After breakfast, Tanjiro headed to the training ground, while Shinobu hurried off to check on the new patients.
The injured were only lower-rank Demon Slayers, prone to getting roughed up in prolonged fights—even against ordinary demons.
Aoi and the others, including his siblings, were busy, so he didn't bother them.
Sensing Mitsuri's aura on the training ground, he decided to go there. From a distance, he could tell she was practicing with the wooden sword alongside little Kanao.
In that moment, a soft teasing voice came from above.
"Do you have some sort of sleeping condition now, mmm?"
He recognized the voice and tilted his head to look at the beautiful girl hovering beside him.
"No, why? Did something happen?" He feigned innocence, showing no strong reaction, completely relaxed.
Kanae rolled her eyes at his pretense, pouting childishly. "Don't change the question if you don't want to answer, hmph."
'Ohh… She was worried…' Joy filled his mind.
Showing a pleased smile, he brought his face close to hers and said something that made her freak out. "If you worry so much, I might fall for you, Kanae."
'…'
His face was so close they were practically kissing, though neither felt any touch.
"…wa, wh-what!? WHAT!?" Her face flushed red as she tried to hide it with her hands.
Not wanting to be seen, she flew straight into the mansion, leaving his side.
'Heh… Even as a ghost, she reacts like that… Interesting.'
Enjoying the sunlight and the chirping birds, he smiled calmly at the sky, feeling a sense of superiority he had never experienced before in his life.
'I feel like I can do anything…'
He felt that if he had fought Muzan in his current state back then, he would have succeeded very easily.
"What a wonderful feeling…"
....
An hour later~
Tanjiro was now having a sparring session with Kanao while an excited yet tired Mitsuri watched and learned from the sidelines.
Little Kanao moved swiftly, her form perfectly balanced.
She dashed toward Tanjiro, who stood rooted in place with a wooden sword casually resting in his hand.
Using flexible, zigzag movements, she unleashed a technique once she entered his attacking zone.
[Fourth Form: Crimson Hanagoromo]
Her wooden sword twisted toward his wrist, but before it could reach halfway, Tanjiro stepped sideways and dodged effortlessly.
Kanao, unsurprised after several minutes of fighting him, immediately curved her sword into a diagonal slash aimed at his thigh.
Yet, just like before, Tanjiro closed the distance to dodge her attack, disrupting her stance.
With a smile, he caught her by the waist and flicked her forehead, releasing her once she regained balance.
Kanao wrinkled her eyebrows at the easy loss and touched her forehead in slight pain, not minding the flick.
"Your techniques are really good. I can tell you've worked very hard to refine those movements. The one thing you're lacking is speed. Though once you've mastered Constant, it'll add up drastically." He headpatted her before concluding their spar.
Kanao gave a respectful bow and spoke her quiet words. "Thank you… for your teaching."
After spending time with him and Mitsuri, she had begun to voice her feelings. It took a lot of effort and meaningful time, but the result was better than he could have hoped for.
She had started expressing herself normally, no longer relying on that damn coin.
Though her voice was low and meek, it carried the most feminine tone among all the girls living in the mansion.
Hearing her alluring voice soothed both Tanjiro's and Mitsuri's hearts.
Feeling her calmness and grateful emotions, he showed a warm expression. "Don't be so humble, Kanao. Aren't we already well acquainted?"
A bit taken aback, she gave a small nod, releasing happy emotions that he perceived.
"Well then… Mitsuri's time is up." He mumbled, waving at the voluptuous girl to call her over.
She noticed, made a pitiful look, but ultimately walked over slowly.
Tanjiro gazed at Kanao's sweaty and powerless body. "You should get some rest. Don't overwork yourself. Take it easy since I'm here. I'll train you to Hashira level in no time."
Seeing his confident smile and hearing his reassuring words, Kanao could only nod in acceptance, feeling her heart flutter for some reason. "O-Okay."
She went to Mitsuri's spot on the engawa to rest.
Beside Tanjiro, an emotional Kanae hovered. Watching how much progress Kanao had made psychologically, she was left with a crying face, yet no tears came out.
"She… she suffered such a horrible childhood… Uuw, I didn't know what to do for her back then, so… so that stupid coin idea was all I could think of… Uwaa, I would have tried harder… I was so dimwitted… Uuu…"
Tanjiro remained silent, letting her vent all she wanted by herself. 'She needs a body… to enjoy the real life she couldn't.'
Mitsuri arrived with a hand over her stomach. "Urh, I'm hungry…" she groaned with longing.
'Damn, I feel bad for her… She's not a glutton, yet she needs to eat a lot against her will… Because of her unique body.' he thought.
Since there was no treatment for such a condition, he could not fix it no matter how much he wanted to.
"Fine, fine. Start practicing, and I'll bring something for you quick." Patting her shoulder with a wry smile, he released a sigh.
Immediately, a pure smile blossomed across her face. Giving a thumbs up, she said with a serious look. "I'll get to it right away, Master!"
'…!? Master?'
A chuckle involuntarily escaped his mouth.
"Drop the formalities. We're past that." With a smile, he left, walking away.
Left behind, Mitsuri's cheeks turned crimson as she stared at his figure. 'Kyaaah! He's so cool… I wuv him so much…!'
On the other side, Kanae sat beside Kanao quietly, not following Tanjiro this time.
....
Midway to the kitchen, while strolling around the mansion, Tanjiro raised his head toward a certain direction.
He sensed something approaching.
'Eh, that's…'
A few seconds later, a crow flew to his side and perched on his shoulder.
"Caw! Nice to meet you! Sun Hashira, Kamado Tanjiro! My name is Shiori! Assigned to the Sun Hashira by Oyakata-sama! It's a pleasure to be at your service! Caw!"
The crow spoke loud and clear.
Tanjiro glanced at the crow sitting so close and replied with an observant look. "I see. I'll be counting on you to inform me about the demons then, Shiori."
"Leave it to me, Caw!"
He didn't mind the crow and hurried to the kitchen. He still had a book to finish during his free time, not to mention the hunting missions he might start receiving anytime soon.