"I'm here, everyone! I'm so sorry for being late!"
The loud voice of Fire Pillar Kagamiyama Koyasu drew everyone's attention even before he entered the room.
As the successor of Fire Breathing,
he had only recently become a Pillar, yet his immense strength and cheerful, dependable nature had already earned him popularity within the Demon Slayer Corps.
"Koyasu," said Lord Kagamiyama Kōya with a gentle smile, "the news was too shocking, so we had to ask you to rush back from Okawa Village overnight. You must be exhausted."
Every time he met the passionate Koyasu, Lord Kagamiyama could feel a vibrant life force radiating from him—like a blazing fire on a cold night—steadfast, reliable, and comforting.
Nearby, Kagamiyama Aoi poured freshly brewed tea onto a tray and carried it over to Kagamiyama Koyasu.
"Hahahaha~ When I heard about Upper Moon Two's death, my whole body just heated up! Not tired at all!" Kagamiyama Koyasu responded loudly, bowing slightly as he accepted the teacup, then offered her a grateful nod before thanking Kagamiyama Aoi.
However, in that brief moment afterward,
his already wide eyes widened further as he took in the sight of Hangan Sadamune sitting by the wall like a piece of cold bluish rock, exuding a disturbing aura; Uzui Tenyu lying on the veranda with a diminished presence; and Shinazugawa Sanemi quietly sobbing in one corner of the yard.
Instinctively, he lifted the teacup to take a sip.
"Tastes great!"
"..."
Butterfly Sanae, who had been about to explain things to Kagamiyama Koyasu, fell silent, momentarily stunned by his energetic remark.
"Seriously?! At least act normal for once, mighty Fire Pillar!"
Shinobu, whose older sister had not yet died and who still possessed a somewhat fiery temperament, had a visible vein pop at the back of her head in frustration.
It was clearly a question about why their comrades were injured—
yet instead, he first shouted how good the tea tasted. What the hell was wrong with him?
"Ha ha ha... This hurts... But typical Fire Pillar—never changes... Ha ha ha..."
Uzui Tenyu couldn't help but laugh out loud.
But each laugh shot pain through his torn muscles and meridians, leaving him gasping for breath.
Swish~ Swish~
Footsteps pounded rapidly toward them.
Just like Wind Pillar Shinazugawa Sanemi, Tanjiro Kamado, the newly appointed Water Pillar, arrived outside the courtyard gates.
Silent and reserved, he strode into the courtyard with an emotionless gaze.
After respectfully bowing to Lord Kagamiyama Kōya, he turned his gaze toward the other Pillars nearby, who looked clearly worse for wear.
"Heh…ha…ha…Sanae! Hahahaha! Such power! Let the demons taste it! Make them all suffer through it! This unbearable agony—it's their perfect punishment!"
Finally recovering from [Four Breakdowns Per Second], Shinazugawa Sanemi wore an especially twisted and terrifying grin.
One slash to instantly kill those demons? That would be far too easy on them!
This soul-wrenching torment was what every demon deserved to feel!
"..."
Kagamiyama Koyasu and Tanjiro Kamado both turned their eyes to Butterfly Sanae, who stood unscathed among them.
They had all received an urgent call from Lord Kagamiyama and rushed back overnight from different locations.
Other than the news of Upper Moon Two, Tongmo's death,
they didn't know anything else.
"It's like this," Butterfly Sanae began, repeating the same explanation she had given to Kagamiyama Kōya earlier. "Yesterday, I received intelligence near the World of Eternal Paradise…"
"Now that's real bravery!"
Seeing Shinazugawa Sanemi's unpleasant expression, Kyojuro Rengoku loudly praised the other's character to lighten the mood.
The tension eased.
Sanae, Shinobu, Uzui Tenyu, and even Lord Kagamiyama himself couldn't help bursting into laughter.
But Sanemi Shinazugawa's expression only turned grimmer!
Seeing that the current Hashira had already returned in full,
after the laughter subsided, Sanae started using Natural Energy to purify each of them and unblock their meridians.
Those who had become Hashira were already top Jonin within the Demon Slayer Corps, each possessing extraordinary talent.
Although due to their youth they hadn't yet fully reached their peak strength or possessed physiques as strong as Rocky Pillar Hangan Sadamune,
they could barely endure the Natural Energy purification.
Yet when she saw her younger sister Shinobu watching her with eager eyes beside her,
Sanae could only shake her head helplessly.
As her own dear sister, of course she wanted her to grow stronger too.
However, Shinobu had a weak constitution, delicate bones, and both muscle and internal organ strengths far below those of the others.
She simply couldn't endure the purification of Natural Energy.
"…Onee-san! Let me try just once!"
Gritting her teeth tightly, Butterfly Shinobu's flushed face showed unwavering determination and refusal to give up.
Born with a weaker body than ordinary people, she didn't have the strength to even behead a demon.
But she'd kept striving—passing trials, joining the Demon Slayer Corps, studying medical techniques—and constantly striving to improve in every way.
Everyone was making efforts to completely eliminate demons.
She wouldn't stop now—not ever!
"Shinobu…"
Butterfly Sanae gently cupped the stubborn cheek of her younger sister.
Her heart ached with hesitation.
Natural Energy was simply beyond what her sister's body could bear.
Yet facing such a determined Shinobu, how should she, as the older sister, persuade and guide her?
Lord God~
Please, grant guidance to your faithful believer.
Butterfly Sanae activated the contract power of 'Demon God Agent' through the Seed of Natural Energy within her.
Kei Yamanaka, who was playing in the swimming pool with Kushina, felt the call from the contract,
sent a thread of consciousness through the contract's power, directly entering Butterfly Sanae's spiritual realm.
"Butterfly Shinobu… you and your elder sister have completely different personalities."
Yamanaka Kei's voice echoed inside Butterfly Sanae's mind.
"Lord God~ Forgive my intrusion, but my younger sister has always had a frail constitution since childhood…"
Cradling the tiny statue in her hands, Butterfly Sanae closed her eyes and poured her thoughts about Shinobu into her heart.
Though it was somewhat embarrassing to admit, Shinobu was still her younger sister…
Just under two inches tall, the miniature statue emitted faint spiritual light.
In the next instant.
Using yuan energy, Kei Yamanaka created a small wooden effigy of himself and transformed it into a Wood Clone. It rose from Butterfly Sanae's palm, standing upright and waving at Butterfly Shinobu.
All eyes were on Butterfly Sanae at that moment.
Seeing that tiny statue actually transform into a miniature humanoid figure that looked lifelike, people instinctively gulped.
This...
Could it really not be an illusion?
"Lord God~ You're actually that small?"
Butterfly Shinobu leaned forward slightly, blinking her large violet eyes as she approached her older sister's palm.
"..."
Kei Yamanaka raised his hand and snapped his fingers lightly.
Ping!
A sharp burst of compressed air tapped her on the forehead, making Butterfly Shinobu instinctively recoil, clutching her forehead in confusion.
Hearing that "good head," Kei Yamanaka felt a surge of satisfaction!
What did she mean he was only this big?
He was plenty large, thank you very much!
The reason he hadn't enlarged the Wood Clone was simply because it wasn't necessary!
Later, he still needed to clear Butterfly Shinobu's meridians to determine which type of energy suited her best.
If this Wood Clone consumed too much energy, even if the bound magic wouldn't disappear entirely, its power would definitely weaken.
"Lord God~ Sorry! Sorry! I'm just...not very good with words!"
Butterfly Sanae quickly apologized.
Shinobu was being so reckless!
How could she say something like that to Lord God~!
"Come here, let me see which training method works best for you."
Yamanaka Kei waved off the overly nervous Sanae, then beckoned toward Butterfly Shinobu again.
"Huh?!"
Butterfly Shinobu blinked in surprise, her eyes sparkling. Ignoring the red mark now on her forehead, she quickly stepped closer once more.
Who cared about a little flick to the forehead when improving her strength was far more important!
Looking at the smooth flushed cheeks of Shinobu—now larger than his Wood Clone—and barely visible pores, Yamanaka Kei sighed inwardly.
Maybe he shouldn't have held back on energy next time.
He placed his palm against Butterfly Shinobu's forehead.
[Meridian Analysis]
"Hmm, slight congenital deficiency. Her cells and bone density are underdeveloped. Her spiritual power outweighs her physical strength. Water and shadow attributes? Hmm, chakra doesn't suit you. Then you'll train in magic."
"Ah?"
Butterfly Shinobu blinked in confusion.
Before she could process what had been said, mild needles of pain spread through her mind.
Immediately afterward, the world before her slowly began to change. In the surrounding air, faint flecks of light blue particles and sparse pale black motes began to appear.
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