A small, unremarkable wooden cabin… at least, that's how it looked from the outside. There was nothing about it that would catch the eye or make anyone pause for a second glance.
Yet at this moment, an unusual atmosphere filled the space inside.
"Such a lot of guests today! Sorry, but all I can offer you here is tea. I hope that's all right."
"Eeya, eeya!"
Afune, carrying her younger brother Tasuke on her back, brought out tea for the far-traveled Himejima Gyomei and Kochou Shinobu, her pure smile seemingly impossible for anyone to dislike.
"Oh, it's quite all right. Tea is more than enough, thank you, little one."
"Namu Amida Butsu… thank you."
Shinobu accepted the teacup with a gentle, warm smile, while Gyomei's manner seemed noticeably more reserved by comparison.
After the misunderstanding had been cleared up, Shinobu and Gyomei were invited to Afune's home.
Naturally, the one tasked with explaining things was Kochou Kanae—after all, expecting Nightingale, who had [Madness Enhancement]EX, to give any sort of explanation was asking far too much.
"So Nightingale-san is the one who saved you from Upper Moon Two that time, right, Onee-san? Why didn't you just say so…"
Though meeting her sister again brought Shinobu great joy, right now the look she gave Kanae brimmed with exasperation. "We thought Kibutsuji Muzan had gone after you all because Upper Moon Two was killed… We nearly had Gyomei-san and our savior come to blows because of it!"
They had come here for three reasons: first, to check on Kanae after her severe injuries; second, to thank Nightingale for saving her; and third, to see if Nightingale could be persuaded to join the Demon Slayer Corps.
Now, though, thanks to the fight that had erupted over a misunderstanding, the last two goals had become terribly awkward to broach.
"Eh? Was that my fault?"
Kanae raised a hand to cover her mouth in embarrassment, averting her gaze. "Ah… it really is my fault, isn't it? Sorry about that!"
To think my first meeting with my savior would turn out like this…
Shinobu's head drooped in dejection. Ah… This is sure to leave Nightingale-san with a terrible first impression of us…
"…Hmm."
Kanae pressed her lips together, as if wanting to say something but hesitating.
After spending this much time with Nightingale, Kanae's intuition told her that—oddly enough—the other woman probably didn't care about any of this. Shinobu's anxiety was unnecessary.
"Ah… How heartbreaking,"
Gyomei suddenly spoke, emotions churning beneath the calm of his voice.
"To have trained to such a level at such a young age, to possess power like crashing waves in that seemingly frail body… Just how much tragedy and hardship did she have to endure to forge a will strong enough to wield such strength, as unyielding as steel?"
The power Nightingale had shown during their earlier clash still left Gyomei inwardly unsettled.
Only he truly knew how much he had sacrificed to temper his body into stone. Unless someone had witnessed it themselves, no ordinary person would ever believe that a human could survive such harsh training.
Yet in a contest of pure strength, he had lost to her.
But it was precisely because of that exchange that Gyomei now believed—she truly did have the ability to defeat Upper Moon Two.
"Hmm? Are you talking about something important?"
Nightingale entered just then, seeing the group chatting in a rather desultory way. Her face calm, she glanced over everyone's expressions and asked, "Did I come at a bad time? Should I leave and give you all some time to catch up?"
"No, it's fine, Nightingale-san."
Shinobu straightened her back slightly, her smile graceful as she addressed Nightingale. "Actually, we were talking about you, Nightingale-san… We're sorry for treating you like an enemy without knowing anything. I'm just glad you weren't hurt."
"Hmm? Things like that don't really matter, do they?"
Nightingale's response was so casual it caught Shinobu completely off guard. It seemed she really didn't care about any of it at all.
"The real problem right now is you two."
Nightingale's gaze swept over Shinobu and Gyomei. For an instant, both felt as if she could see right through them.
"You two… you've both trained in the same kind of breathing technique as Kanae, haven't you?"
"Eh? Breathing technique?"
Shinobu instinctively glanced at her companions, confused, but she still tried to explain for her savior's sake.
"Nightingale-san, you've probably seen my sister's Breathing Style, right? While we all use Breathing Styles, there are differences… My sister and I both use Flower Breathing, while Gyomei-san uses Stone Breathing. Breathing Styles are techniques developed by the Demon Slayer Corps to let us fight demons stronger than any human. By using them, we can momentarily enhance our physical abilities. Every swordsman in the Corps—"
Shinobu didn't finish.
Just as she was about to say "Every swordsman in the Corps has more or less learned a different style of Breathing," Kanae's eyes flashed in alarm. She immediately moved in a blur, cutting Shinobu off before she could finish.
That was close… If Shinobu had let that slip, the entire Corps could have been wiped out!
She'd only seen Nightingale fight one and a half times, but Kanae felt certain that Nightingale could destroy the entire Demon Slayer Corps if she wanted.
The others might have noticed the odd tension between the Kochou sisters, but thankfully, Nightingale seemed not to care.
"Very well. Since you admit it, let's get started with your treatment."
As Kanae withdrew her hand, Shinobu regained her composure, her eyes brimming with uncertainty as she looked at Nightingale.
"Treatment? For us? But we're not injured… I don't think we need any treatment."
Though she was confused, Shinobu didn't doubt Nightingale's medical skill for a second.
After all, Nightingale had saved Kanae from certain death and had her up and moving around like nothing had happened. Just her medical skill alone was enough to draw the respect of Ubuyashiki Kagaya.
"I know exactly who needs treatment."
Nightingale's manner turned steely as she seized Shinobu's arm.
Caught off guard, Shinobu could only stare as Nightingale's thumb pressed into her forearm. Instantly, Shinobu's face turned ashen and she sucked in a sharp breath.
"Just as I thought…"
Nightingale's expression didn't change, as if she'd expected this. "You've got a lot of hidden injuries. Not just from pushing yourself past your limits in battle, but also from those torturous training methods. That Breathing Style—or rather, the sword techniques paired with it—put way too much strain on your body."
A jolt of pain shot through Shinobu, like electricity running through her veins. Instinctively, she tried to pull her arm free, but failed.
Nightingale's grip was like a hydraulic clamp; no matter how much strength Shinobu used, it was as if she were pushing against the ocean. Nightingale's hand didn't budge an inch.
Nightingale's other hand probed Shinobu's waist and thigh. Her face grew increasingly grave as her crimson eyes glimmered, almost frightening.
"You're worse off than your sister or your companion… It's infuriating. You were given a healthy body others would kill for, yet you've worn it down like this… What have you been doing? To find so many scars on such a small frame—it's appalling."
She saw right through me.
Just one touch, and she exposed all the pain I'd endured from those brutal years of training.
Shinobu's heart pounded in her chest, shaken by Nightingale's words.
Kanae and Gyomei both knew, better than anyone, what Shinobu had gone through to reach her current level. As they listened to Nightingale's diagnosis, both were filled with a quiet ache.
"You must be treated. You, and your companion as well."
At last, Shinobu and Gyomei understood what Nightingale meant by "treatment."
"Namu Amida Butsu…"
Gyomei pressed his hands together and spoke solemnly. "If it is treatment, then it is a blessing. If Nightingale-san is willing to help us remove the hidden injuries that have built up over the years, we will do all we can to cooperate."
At that, Kanae shot Gyomei a sidelong glance, her expression unreadable.
After a moment's thought, Kanae leaned close to Shinobu and whispered,
"Shinobu… When Nightingale-san treats you, whatever you see, don't panic. Just close your eyes, and it'll be over soon."
"???"
Kanae's sudden warning only confused Shinobu more, but Kanae didn't elaborate.
What on earth is going to happen during Nightingale-san's treatment…?
Shinobu was left with an uneasy, crawling feeling in her chest.
When Nightingale returned, she looked at Gyomei first.
"Your eyes… what happened to them?"
"Namu Amida Butsu… I lost my sight as a child due to a severe illness."
Gyomei's tone was calm, not the least bit self-conscious about his disability.
Nightingale nodded, regret in her voice. "The eyes are one of the closest organs to the brain. Surgery would be too risky… It's a shame. If you hadn't been blind for so long, it might have been worth trying."
Because of Kanae's mysterious words, Shinobu felt increasingly nervous as she waited for her treatment.
Finally, Nightingale handed bottles of medicine to both Shinobu and Gyomei.
"Anesthetic…? Is this an oral one?"
Kanae couldn't suppress her curiosity and asked Nightingale.
"Anesthetic? This is for nourishing the body,"
Nightingale replied, puzzled. "There's no need for anesthetic when you're not having surgery. For removing hidden injuries, drinking this is enough. It takes longer than a single operation, but it's much safer."
"What? No surgery?!"
Kanae's eyes went wide in shock. "Didn't you say before that removing the damage from Breathing Styles would be impossible without surgery?"
The reason Kanae had hurriedly tried to send Shinobu and Gyomei away before was to keep Nightingale from grabbing them and forcing them onto the operating table.
Now, Nightingale was saying there was no need for surgery after all—just medicine.
Kanae felt a sour frustration in her chest.
Please, give me a reasonable explanation… her expression all but screamed.
Whether or not Nightingale understood her, she let out a sigh.
"I'd like to perform surgery too, to fix their bodies once and for all… But if I do, they wouldn't be able to use Breathing Styles anymore. If they did, the damage would be even worse. I doubt they could accept that."
She glanced at Shinobu and Gyomei, just in time to see Shinobu stiffen in shock and Gyomei's brow knit with worry.
"Namu Amida Butsu…"
Gyomei spoke heavily, "The tragedies wrought by demons have not ceased, and bitter battles still await us. You're right, Nightingale-san… For us, it's far too soon to lay everything down and rest."
Gyomei and Shinobu would have loved to be healed completely.
But they'd made those sacrifices to keep fighting. If the cost of healing was losing their ability to fight, neither could accept it.
Kanae looked at Nightingale in surprise.
"I thought you'd forbid them from fighting, especially in such reckless ways… If they disobeyed, you'd pin them to their beds by force."
That she could say such a thing showed how well Kanae had come to know Nightingale.
If the Berserker-class Nightingale had been here, she just might have done exactly that.
"But if not fighting would mean certain death, then I have no reason to stop them."
Nightingale's face remained impassive. "These medicines are much milder than surgery. As long as they're taken on schedule, their fighting won't be affected."
As Nightingale finished, Shinobu relaxed and took a sip of the medicine Nightingale had given her.
And instantly—she nearly spat it right back out.
What is this stuff?! How can it be so bitter?!
Still, she managed not to spit it out.
Not out of obedience, but because she felt the weight of a heavy gaze on her.
An overwhelming, unyielding whisper sounded at her ear, like a giant stone pressing down on her shoulders and stealing her breath.
Even a naughty child who refuses to take her medicine… still needs saving!
Shinobu admitted to herself, I regret this so much.
I should've listened to Onee-san and run for it while I had the chance.
Especially now that she realized she'd have to drink this vile stuff regularly in the future… Shinobu could only see darkness ahead.
Unfortunately, Nightingale could concoct all sorts of medicines, but the one thing she couldn't make was a cure for regret.
---
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