallen them.
At that thought, when Tanjiro looked at Soma again, there was a trace of gratitude in his eyes.
"So," Soma asked, studying him, "how do you intend to deal with this?"
"Should I… report it to the town magistrate?" Tanjiro hesitated before answering, his voice uncertain even to his own ears.
The Jōmachi Office—the local authority responsible for maintaining order—seemed like the obvious choice. And yet, even as he said it, he lacked conviction.
"Ha…"
Soma let out a soft laugh, his hand instinctively reaching for his cup as though to take a drink, only to remember it was empty. Shaking his head with faint amusement, he said, "You really are just a boy—so naïve."
Tanjiro lowered his head, a flicker of defiance stirring within him despite the doubt. He still wanted to believe that someone, somewhere, would uphold justice—that the authorities would not simply ignore such matters.
"If the magistrate truly cared to handle this," Soma said lightly, "do you think this so-called 'Renyi Syndicate' would still exist? Would they be allowed to run rampant like this?"
Tanjiro's expression darkened. He might still cling to a boy's ideals, but he was no fool; the truth behind those words was impossible to ignore.
"Then… what should I do?" he asked at last, lifting his head to meet Soma's gaze.
In his heart, his first instinct had been to confront them directly—to issue a warning. But even as the thought formed, he knew how hollow it was. Words alone would mean nothing to men like that.
"It's simple," Soma replied, his eyes settling on him with quiet intensity. "Whoever creates the problem—remove them."
He paused, observing the conflict flickering in the boy's eyes, then rose to his feet. Placing a hand on Tanjiro's shoulder, he sighed softly and shook his head.
"Very well. Before you walk the path of slaying demons, let me teach you one more thing."
Tanjiro couldn't help but look up.
At that moment, the demon gazed down at him, and beneath those dark pupils, the faint glimmer of crimson stirred—enough to make Tanjiro's heart tremble.
"I'll teach you… how to kill."
As he spoke, he reached out and lightly patted Tanjiro's cheek.
"Before you slay demons—learn to kill men."
A smile spread across his face, revealing a row of clean, white teeth.
"After all… humans are far easier to kill than demons."
With that, Soma withdrew his hand and lifted the heavy straw curtain, stepping outside. At the doorway stood Tanjiro's mother, Kamado Kie, and Nezuko, both wearing anxious expressions.
Seeing them, Soma's demeanor softened, and he offered them a gentle, reassuring smile.
...
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