The three of them sat around the iron pot. Tanjiro looked at the plentiful dinner in front of him and asked with a mix of joy and confusion, "Why are there so many ingredients today?"
Sakonji Urokodaki was using a soup ladle to scoop a bowl of hot soup and food from the iron pot for Tanjiro.
"This is to celebrate the end of your training. Don't be polite, eat up! Your senior brother, Ryuji, specially brought all of this back for you!"
"Thank you, Master. Thank you, Senior Ryuji. I won't be polite then!" After thanking Ryuji and Sakonji Urokodaki, Tanjiro happily took the food that Sakonji Urokodaki had scooped for him and started eating eagerly.
Then, Sakonji Urokodaki scooped a bowl for Ryuji and said, "Ryuji, eat up too!"
"Thanks, Master." This time, Ryuji rarely addressed him as "Master." Although he acknowledged Sakonji Urokodaki as his master in his heart, he usually called him "old man."
This time, Ryuji didn't wait for Sakonji Urokodaki to start eating first, as he usually did. Because this time, it was a celebration of the elder for the younger.
Sakonji Urokodaki looked at his two disciples and couldn't help but recall the scene of Tomioka Giyuu and his senior brother together. It was so similar to back then!
—"Tanjiro, you're the one I'm most worried about. I've done all I can for you. From now on, I hope you can completely transform under Ryuji's guidance."
After dinner, Ryuji was using scissors to cut Tanjiro's long, messy hair that had grown over the year. This was a way of taking care of him as his senior brother.
Sakonji Urokodaki, kneeling by the fire, suddenly muttered, "Ryuji, Tanjiro, did you enjoy the hotpot and fish slices?"
Hearing this, Ryuji didn't answer. He just silently continued cutting Tanjiro's hair.
Although he didn't answer, he couldn't deny that the dinner was indeed plentiful and delicious.
"It was so delicious, Master! I haven't eaten anything this delicious in a long time!" Tanjiro happily gave his very satisfied response to the dinner.
"For a child with such a hearty appetite, the more food you eat, the more strength you'll gain, and your body will grow accordingly. But, demons are the same."
Speaking of which, Sakonji Urokodaki turned his gaze towards Ryuji and Tanjiro and continued, "Remember, generally speaking, a demon's strength is equal to the number of people it has eaten. The more people a demon eats, the stronger it becomes. Some will gain strength, some will change their bodies, and some can even use sorcery."
As he spoke, Sakonji Urokodaki stood up and went to a cabinet. He took out two fox masks from the cabinet.
"These are disaster-averting masks. I've cast a spell on them. They can protect you from misfortune."
—"This is the last gift your Master gives you."
After saying that, Sakonji Urokodaki handed the masks to Ryuji and Tanjiro.
The next morning
Ryuji and Tanjiro got up early. They put on their clothes and brought their swords and the disaster-averting masks that Sakonji Urokodaki had given them.
Before leaving, Tanjiro didn't forget to say goodbye to his sister, who was still asleep.
Ryuji didn't say much. He simply walked out of the wooden house.
Outside the wooden house, Sakonji Urokodaki was already waiting to bid them farewell. Seeing Ryuji come out, Sakonji Urokodaki said to him, "You're the most talented of all the children. You must come back alive. Don't let that kind of tragedy happen again."
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