Chapter 50: Only Children Choose
"I choose... to have them all."
Under Urokodaki Sakonji's piercing gaze, Kanzaki Akira spoke his choice, his voice slow and deliberate.
Akira had always been a greedy man, and he knew it. When he crafted his own techniques, he strove for them to be as complete as possible. Now, faced with two girls who held feelings for him, he found he was unwilling to let either of them go.
If this were his previous life, he would have wanted neither. Penniless as he was, even supporting himself had been a daily struggle; he couldn't, in good conscience, hold back a good woman.
But this life was different. His material conditions were, for all intents and purposes, maxed out. Only three obstacles stood in his path: the women's own wishes, the ever-present threat of demons, and the simple matter of age.
Solving the first two would be difficult, but not impossible. At the very least, Akira was determined to try.
"You brat..." A strangled sound, half-choke, half-laugh, escaped Urokodaki's throat. He was almost amused by Akira's sheer audacity. "Are you truly not afraid that I'll purge you from the Corps on behalf of my fellow masters?" His gaze, sharp and severe from beneath the tengu mask, could have bored holes through steel.
"With Senior Urokodaki's age and experience, I doubt it would come to that," Akira replied, shaking his head with a calm that bordered on infuriating.
In any world, in any era, there were always men of power and influence whose personal lives were far more elaborate than simply having feelings for two women. With Urokodaki's long years, he had surely seen and heard of such things. He wouldn't truly draw his sword over a matter of the heart.
Besides, this wasn't a world where monogamy was mandated by law. A certain flashy Hashira, after all, had more than one wife.
"..."
The silence stretched, thick with tension. Akira and Urokodaki faced off for a long moment before the elder finally broke the stalemate.
"Hmph! You brat, you remember this," he growled, his voice a low rumble. "If you ever make Makomo suffer, I will absolutely not forgive you."
Ultimately, matters of the heart were for the young to decide. As an elder, this was as far as Urokodaki could interfere.
"The only promise I can give," Akira stated, his expression unwavering, "is that I will not toy with any woman's feelings."
"You had better do as you say."
...
On the other side of Mount Sagiri, Makomo had just finished helping Kanae settle into the small residence that would be her home for the foreseeable future. As they tidied the room together, they began to chat.
"Kanae," Makomo began, her tone laced with genuine curiosity, "why did you suddenly decide to learn a Breathing Technique? Your life at the Butterfly Mansion was so stable, and you don't have a deep-seated grudge against demons. Won't your parents and Shinobu be worried?"
"That stability at the Butterfly Mansion is supported by you, Akira, and every other Demon Slayer fighting for their lives," Kanae answered softly, her hands smoothing out a wrinkle in a blanket. "If I lacked the talent for it, that would be one thing. But since I have the ability, I cannot enjoy that blood-stained peace with a clear conscience."
She paused, a gentle but firm light in her eyes. "As for Shinobu and my parents, they are worried, of course. But they are willing to respect my choice. They are my family, after all. And I am learning a Breathing Technique so that I can better protect them."
"Hmm... in some ways, you and Akira are really alike," Makomo mused, tilting her head. Her gaze on Kanae held a new, subconscious hint of scrutiny.
Long ago, when she had first opened her eyes from her sickbed, the first thing she saw was Akira's face—his eyes filled with concern and even a flicker of self-doubt. In that instant, she knew she had fallen for him, and she was willing. The only reason she hadn't confessed was because she'd overheard him mention that he felt he was still too young to consider such things. That, combined with her own slight sense of inferiority, made her decide to wait. She wanted to become a Hashira herself, to stand proudly by his side before she said anything.
But now, Makomo was discovering that her dear best friend seemed to harbor a spark of her own.
"Perhaps it can be considered a kind of fate," Kanae murmured, more to herself than to Makomo. Her back was turned, so she didn't notice the subtle shift in her friend's expression. "If it weren't for Akira-kun, I don't know if I would even be alive right now..."
Whenever she mentioned his name, her tone and gaze would soften unconsciously, a gentle mix of admiration and longing that, while not intense, was undeniably real.
"Hey, don't suddenly say such unlucky things!" Makomo interrupted before Kanae could finish. Having survived her own brush with death, Makomo was now quite sensitive to such talk.
She was, after all, still just a teenage girl. If not for the burning hatred she carried for the demon that took her life, she might never have stepped onto this perilous path. It was also why she so deeply admired Akira and Kanae; despite having no such all-consuming grudge, they were still willing to join the Demon Slayer Corps and fight.
"Hmm... you're right. I shouldn't have said that," Kanae conceded after a moment's thought. "My parents, Shinobu, and I are all safe and well now. That's more than enough."
"Yes, yes! We all have to be well."
As she spoke with Kanae, Makomo couldn't help but mentally compare herself to the other girl. She came to the sad conclusion that, aside from having known Akira a little longer, she didn't seem to have any other advantage.
Once her chores were done, this thought prompted her to sneak up behind Kanae and wrap her in a sudden hug.
"Speaking of which, Kanae, what did you eat growing up?" Makomo chirped, her hands growing mischievous. "I'm clearly a few months older than you, but not only are you taller than me, your figure is also..."
"Eek! Makomo!" Kanae yelped, a faint blush dusting her cheeks. She frowned slightly, trying to capture Makomo's wandering hands as she turned around.
But Makomo was too quick. Her hands broke free and started their playful assault again. A flustered and slightly annoyed Kanae finally launched a counterattack of her own. Soon, the two beautiful girls were tumbling about, their bell-like laughter filling the newly tidied room.
Neither of them mentioned the previous topic again.
...
After sharing lunch in the small courtyard on Mount Sagiri and chatting for a while with their fellow disciples, Sabito and Giyuu, Akira rose to take his leave.
Kanae took it upon herself to walk him to the small path that led down the mountain.
"Kanae," Akira began as they walked, "Water Breathing is an excellent technique. It has a low barrier to entry and is very well-rounded, which makes it a good fit for you among the existing styles. However, it might not be the most suitable one for you." He paused, meeting her gaze. "Your talent is exceptional. Perhaps you can use Water Breathing as a reference, a foundation to create a Breathing Technique that suits you best."
Before they parted, he had to mention it. He didn't know what opportunity had led the Kanae of the original story to create Flower Breathing, but since the talent was there, the slight shift in her fate caused by his influence shouldn't prevent its birth.
"I... I'll try," she said, her eyes widening slightly at the suggestion. "Thank you, Akira-kun."
"Yeah. Let's leave it at that," he said with a nod. "I'll come visit Mount Sagiri from time to time, and you can return to the Butterfly Mansion when you have a chance. It's not that far. I'm leaving now. Goodbye."
"Goodbye, Akira-kun."
After waving farewell, the two turned and walked in opposite directions.
Returning to the Butterfly Mansion no longer required a carriage; Akira's own two legs were far more efficient. As he ran at a steady, ground-eating pace, his mind began to churn.
He couldn't shake the feeling that he had forgotten something important.
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