Chapter 48 : Flaps of butterfly

"Brother you must be a very strong powerful samurai right?"

Giyu looked at Haruto with eyes full of admiration and hint of longing.

"A samurai?"

Haruto was surprised by the sudden question but then he shook his head: "I'm not a samurai."

"You are not? But you look strong, even the guard captain seems to respect you."

Giyu said seriously. He had noticed the guard captain maintaining distance from Haruto and he didn't even get much work today just because he was by Haruto's side. It means the guard captain surely realizes Haruto's strength, that's why he showing respect by maintaining distance. Well in reality it was rather because of fear but it was still commendable of Giyu to notice it. 

Haruto smiled wryly, not to mention samurai, he's not even a human being. Of course, that cannot be said. And it's not like Giyu will believe it either. It's rather terrifying to think of a demon walking normally in the daylight.

"Can I learn some skills from you?"

Giyu was a little anxious but also a little expectant. Haruto was again stunned hearing Giyu, a future hashira asking a demon to teach him. It was quite a absurd situation. What can he even teach Giyu.

"Why do you want to learn from me?"

He couldn't help but ask Giyu directly and at the same time he could feel the firmness in the young Giyu's eyes.

"Because I feel like you are very powerful. If I can be as powerful as you, I can protect myself and the people I want to protect with my own strength." Giyu spoke with seriousness in his young face.

'So you want to become stronger because you want to protect around you? I guess even young he still has his kindness and mentality of his future counterpart although little lack in people's inner darkness.'

Haruto noted mentally. After waiting for some time, without getting any answer from Haruto, Giyu felt a little lost, feeling that he would be rejected. Then, he saw the other party's golden eyes under the bamboo hat looking at him, seeming contemplating something.

"I don't have the ability to teach you because my skills are not suitable for you."

"Ohh I see." Giyu nodded disappointed.

"However, I can tell you where you can learn the skills appropriate for you."

Haruto chuckled looking at Giyu's clearly disappointed face.

"Really brother?"

Hearing Haruto's answer Giyu showed excitement.

"Mt. Sagiri, there is an old man there, he is very powerful. he can teach you everything you want to learn there."

Haruto said softly. In his mind, the figure of that person appeared involuntarily. Tall elderly man with silver colored hair and a tengu mask that always covers his mouth. Former water hashira Sakonji Urokodaki. In the future, he taught Makomo, Sabito, Tanjiro and other excellent demon slayers and he's also the teacher of Giyu in the near future. Overall a really strong person.

"That person, is Mr. Urokodaki really strong?"

Giyu asked unable to control his curiosity.

"Much stronger than I am now."

Haruto laughed. Hearing him, Giyu was really surprised, since for him Haurto was currently the strongest person he encountered since even the previous strongest in his mind, the guard captain seems to respect Haruto. So he couldn't help but look forward to it and really wanted to visit the old man now.

Haruto smiled and patted Giyu's shoulder: "Well you shouldn't worry about that now. Who knows you may meet him sooner than you think."

"Also you don't need to call me brother, just call me Haruto. Since we are not that apart in age."

When they were conversing, their voice slowly woke up the girl who was sleeping soundly in Haruto's back. The girl opened her beautiful purple eyes.

"You woke up Kanao?"

Haruto turned his head and looked at the girl tenderly.

"Broth... um Haruto, you've been holding her all this way. You are really gentle to her."

Giyu next to him couldn't help but speak. Kanao's beautiful purple eyes flickered slightly, her little hands couldn't help but tug at Haruto's sleeves and her petite body struggled a little in his back.

"Do you want to come down, Kanao?"

Haruto asked looking at the struggling girl. The girl nodded in a rare way. Haruto was taken aback for a moment, seeing Kanao nodding, then he gently lowered Kanao to the ground and Kanao started to walk beside him slowly.

"Is your fiance's name Kanao?" Giyu asked.

Haruto smiled: "Umm, her full name Kanao Tsuyuri."

"Chestnut flower falling, Tsuyuri" Giyu repeated then nodded: "It's really a nice name."

"His parents really know how to name them."

Giyuu remarked unconsciously.

"No, I named her. Well as for her parents, you can say they were never there."

Haruto spoke and hint of little anger could be felt from his tone. Haruto could help but feel disgust and rage whenever he recalls Kanao's parents and at the same time he feels the same toward the previous owner of his body. The coward who didn't do anything for Kanao even after seeing all that. Giyu also understood that Haruto was not fond of Kanao's parent, although he himself had a loving family, he knows that it's not same for everyone else.

"Miss Kanao, it's really romantic that your name was given by your fiancé."

Giyu sensibly changed the topic. Kanao didn't speak but her little hand grasped Haruto's sleeve little tighter.

"Sorry, she doesn't talk to others much."

Haruto was a little apologetic and more determined for the future.

"It's okay, I can see that the she's very dependent on you, and Haruto must be like a protector in Miss Kanao's eyes." Giyu didn't took it to his heart that Kanao didn't answer his words. "In the future, I will also be the protector of my sister."

Giyu looked at the sky, clenched his fists and was hopeful for the future.

......…

As long as Kanao can remember, she didn't have any name to call herself as. Well it's not like she had anything to begin with. From birth she has nothing like care or love for her, it's like she was born to be alone her whole live. At fist she really yearned for any semblance of love she could find but the world was not merciful towards her. So after repeated abuse and disregard, she closed her heart to stop getting hurt from everything.

Regarding the name 'Kanao Tsuyuri ', it was the name given by Haruto who for the time showed care toward her. Although she couldn't understand the feeling much. She remembers the first time Haruto called her 'Kanao Tsuyuri ', she didn't know it was her. But slowly, with Haruto repeating again and again. she understood that it was her name given by Haruto.

'Kanao Tsuyuri'

A name that belongs to her alone. Whenever Haruto called 'Tsuyuri Kanawo', or 'Kanao'. She knew it was him calling her. Gradually she was also used to the name. She likes her name, it's the second name after 'Haruto' that she remembers by heart.

Sometimes she really tries hard to express her wishes to Haruto but sadly, she's just not able to do it. She seemed to be closed in a very dark world and it feels that she would never be able to get out of there. But whenever Haruto calls her name or takes care of her every little thing, she feels her dark world becoming a little brighter and warmer slowly.

She really likes to be with Haruto.

She likes it very much.

With Haruto she feels that even for someone like her, there's a place in this world. She really hopes that she can express her feeling more as quickly as possible.

......

The caravan quickly arrived at the city where Giyu lives. A small but cozy city. Here, the merchants began to look for places to sell their goods. The trip was over for Giyu, so he naturally didn't have to follow the caravan anymore and could go home.

This time, Giyu received his wages along with a hefty bonus for this trip from the guard commander. Giyu felt really happy. It feels like with his sister's wedding closing in their luck is also shining on them. Leaving the guard commander, Giyu looked at Haruto and Kanao who were waiting for him and said happily: "I received a bonus this time."

As he spoke, Giyu raised the purse in his hand. With Giyu's hand movements, the purse made a *jingle jingle  * sound, which is very pleasant to Giyu's ears.

"Congratulations, you deserved it."

Haruto laughed, feeling that the guard commander was quite sensible. Giyu is also very happy. With the money, he can buy good things for his sister before she gets married.

These years, both of the siblings have depended on each other for life and although life is difficult, his elder sister has always kept the best things for him without anything for herself. Even when she's about to get married, she didn't buy much for herself. This is what he cannot tolerate and it is also the reason why he took the risk to join the merchant team.

"Let's get going to my house. My sister will be very happy to see guests at home."

Giyu smiled. Haruto nodded and followed Giyu holding Kanao's hand. Walking on the street, Giyu bought a lot of things. Everything he felt would be suitable for his sister, he bought it immediately. Cosmetic case, face powder, jewelry...

"My sister has never used many things before. So this time I will get her everything I get."

Giyu murmured softly. He knew that his sister will definitely scold him seeing buy all this for her and will insist that she doesn't need them but this time he will not back down. He really wants to see Tsutako happy during her wedding and he will make sure of it. And in the future he will also look for the old men mentioned by Haruto so he can protect Tsutako in the future by himself.

...

Soon, they were near Giyu's house. When he got here, Haruto suddenly frowned and stopped slightly.

'A demon?'

Under the bamboo hat, golden eyes glanced around but found nothing except for the really faint scent of the demon. That's right, it's daytime now, even if there are demons, they won't appear during the daytime. After all no demon can bask in the sun like him.

"Sister, I'm back."

 Giyu shouted happily knocking on the door.

"Is that you Giyu?"

There was a cheerful voice behind the door. A plainly dressed girl opened the door, without makeup but still carrying the gentle loving vibe of an older sister, with black hair and a pretty face. She looks like a very gentle and beautiful girl with dark blue clear eyes.

Giyu's older sister Tsutako Tomioka. In the future, the day before her wedding, Tomioka's family is attacked by a demon. In order to protect her younger brother, Tsutako will sacrifice herself to the demon and die in front of Giyu. In the end, it became a nightmare that Giyu can never get rid of. In the future, Giyu said this to Tanjiro who begged for mercy for Nezuko who had turned into a demon. As if telling himself:

"Don't let another person take control of your right to live or die! Don't beg others pitifully! If doing so works, your family wouldn't have been murdered. When the right is being taken away the weak who can't take control it, wants to cure his younger sister and find the culprit? What a joke!

"The weak have no rights and no choice."

"You can only obediently submit to the power of the strong."

"The demon may know the way to cure your sister but don't think that the demon will just respect your will and wishes, that is the reality."

These were not just what was said to Tanjiro at the time. Likewise, Giyu said that to himself too. He hated being weak, hated being unable to do anything and hated himself for being powerless to resist at the time when he should have the most.

Of course, these are things that will happen later. But now because of his participation, it's like a butterfly flapping its wings, will such a event even happen... Haruto was not sure anymore. But overall Haruto thinks that such a scene should never happen.

.........…