"Hm… This combination works well."
Watching the blue-skinned demon writhe and wail in agony as the wisteria poison slowly ate away at him, Kochou Shinobu coldly flicked her blade, scattering demon blood onto the forest floor.
Compared to sunlight, wisteria poison brought demons far greater suffering. But unlike her older sister, Shinobu had no inclination toward mercy or gentleness; the more pain she caused demons as she killed them, the more satisfied she felt.
"This new Nichirin Blade—I haven't actually used it since it was forged. I was a little worried, so during that last fight I stuck with my old sword… If you'd let me take your head off back then, maybe you would've had an easier death. Otherwise, I'd just have to find someone else to test my blade on."
Shinobu's current Nichirin Blade was specially crafted. Since her wrist strength was lacking, the blade was solid only at the tip and near the guard; the middle section was unsharpened, making the sword exceptionally light.
Moreover, the blade's interior had a unique mechanism that allowed Shinobu to change the poison's formula on the fly during battle.
Forging such a special blade was no simple feat. Among all the swordsmiths of the Demon Slayer Corps, only the village chief himself could manage it—an honor no ordinary member who wasn't even a Hashira should receive.
But when Nightingale made the request, Ubuyashiki Kagaya had agreed almost immediately. Months later, a swordsmith in a flaming mask arrived at their village with Shinobu's new blade in hand.
After killing the demon, Shinobu let out a breath of relief.
Nightingale had told her this fighting style would work, but until she'd tried it for herself, Shinobu still felt nervous… That's why, lacking confidence, she had relied on her old sword for her first attack.
As a result, she had almost let the demon escape.
If she'd only used her old blade, she never could've kept up with that blindingly fast demon. Forced into a corner, Shinobu had drawn her new, lighter Nichirin Blade and chased him down.
"But… this demon really was fast. If I hadn't learned that footwork from Sensei, there's no way I could've caught up—not even close. I think it's called [Shukuchi]?"
Shinobu tilted her head, a little puzzled. "Sensei said I'm just speeding up for now, and still far from true [Shukuchi no Jutsu]… But isn't that something out of fairy tales? How could that possibly be real… Did Sensei get scammed?"
Okita Souji: "???"
Far away in Chaldea, Okita Souji suddenly sneezed. Coincidentally, Nightingale herself happened to witness this and mistook it for the beginnings of a cold. What followed was a chaotic chase through Chaldea—Okita tried to escape with her [Shukuchi] skill, but right as she was about to give Nightingale the slip, she coughed up blood and collapsed. Nightingale immediately dragged her off to the infirmary.
Once she confirmed the demon was dead, Shinobu retraced her path back.
It was her first time killing a demon with wisteria poison, but all things considered, she was very satisfied. As long as she could inject the poison, she could kill demons easily. This fighting style suited her perfectly—small, quick, and nimble, but with wrists too weak to cut through a demon's neck.
"Hm?"
On her way back, something caught Shinobu's eye in the dim woods.
Despite the poor lighting, she could make out the shape—a jar.
What's a jar doing out here in the forest?
She couldn't figure it out, nor did she care to. After all, a jar by itself wasn't worth worrying about.
Someone probably threw it away… Looks like it's been patched up a few times, too.
Using the strange footwork she'd learned from Nightingale, Shinobu flitted away like a ghost on the wind, vanishing in an instant.
After she left, the jar she'd noticed—previously overlooked and hidden in the shadows—began to stir restlessly.
…
It was already late, and with heavy clouds blotting out even the moon, it wasn't a good idea to travel further. They'd had to stop for the night.
Though they couldn't find a village, Nightingale and her group had come across an old temple.
It was there they'd encountered that annoyingly fast demon. In the end, they'd agreed Shinobu would take him on alone—a test of her current abilities.
On her way back, Shinobu's heart brimmed with anticipation and excitement. With her one-hit-kill wisteria poison and her new, speed-enhancing footwork, she felt she might soon become a Hashira herself.
She had always aspired to be as great a Demon Slayer as her sister Kanae. But she also knew how slim that hope was—her inability to sever a demon's neck was just too fatal a flaw.
This is all thanks to Sensei. Without her, maybe I never would've become the kind of swordswoman my sister is…
She hadn't even reached the temple's gate when she heard Nightingale's voice.
"Disinfect! Sterilize! Even if we're only here for one night, we can't neglect hygiene!"
"Ah… There she goes again."
Shinobu's face didn't even twitch—she was used to this by now. She walked inside at a calm, steady pace.
Even from a distance, she could smell the strong, strangely reassuring scent of disinfectant.
It calmed Shinobu, but not everyone felt the same way. Kanae, unable to take the heavy chemical smell, had stepped outside for fresh air—and now, she ran into Shinobu returning from her demon hunt.
"Shinobu, you're back."
Her lips curved into a gentle smile. "So you defeated that demon after all?"
"Yes. The new Nichirin Blade Lord Ubuyashiki had forged for me was even better than I expected, Sensei's request paid off."
With her only family saved by Nightingale, Shinobu had grown, but hadn't been forced into the sudden, painful maturity of the original timeline. Getting her hands on a weapon she liked, she grinned—just like a child showing off a new toy to her friends, her smile laced with pride.
"Is that so? That's wonderful. Congratulations."
Kanae's smile softened even further, as gentle as moonlight on a still lake.
When her little sister was happy, she was happy too.
The moment Shinobu stepped inside the temple, she could tell something was different.
I was only gone for a short while, right? How is it this clean…? Where did all the holes, dust, and cobwebs go?
"Of course, Nightingale cleaned the place from top to bottom," Kanae replied matter-of-factly. "She kept muttering about how inhaling dust would cause all sorts of respiratory and blood diseases, then cleaned the whole temple in no time at all. She even patched up all the broken places—there's not a single speck of dust left for me, Afune, or the others… Honestly, she seems more like a construction worker than a nurse."
"…I guess that's just how Sensei is," Shinobu muttered, her brows furrowed as if forcing herself to accept something that made no sense. "You get used to it."
"Oh, that reminds me…"
Suddenly, Kanae smirked teasingly at her sister. "While she was cleaning, Nightingale used [Shukuchi] too. I have to say, for all that you both learned the same technique, you and Nightingale are worlds apart—there's just no comparison."
Shinobu rolled her eyes in response.
As if I don't know the gap between us…
"You two, stop whispering over there. If you stay up all night, those two kids won't get the sleep they need to grow. They need good habits—early to bed, early to rise."
Nightingale strode over, immediately scolding them. Naturally, neither Shinobu nor Kanae dared talk back.
"Eh?"
Afune, suddenly mentioned, blinked in surprise. After glancing at the sisters, she spoke up, considerate as ever: "It's… it's all right, really. Tasuke and I aren't that sleepy yet…"
"Thank you for sticking up for us, Afune, but it's true, this is our fault… Sorry, Afune. Sorry, Tasuke."
Kanae gave a rueful smile.
"Looks like Tasuke's already dozing off…" Shinobu noticed the boy, slumped on Afune's back, was barely awake—normally, just hearing his name would get him chirping.
Shinobu: "Guess it really is bedtime."
Kanae: "You're right… We've got an early start tomorrow."
Nightingale: "Don't forget to wash up before bed. Wherever you are, hygiene is always a top priority—if anything, you need to be even more diligent in tough environments."
Everyone else: "Yes, ma'am."
…
Night deepened, the evening breeze carrying an unmistakable chill.
Inside the temple, Nightingale—who had seemed to be sleeping—suddenly opened her crimson eyes, staring up at the ceiling for a long moment before slowly sitting up.
Everyone else was deep asleep, breathing softly. Nightingale did her best not to make noise, but she still woke Afune, who was sleeping nearby.
Rubbing her sleepy eyes, Afune saw Nightingale standing, apparently preparing to leave.
"Nightingale-oneesan…?"
"Sorry, Afune, did I wake you?"
Their voices were unconsciously hushed in the quiet night, as if even breathing could be heard.
Afune shook her head and looked at Nightingale in confusion.
"Nightingale-oneesan… Are you going out?"
"Yes."
Nightingale nodded, her calm eyes unshaken as always. "Suddenly got called for overtime. If everyone's going to sleep well, I need to go out and tidy up… Don't worry, I'll be quick. Just rest easy."
"Okay… that's fine."
Afune yawned, eyelids growing heavier. She murmured, "Come back soon, okay, Nightingale- oneesan…" and slipped back to sleep.
After checking one last time on the others, Nightingale left the temple and strode into the darkness of the forest.
Aside from being a nurse, I'm also a Santa Claus now…
Nightingale's eyes shifted as she muttered quietly, "Which means it's my job to make sure everyone has a safe and healthy night… This, too, is my duty."
Under the silent night sky, Nightingale walked deeper into the shadows of the woods, her voice ringing with resolve.
"So then… Let's get started. It's treatment time!"
As she stopped, she clenched her fists. Her crimson eyes flashed with wild energy.
"Don't think you'll get off easy!"
"Ee-ya, ee-ya, ee-yaaa!"
A terrified, broken scream rang out from behind a tree.
In the darkness, a demon—shrivelled and hunched, like a frail old man—knelt, wailing miserably.
A huge tumor bulged on his forehead, a pair of demon horns sprouted from his head, and bloody tears streamed from his eyes. His shrunken body trembled uncontrollably under the pressure of Nightingale's presence.
Though he looked like a withered old man, Nightingale saw through the act. Inside that shrunken shell was a monstrous life force—like a volcano ready to erupt. Only a demon who had devoured hundreds could possess so much raw power.
Even more impressive than his power was his ability to mask his presence. Even someone with a nose as sharp as Kamado Tanjiro would never sense this demon until they saw him.
But now, this powerful demon—
"Ee-ya, ee-ya, please! Don't kill me… I don't want to die… Don't bully me…"
—was groveling at Nightingale's feet, begging for mercy.
It was almost as if this demon was the innocent victim, and the stern, merciless Nightingale was the real monster.
But Nightingale wasn't moved. She had already recognized this demon's identity.
Upper Moon Four—Hantengu.
Among all the Upper Moons, aside from scum like Kaigaku, none disgusted Nightingale more.
---
T/N: shukckcuhcihci is reduced earth!
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