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"The part I can handle is now complete."
Kaito put away the writing brush and "ink" from the small table, turning to look behind him.
"Shinobu-san, could you check Mr. Kamado's condition again now?"
"Of course." Shinobu stepped to the bedside.
At this point, Tanjuro had been wiped dry of sweat by Kie, helped back into his clothes, laid down, and tucked under the covers.
"I'll start with a check using traditional Kampo medicine methods."
Shinobu extended her hand to take Tanjuro's pulse.
Kie and the children immediately fixed expectant gazes on her.
After all, Kaito's "treatment" methods were unheard of, and they hadn't fully grasped his theoretical explanation, leaving a lingering unease in their hearts.
After a long while, Shinobu released her hand.
"No need to worry," she smiled gently at Kie. "Just as Uchiha-san said, Mr. Kamado's body has stopped its further decline. A thorough check with Western medical instruments afterward will put us completely at ease."
"Thank you, thank you all... thank you..."
Kie couldn't hold back, covering her mouth as joyful tears streamed down her face, bowing repeatedly in gratitude to everyone.
Shinobu quickly stood to support her.
The Kamado children could no longer contain themselves, rushing forward to cluster around the sickbed.
"Then, for Mr. Kamado's ongoing recuperation, I'll leave it to you—Kanae-san and Shinobu-san," Kaito said.
"No problem," Kanae replied with a smile. "We'll take it from here."
"I'll do my best to help too," Shinobu promised solemnly.
"For now, let's let Mr. Kamado get some proper rest," Kagaya said to the group. "We'll take our leave first."
In the end, aside from Shinobu who stayed to attend, everyone else bid farewell to the Kamado family and gathered in the front courtyard of the Butterfly Mansion.
"It seems my earlier assumptions were spot on—everyone can now activate their marks with peace of mind," Kaito said with a smile to the group.
Uzui raised his robust arm. "Then please hurry and activate marks for us all. I never turn down the chance to become even more flamboyant!"
"Hahaha..." Rengoku laughed heartily. "Looks like we'll have even more confidence against Muzan Kibutsuji and the other demons from here on out!"
"But in the end, how exactly do you activate marks? According to what you said, Mr. Kamado's were innate, right?" Kanae asked curiously.
"I would think..." Kagaya speculated, "...it's by accelerating the rate at which natural energy erodes the swordsmen's bodies, pushing them to the critical point?"
"Exactly. Then please follow me, everyone." Kaito nodded with a smile, leading the way out of the Butterfly Mansion.
"I've prepared everything in advance."
The others followed him curiously out of the mansion and into the mountain forest.
Kagaya's wheelchair was carried between the burliest members—Gyomei and Uzui.
Kaito guided the group through the ancient, towering woods, steadily ascending until, at dusk, they reached the mountaintop.
"It's been a while since I've seen such a brilliant vista."
Kagaya sat in his wheelchair, gazing at the crimson sunset clouds in the distance.
"Master! Once we completely eradicate Muzan Kibutsuji, you'll have all the time in the world to see even more sights." Sanemi spoke up immediately.
This guy never misses an opportunity.
Everyone shot him a speechless glance.
"So, Uchiha-san, what have you prepared here?" Kagaya smiled at Kaito.
"Swordsmen, please stand right here."
Kaito stepped forward, pushing his wheelchair down from the peak until they passed a large tree, where he stopped.
"With the current lack of sufficiently spiritual materials, I've had to improvise by using the natural terrain to set up a formation."
He looked at the swordsmen still standing in place and smiled warmly.
"Luckily, it seems my luck held out—I found just the right spot."
Releasing the wheelchair's armrests, he began forming hand seals.
"The natural energy in the mountains is already denser than in populated areas. With the formation added, a few hours of training inside should be enough to activate everyone's marks."
As his hand seals shifted, the five great trees encircling the mountaintop suddenly lit up with distinct blood-written incantations, while sheets of talisman paper emerged on their trunks.
Subsequently, Kaito spread his arms wide, and two shimenawa ropes adorned with talismans shot forth from his left and right sleeves, swiftly wrapping around the trunks of the trees to either side.
The shimenawa ropes from his sleeves seemed endless, rapidly extending to coil around the next trees in sequence.
The ropes crisscrossed and wove through the air, and in an instant, they connected all five great trees around the mountaintop. Finally, they detached from Kaito's sleeves, automatically forming a massive pentagram pattern.
"Everything ready?" Kaito smiled, forming hand seals once more.
As his seals changed rapidly, the talismans surrounding the swordsmen ignited one by one in succession.
Finally, when all the talismans blazed to life, the ground erupted in a brilliant, intricate array of formation lines.
"The wind's picking up?" Sanemi felt the air around them suddenly accelerate.
"Get ready—the concentration of natural energy in the formation is about to intensify!"
Kaito called out a warning, his hand seals coming to a halt.
In that instant, spiritual light blazed around him, his hair and robes billowing in the rising wind.
At the same time, every talisman, incantation, and formation line within glowed with radiant intensity.
The air flow in the formation quickened, soon coalescing into a swirling vortex.
The swordsmen immediately lowered their stances to steady themselves.
Before long, all the lights gradually dimmed, and the storm subsided.
The swordsmen keenly sensed the subtle shift in the surrounding air.
Kaito walked to the edge of the formation and addressed the disheveled Hashira inside. "From here on, as long as you enter a meditative state within the formation and maintain constant full-focus breathing, you should be able to activate your marks after a few hours."
The swordsmen nodded and sat cross-legged on the spot to begin.
Kaito's voice reached their ears once more.
"Rest assured—as soon as someone activates their marks, I'll move them out of the formation."
With that, he refrained from disturbing their focus and retreated to Kagaya's side.
"Thank you for going to such lengths for everyone," Kagaya thanked him again.
"You've thanked me too many times already, Ubuyashiki-sama."
Kaito waved it off, turning to him with a smile.
"Our goals align, so let's save the thanks for after we've thoroughly dealt with Muzan!"