Giyu Tomioka remained silent for a long moment before finally nodding.
"Go to Mt. Sagiri and find Sakonji Urokodaki. Tell him I sent you."
Tanjiro Kamado bowed repeatedly, his voice filled with gratitude.
"Thank you. Thank you so much."
Giyu's gaze shifted toward Sol.
"What about you?"
Sol Mirek rolled his shoulders, loosening the stiffness in his body.
"I'll travel with them for now. You should notify your master and start preparing to hunt Muzan Kibutsuji."
Giyu's pupils shrank slightly.
"Hunt Muzan?"
Under the pale moonlight, Sol's face looked unusually clear despite his weakened condition.
"That's right. I came here this time to deal with Muzan Kibutsuji completely."
Giyu fell silent, studying Sol carefully.
"In your current state…"
"It's fine," Sol said casually, waving his hand. "A few days of rest will fix it."
Tanjiro, still holding Nezuko Kamado, looked between the two of them with confusion.
"Who is Muzan?"
Sol turned toward him.
"He is the one who killed your family."
Tanjiro's body trembled violently. Rage ignited in his eyes.
"Where is he? I'll kill him myself!"
"Relax," Sol said, placing a hand on Tanjiro's shoulder.
"With your current strength, you wouldn't last a second."
Giyu watched Sol closely, his brows drawn together.
"Are you certain you want to do this?"
"Of course." Sol nodded.
"But before anything else, I need to recover."
After thinking for a moment, Giyu reached into his clothing and took out a letter. He handed it to Tanjiro.
"Take this to Sakonji Urokodaki. He will teach you how to become stronger."
Tanjiro accepted the letter carefully, gripping it as if it were something precious.
"Thank you."
Giyu then looked back at Sol.
"I will inform the master, but…"
"If you doubt me," Sol interrupted casually, "I can fight all the Hashira alone to convince you."
The moonlight reflected faintly across Giyu's face. His expression grew more serious.
After a brief pause, he nodded.
"I will notify the master."
Giyu turned to leave, but stopped after a few steps.
"Your name?"
"Sol Mirek."
"I will report it exactly as it is."
With that, Giyu disappeared into the snowy forest.
Tanjiro watched him go before turning toward Sol.
"Are we heading to Mt. Sagiri now?"
Sol glanced at the dark sky.
"Let's find somewhere to rest for the night. We leave early tomorrow."
The two continued walking through the snow.
Tanjiro carried Nezuko on his back while Sol walked behind him. Although Sol had not fully recovered, his physical condition was still far beyond that of ordinary people, so the journey did not trouble him.
After walking for some time, Tanjiro spoke.
"Sol, do you also have a grudge against Muzan?"
"No," Sol replied, shaking his head.
Tanjiro nodded slowly, though he still looked puzzled.
"Then why are you helping us?"
Sol shrugged.
"It's convenient. My goal is to eat Muzan."
Tanjiro suddenly stopped walking.
He slowly turned around, staring at Sol in disbelief.
"Eat… Muzan?"
Sol nodded calmly.
"Yes. He might be a very good supplement."
Tanjiro swallowed hard, unsure how to respond.
He turned back around and continued walking, leaving a trail of deep footprints behind him in the snow.
As evening approached, they discovered a cave near the base of the mountain.
Tanjiro carefully laid Nezuko down in a quiet corner.
"Sol… can you really defeat Muzan?" Tanjiro asked quietly.
"Yes. Once I recover."
Sol lay down on the ground, closing his eyes as he continued restoring his strength.
Tanjiro looked down at the dirt floor, absentmindedly tracing circles with his finger.
"Then… can I join you when you hunt Muzan?"
Sol glanced at him.
"You can. I might even let you cut off his head."
Tanjiro's eyes widened.
"But first," Sol continued, "you need to become stronger. Otherwise you won't even reach him."
Tanjiro suddenly lifted his head. Determination burned in his eyes.
"I will become stronger."
"Good," Sol said lazily. "Now sleep. We have a long trip tomorrow."
Later that night, Tanjiro sat quietly beside a small fire, hugging his knees.
From time to time he glanced toward Nezuko in the corner.
Sol lay nearby with his eyes closed, his body steadily recovering its strength.
Early the next morning, Tanjiro woke before sunrise.
Trying not to wake Sol or Nezuko, he quietly slipped out of the cave.
Sunlight reflected off the snow, creating a bright glare across the mountains.
Tanjiro took a deep breath of the cold air before heading down toward a nearby village.
There, he bought a worn bamboo basket along with bamboo strips and straw from the villagers.
After returning to the cave, he carefully set the materials down near the entrance.
Inside, Sol slowly opened his eyes. In the dim cave light, his dark pupils looked unusually deep.
"You're back."
Tanjiro nodded.
"I want to make a bamboo basket to block sunlight for Nezuko. That way I can carry her during the day."
Sol watched as Tanjiro skillfully began weaving the basket.
His fingers moved easily through the bamboo strips, working with practiced precision.
Despite everything he had gone through, this boy still held onto his kindness and resilience.
"You're good at that," Sol commented.
Tanjiro smiled shyly.
"I used to make things like this often. Sol, are your injuries getting better?"
Sol nodded slightly.
"About fifty percent."
At that moment, Nezuko stirred in the corner.
Tanjiro immediately dropped his work and rushed toward her.
Nezuko slowly opened her eyes.
Her crimson pupils glowed faintly in the dim cave.
"Nezuko," Tanjiro called softly.
Her gaze shifted between her brother and Sol before settling on Tanjiro.
She tilted her head slightly, as if trying to recognize him.
Sol watched quietly.
He could sense the fragile struggle inside her, the battle between her remaining humanity and her demonic instincts.
The balance reminded him of the conflict within his own Asura Mode and his rational mind.
"She still recognizes you," Sol said with mild interest.
That mysterious blue spider lily really was fascinating. He wondered if eating it would help him as well.
Tanjiro's eyes filled with tears again.
"Nezuko… you still remember your brother, right?"
Nezuko did not speak, but her expression softened.
Slowly, she raised her hand and gently touched Tanjiro's cheek.
The simple gesture broke his composure.
Tears streamed down his face as he pulled her into a tight embrace.
He held her as if letting go would make her disappear.
Sol stood up and walked toward the cave entrance.
"I'll wait outside. You two should spend some time together."
Stepping out of the cave, the bright sunlight forced Sol to narrow his eyes slightly.
He inhaled deeply, sensing the steady flow of strength returning to his body.
His fight with Bang and the others had drained him badly.
Still, in this world, he had plenty of time to recover.