For the Hope of It All {Sanemi Shinazugawa KNY}
Chapter 42.
The air outside was cooler now, carrying the faint scent of iron, smoke, and the pine trees that lined the outer paths of the Swordsmith Village. Lanterns flickered softly along the narrow walkways, and Hikari followed the faint scuff marks of boots in the dirt — Genya's, she guessed. His stride was unmistakable: heavy, impatient, a little reckless.
She found him near one of the smaller forges, sitting on the wooden railing with his arms crossed, a half-eaten rice ball resting beside him. His tall frame leaned against the wall, and the faint glow from the nearby forge lit the edge of his face in warm gold and shadow.
"I thought I'd find you here," Hikari said, her voice carrying that calm, even tone that always seemed to reach him.
Genya looked up immediately. "Hikari-san..." he muttered her name, cheeks flushed.
Hikari raised a brow and crouched in front of him, picking up the rice ball beside him. "Half-eaten doesn't count as fine." She broke it in half and held it out to him. "Here. Humor me."
He hesitated, jaw tightening — but eventually took it, grumbling something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like thanks.
She sat beside him on the railing, legs swinging lightly. For a while, they ate in silence. The rhythmic clang of hammers echoed faintly in the distance, punctuated by the croak of night frogs.
"You saw Tanjiro today, didn't you?" Hikari finally asked.
Genya stiffened, his grip on the rice ball tightening. "Yeah. He talks too much."
"He's a good kid," she said, watching the forge light dance across his face. "You're a good kid. Why aren't you two friendly? I heard about the hot spring."
"Because he pokes his nose in everything." He looked away, jaw flexing. "Plus he broke my arm at Final Selection."
Hikari tilted her head. "Well, did you do something to deserve that?" He chuckled at his silence. Hikar just knew Genya too well. She nudged him lightly with her shoulder. "You're not denying it," she teased.
Genya huffed, ears pinking. "Tch. I don't remember what I did, alright? It was a long time ago."
"Uh-huh," she said, amused. "You mean you definitely did something, and you just don't want to admit it."
He shot her a childish, sidelong glare, but there wasn't much bite in it. "You sound just like aniki."
Her laugh came soft and low, like the murmur of wind through the trees. "I don't feel like that's a compliment."
Genya's mouth twisted, not quite a frown, not quite a smile. "You're so nice to me," he muttered after a beat, his voice quieter now — almost uncertain.
Hikari blinked at that, her teasing smile softening. "You're like my little brother, Genya," she said gently. "I just hope you know, besides Sanemi, you can also find a family in me as well."
Genya froze, halfway through chewing the last bite of his rice ball. His eyes flicked toward her, wide and uncertain, the forge light reflecting in them like two shards of amber glass. For a moment, he didn't say anything — just stared, his throat working as if trying to swallow down more than just food.
Hikari smiled softly, turning her gaze back toward the glowing coals of the forge. "You don't have to answer," she added. "I just wanted you to know." Her voice carried that calm steadiness she was known for — the kind that somehow cut through Genya's storm without trying to silence it. "You've got so much weight on your shoulders for someone your age. It's okay to let someone else carry a little bit of it."
Genya dropped his gaze to his lap, his hands curling loosely around his knees. "You sound like... my mom," he said finally, his tone almost a whisper.
That made Hikari glance back at him, her chest tightening. "Your mom?"
He nodded once, still not looking at her. "She used to say stuff like that. Always worried about us... even when she was tired." His voice wavered — just slightly — before he took a shaky breath and blinked hard. "I don't really... remember her face anymore."
Hikari's hand hesitated in her lap before she reached over, resting it lightly on his shoulder. "Then remember her words," she said quietly. "Because they live through you, Genya. Every time you choose to protect someone instead of lash out, every time you get back up no matter how many times you fall — that's her, too."
The boy didn't answer. But his jaw unclenched, his breathing steadied, and when she started to pull her hand back, he didn't move away.
The two of them sat in silence again, this time comfortable — the forge crackling beside them, the night thick with the hum of cicadas.
After a while, Genya spoke again, his tone almost bashful. "Aniki... he's lucky, you know. Having you."
Hikari blinked, then laughed quietly. "He'd say otherwise."
Genya actually smiled at that — small and crooked, but real. "Yeah... sounds like him."
She rose to her feet, brushing the dust from her haori. "Alright, I'm heading back. You better rest, okay? And finish that rice ball. If I find it still there tomorrow, I'll personally feed it to you."
Genya scoffed, pretending to sound annoyed, but his ears were pink again. "You wouldn't dare."
"Try me," she said with a playful grin, tapping his shoulder before turning down the path.
"Hey... Hikari-san?" he called suddenly, just as her figure began to fade into the dim lantern glow.
She looked back over her shoulder, her expression patient and expectant. "Yeah?"
"Thanks," he said simply. "For not giving up on me."
Her smile was soft, warm enough to rival the forge. "Never crossed my mind."
Then she walked off into the night, her figure disappearing among the paper lanterns and drifting smoke.
Genya sat there long after she was gone, staring down at the half-eaten rice ball in his hand — and for the first time in a long while, the bitterness that usually clung to him didn't feel so heavy.
—
Hikari arrived just in time to see a blast of wind tear through the lodge. A demon, tall and grinning wildly, swung an ornate fan with a gleeful shout — and Muichiro was hurled through the shattered wall like a rag doll, disappearing into the forest beyond.
"Muichiro!" Hikari cried out, sprinting forward, her heart lurching. The young Hashira was already gone — only a cloud of dust and splintered wood marked where he'd stood.
Her gaze snapped back to the battlefield. Tanjiro staggered, barely keeping his footing as another wave of force threatened to sweep him away — only for Nezuko to latch onto his wrist, anchoring him in place with a fierce growl. The once peaceful lodge now lay in ruins: debris, flames, and fragments of shattered masks scattered everywhere.
Two demons stood before them — both radiating overwhelming malice.
One of them — the one with the fan — laughed, twirling it lazily in his hand. "Hahaha! This is fun! That peanut sure went flying! Right, Sekido?"
The other demon, his face twisted with fury, snarled back, lightning crackling around his body. "There's nothing fun about this! All I'm feeling is rage! Karaku! This also goes for being lumped in with you!"
Karaku just smirked. "Is that right? Well, good thing we got separated, then!"
Hikari drew in a sharp breath, her fingers tightening around her hilt. She could feel the oppressive pressure of their energy — suffocating, heavy, distinctly Upper Rank.
Tanjiro turned, shouting a warning. "Hikari-san! It's an Upper Rank!"
Her eyes narrowed. "So I figured."
She inhaled, centering herself. Her voice came out low and calm.
"Forest Breathing, Second Form: Whispering Vines."
Her blade moved in a blur — a series of rapid, fluid strikes that intertwined like branches swaying in a storm. The air sang with steel as her sword swept in wide arcs, each cut trailing with whispering motion. It wasn't brute force — it was elegance and precision, meant to confuse and close in, one strike following another like nature reclaiming space.
Karaku danced back with a laugh, deflecting her slashes with his fan. "Ohh! You've got rhythm! You'd make a fine breeze toy!"
"Enough!" Sekido roared, slamming his staff into the ground.
A surge of crimson lightning exploded outward. The air cracked with blinding force — Tanjiro screamed as the current ripped through him, and Hikari staggered, muscles locking with searing pain. The metallic tang of blood filled her mouth as she forced herself upright, sword trembling in her grip.
"Damn it—" she hissed, forcing her legs to move even as her body screamed to stop.
Then—footsteps. Fast, heavy, deliberate.
Hikari's head snapped upward. Someone stood atop the broken roof, framed against the moonlight.
A familiar figure — wild hair, jaw set, eyes burning with grim focus.
"Genya?!" Hikari coughed out, startled.
Sekido stabs his staff into the ground, sending electricity flying. "Gah!" Tanjiro yelped in pain while Hikari gritted her teeth, trying to fight off the burning sensations of her muscles.
Suddenly, she heard footsteps on the roof. Both her and Tanjiro looked up to see Genya stands poised to shoot a gun.
"Genya?!" Hikari coughed out, startled.
He didn't answer. His rifle was already raised. The barrel flashed twice — BANG! BANG!
Two perfect shots. The bullets slammed into Karaku and Sekido's necks, detonating with concussive force. Both demons' heads flew free, rolling across the ground as black blood sprayed in arcs.
Genya vaulted down from the roof, landing hard amid the rubble. Smoke curled from his rifle as he reloaded with practiced precision. "Tch. So I missed one of them," he muttered. Without hesitation, he drew his Nichirin blade, stance tight and ready.
Karaku's headless body stumbled — then froze. The severed head, lying on the ground, laughed. "Ohh~! Well, isn't this fun and entertaining! I've never been hit with an attack that felt like that!"
Tanjiro's expression turned grim. "It's no good, Genya! No matter how powerful your weapon is, this demon—"
Before he could finish, Genya's blade cut clean through Karaku's neck again, cleaving what remained with brute strength.
Tanjiro shouted, finishing his warning:
"—can't be defeated that way! If you slash it, it's only going to split into that many more demons! It gets younger! It gets stronger! It's making us behead them on purpose!"
As if on cue, the air shuddered. Where the two had fallen, four new demons began to emerge — each one distinct, their combined aura even more suffocating than before.
Hikari's grip tightened. Her breath came fast, eyes darting from one regenerating body to another. "They're multiplying..."
Genya's teeth bared in frustration. "You're kidding me."
Tanjiro stepped forward, sword raised, voice urgent. "Stay sharp! Don't let them surround us!"
Hikari's chest heaved. The scent of ozone and blood hung thick in the air. She glanced at Genya — the same boy who just nights ago sat with her at the forge, uncertain and guarded. Now, he stood between her and death without a second thought.
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