"Oww—it still hurts so much! My arm... Aoi-chan, can you be a little gentler?"
In the clean and tidy ward of the Butterfly Mansion, Zenitsu winced in pain, looking pitifully at Kanzaki Aoi as she changed the bandages on his arm.
Wearing a white nurse's uniform, Kanzaki Aoi rolled her eyes and retorted sharply.
"It's just a small wound. Are you even a man? That pig-headed boy over there has half his ribs broken and isn't making such a fuss."
As she spoke, a boisterous laugh suddenly rang out above them.
"Yahahaha! Blondie, she's right! You're too weak! Hahaha!"
Zenitsu and Kanzaki Aoi looked up simultaneously, and sure enough, Inosuke—his upper body wrapped in layers of bandages and still wearing his boar headgear—had somehow climbed onto the roof of the ward without anyone noticing.
Zenitsu closed his eyes, unwilling to engage with this inhuman "wild boar."
On the other hand, Kanzaki Aoi's eyebrows shot up in exasperation.
That boar-headed boy was truly incorrigible!
"Get down here! Your injuries aren't healed yet! Come down!!"
Leaving aside Kanzaki Aoi, who was now chasing Insouke around the Butterfly Mansion with a broom, the mansion itself was bustling with activity.
Due to the large number of Demon Slayers injured in the recent Kyoto train battle, the Butterfly Mansion was short-staffed and had to enlist the help of Kakushi members with some medical knowledge.
The original members of the Butterfly Mansion were even busier.
Kanzaki Aoi, along with the three new junior members who had recently joined, ran around like firefighters putting out blazes.
Even Kanao, who had already joined the Demon Slayer Corps, had specially returned to help.
Since the mistress of the Butterfly Mansion, Shinobu Kocho, had not yet returned, the mansion was currently being managed by its other mistress, Kanae Kocho.
At that moment, in the open space of the mansion's backyard, Kanae was carefully sorting medicinal herbs while a dozen bubbling medicine pots steamed nearby, filling the air with a strong herbal aroma.
"Achoo!"
The overpowering scent of medicine finally got to Sanemi, who sneezed loudly.
Rubbing his itchy nose, the Wind Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps glared at the banana leaf fan in his hand, a vein visibly throbbing on his forehead.
"Damn it! Why am I stuck doing this?! I hate this smell! When are those two coming back?" Sanemi grumbled resentfully.
Thwack!
A light but firm flick landed on Sanemi's head.
"Sanemi! That's too harsh! Shinichi and Shinobu are paying respects to Moriki-senpai. How can you say such things?"
There were very few in the Demon Slayer Corps who dared to flick Shinazugawa Sanemi and scold him so sternly.
Unsurprisingly, the one standing before him was none other than Kumeno Masachika, who had lost an arm and subsequently joined the Butterfly Mansion.
Sanemi had already realized his words were inappropriate and regretted them.
He had merely been venting his frustration—after all, as a Wind Hashira who thrived on slaying demons, being stuck fanning a furnace was unbearably tedious.
Unable to refute Kumeno's words, Sanemi simply lowered his head and gave the furnace another half-hearted wave of the fan.
Meanwhile, Kanae had been drawn by the commotion.
"Sanemi-kun, Kumeno-kun, is something wrong?"
"Not at all. Sanemi just said something rude and impolite. Seems he's quite impatient~" Kumeno replied with a smile.
Kanae sighed and said to Sanemi, "Oh dear, Sanemi-kun, if you don't want to help, you're free to leave. I did tell you earlier that you didn't have to force yourself."
"No! I—I didn't mean it! Damn it, Kumeno—!" Sanemi shot to his feet, glaring at his best friend.
Meanwhile, Kumeno wore an "innocent" smile.
The truth was, no one had forced Sanemi to come help at the Butterfly Mansion—he had volunteered.
As for his true motives? Anyone with eyes could see it clearly.
Kumeno knew his best friend better than anyone.
The way Sanemi looked at Kanae was completely different from how he looked at others—the tenderness in his eyes was rarer than a pond in the desert.
However, Kumeno who understood Sanemi's personality all too well, also knew that his rough and even somewhat violent temperament made it hard for him to get along with people.
This was perfectly evident from how the Demon Slayers feared the Wind Hashira.
This couldn't go on.
Though Kanae was an incredibly gentle girl, that was no excuse to let Sanemi continue being so abrasive.
So, Kumeno decided he had to step in for the sake of his best friend's future happiness—to help soften Sanemi's rough and unlikable edges.
.....
While Sanemi was still figuring out how to explain himself to Kanae, another scene was unfolding elsewhere in the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters.
Under the eaves of a simple yet dignified wooden house, a tall figure sat quietly.
His chiseled, handsome face was uncharacteristically solemn, and the jeweled headband across his forehead refracted dazzling light under the sun.
His silver-white hair swayed gently in the breeze.
Uzui Tengen, the Sound Hashira was devoid of his usual flamboyant demeanor.
Instead, an icy seriousness had taken over and the oppressive aura radiating from him made it clear that he was no mere figurehead among the Hashira.
"The Yoshiwara red-light district... so this is the area?" he muttered. "A place this flashy makes infiltration difficult even for me. But every second I delay puts Suma, Hinatsuru, and Makio in greater danger. Unacceptable! I must act now!"
In one swift motion, Tengen stood up, slinging his twin Nichirin cleavers—linked by chains and studded with gemstones—across his back.
"Wait... for a place like Yoshiwara, sending female Demon Slayers to gather intel would be more effective than me barging in recklessly. Female Slayers... should I check the Butterfly Mansion?"
Stroking his smooth chin, Tengen vanished from the spot in an instant.
...
Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters—Master's Residence.
Shinichi bowed deeply to Kagaya Ubuyashiki and Amane, expressing his gratitude for the respect the Corps had shown after Old Man Mitsuyo's passing.
In other words, this was the Corps' acknowledgment of the old man's life's work.
Mitsuyo had carried guilt his entire life for deserting, believing he had failed the centuries-old duty of the Moriki family and betrayed the Demon Slayer Corps.
But now, with the Corps' recognition and approval, perhaps the old man could find some peace in the afterlife.
As Shinichi stepped out of the residence, his eyes immediately met those of Shinobu, who had been waiting obediently for him.
No words were needed—they simply exchanged knowing smiles before linking arms and heading toward the Butterfly Mansion.
Along the way, countless Demon Slayers gaped at the sight of the Forest Hashira and Insect Hashira walking hand in hand.
"Holy—! Am I seeing things? Oi, Ono, are you seeing this?! The Forest Hashira! The Insect Hashira! They—! Is this for real?!"
"Oww!! It's real, it's real! I see it, I see it! Stop pinching me! It hurts!"
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