By the time Genya finished telling his story, Chiba Yang had already formed a guess in his mind.
The shadow that attacked them that night was most likely their mother. After all, for someone who had just turned into a demon, the flesh and blood of their own family would be the most irresistible.
Sure enough, Genya's next words confirmed his suspicion.
"At that moment, my mind went completely blank. Without thinking, I blurted out accusations, asking my brother why he killed our mother. I even shouted that he was a murderer…"
Genya's clasped hands trembled. The waves of guilt and regret surged back into his heart.
"My brother didn't say anything at the time. He stood there silently for a while before turning and leaving."
"As the sun rose, our mother's body turned to ash. My younger siblings' bodies grew cold and silent."
"Only then did I slowly realize that the shadow who attacked us… was our mother."
He lowered his head.
"My brother fought that monster with his life to protect us. When dawn arrived and he realized that the monster he had dragged outside… was actually our mother… what must he have felt?"
"And after killing his own mother with his own hands, when he was already on the verge of breaking down… he heard the younger brother he had protected with his life call him a murderer."
"What must that have felt like?"
Genya's voice shook.
"It's all because of my stupidity and ignorance. My brother had to bear everything alone because of me."
"He must hate me very much… That's why he refuses to acknowledge me as his brother."
"But that's only natural. After all—"
"That's not true. Absolutely not."
Chiba Yang suddenly interrupted him, looking at him with a serious expression.
Genya froze for a moment and looked up.
"If what you said is true—that your brother was once a very gentle person—then he would definitely understand your situation back then."
"You didn't know the monster was your mother. Even if he felt hurt by your words, he would never completely deny you as his brother."
"There must be another reason why he refuses to acknowledge you."
Chiba Yang spoke with complete certainty.
His words struck Genya like a bolt of lightning.
Genya had been drowning in guilt for so long that he naturally assumed his brother hated him because of what happened that day.
But now, hearing Chiba Yang's reasoning, he suddenly realized something.
His brother had always been the gentlest person in the world.
How could someone like that abandon his brother simply because of a misunderstanding?
"Could it be that the reason he refuses to acknowledge you… is because he wants you to stay away from him?" Chiba Yang voiced his guess.
"Stay away from him? Why?" Genya asked, confused.
"Sanemi Shinazugawa is a Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps," Chiba Yang explained.
"That means the demons he faces are incredibly powerful."
"If he acknowledges you as his brother, then you might be dragged into the dangers surrounding him."
"And that would put your life at risk."
Genya slowly began to understand.
"You mean… my brother refuses to acknowledge me because he doesn't want me to be involved in danger?" he asked.
Chiba Yang nodded.
"That's right. Didn't he also tell you to leave the Demon Slayer Corps earlier?"
"That had nothing to do with your conversation at the time. He suddenly said it because he didn't want you to face danger as a swordsman of the Corps."
The more Chiba Yang spoke, the more convinced he became of his theory.
When he saw Sanemi Shinazugawa earlier at the Butterfly Mansion, the Wind Hashira hadn't appeared nearly as harsh as he did when facing Genya.
"Could it really be like that? My brother doesn't hate me after all?" Genya asked, his voice trembling.
Excitement slowly returned to his eyes.
If this guess was true, it meant his brother still cared about him.
And if their feelings for each other still remained, then no matter how difficult things were now, they could eventually resolve them.
"That's my conclusion," Chiba Yang said. "You said your brother is a very gentle person. It would make perfect sense for him to want to protect his younger brother from danger."
"That's great!"
Genya suddenly jumped to his feet.
"In that case, I'll go explain everything to him right now! I'm not afraid of danger. As long as I can stay by my brother's side, that's enough for me!"
Chiba Yang's mind froze for a moment.
He hadn't expected Genya's first reaction to be this.
Anyone could see that rushing to confront him now was the worst possible choice.
After regaining his composure, Chiba Yang quickly grabbed Genya's arm.
Genya turned around in confusion.
"If my guess is correct," Chiba Yang said helplessly, "then going to find Sanemi Shinazugawa right now will only make things worse."
"He'll definitely deny it again. He might even treat you more harshly just to force you to leave the Demon Slayer Corps."
Genya paused.
"That… makes sense."
He slowly calmed down and gave up on the idea of chasing after his brother immediately.
But soon another problem appeared.
"Then… doesn't that mean I'll never be able to reconcile with him?"
"If my brother's goal is to keep me away from danger, then he'll never acknowledge me."
His mood sank again.
"Of course not," Chiba Yang said, shaking his head.
"As long as the demons in this world disappear someday, Sanemi Shinazugawa wouldn't need to remain in the Demon Slayer Corps anymore."
"When that happens, the Corps itself might even disband."
"Then you two could reconcile."
…
The air suddenly fell silent.
A few seconds passed.
Chiba Yang soon realized that condition might be a little… unrealistic.
He cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Well… there's another way."
"If you can become strong enough that your brother no longer worries about your safety, then he might finally acknowledge you."
Compared to the previous idea, this one sounded far more achievable.
Genya nodded firmly.
"In other words, I need to become stronger. Strong enough that my brother can recognize me."
"And if I can become a Hashira myself… then I'll be able to see him often."
"Exactly," Chiba Yang said with a smile.
Seeing Genya regain his spirit made him feel a small sense of accomplishment.
"If I want to become stronger," Genya continued thoughtfully, "then I should find a powerful teacher."
"Do you know who the strongest person in the Demon Slayer Corps is?"
Chiba Yang thought for a moment.
"I remember Rengoku-sensei mentioning it before."
"According to him, the strongest is the Stone Hashira, Gyomei Himejima."
"He seems to live in the mountains over there… though I'm not sure if he's currently away on a mission."
Chiba Yang pointed toward the mountains beside the Corps residence.
"That's it!"
Genya immediately jumped to his feet.
"I'll go find Himejima and ask him to take me as his disciple!"
With that, he ran in the direction Chiba Yang pointed.
After a few steps, however, he suddenly stopped and turned back, waving.
"Thanks for today, Yang."
After saying that, he turned and continued running toward the mountains.
They really are alike.
After all… they're brothers.
Chiba Yang watched Genya's departing figure and smiled faintly.
Just then—
"Caw! Caw! Caw!"
"South-southwest! South-southwest!"
"A demon has been spotted to the southwest!"
"Chiba Yang, hurry up! Run! Run!"