"It's incredible that there are absolutely no aftereffects. You have to understand that your body contained the blood of more than a dozen people. Normally, it would be impossible for blood of different types to flow harmoniously in your body."
Yushiro sighed, circling Shinichi with an expression of pure astonishment.
Shinichi was surprised by the news.
While rubbing the fluffy head in his arms, he asked, "More than a dozen people? Wait, you mean, it wasn't just Enji's blood?"
Yushiro shook his head, pointing to the dog Shinichi was holding.
"Maru-nii's blood was merely a catalyst. His special constitution comes from you, so I used his blood to help guide Lady Tamayo's medicine. It was just an accelerant. The real blood transfusion was provided by Shinobu and the other Hashira. It's astonishing that your body absorbed their blood and gradually recovered."
"So, that's why I turned back into a human?"
"Perhaps. Nezuko proved Tamayo-sama's success, didn't she? Or is it that you don't want to be human?" Yushiro crossed his arms, looking at Shinichi with a touch of disdain.
Was the Forest Hashira unable to give up the power of a demon?
Shinichi smiled, set Maru-nii down, and stretched widely.
"No, it feels great to be human again. I haven't felt this relaxed in a long time. Even breathing feels pleasant now. It's a pity the sun isn't out; I'd love to experience sunbathing."
"You..." Before Yushiro could finish, a figure suddenly rushed into the ward with blinding speed.
Yushiro only saw a blur, catching a wisp of a maple-red afterimage.
"Master!"
Yuichiro looked at his master with overwhelming excitement, tears instantly blurring his vision.
Without a word, Yuichiro threw his arms around Shinichi's waist.
Feeling the genuine warmth radiating from his master, the fourteen-year-old boy fought back sobs.
Maru-nii barked around Shinichi and Yuichiro, seemingly unhappy that Yuichiro had interrupted his playtime with his owner.
Shinichi chuckled, nudged Maru-nii with his foot, and patted Yuichiro's head.
"Alright, alright, how old are you? Are you still a child? Crying and sobbing like this is poor behavior for a Hashira! Aren't you afraid your teammates will laugh at you? Your master isn't going anywhere soon."
"I'm sorry, Master, I lost my composure," Yuichiro said, rubbing his eyes, but his voice was still filled with relief.
Soon after, Kanae also arrived.
Upon seeing Shinichi awake, her excitement was indescribable.
...
While Shinichi's awakening was joyful news, the Demon Slayer Corps was far from safe.
In fact, the crisis was more severe than before.
The thousand-year-old threat, Muzan, remained unresolved and now an even more mysterious and potentially stronger demon, Shokyu, had emerged.
"Now that everyone knows I'm awake, I can't just sit here waiting for visitors. Time is precious. Yuichiro, take me to headquarters right now. The fate of the Demon Slayer Corps is at stake!" Shinichi declared with a serious expression.
He took off the white hospital gown, grabbed a neatly folded Demon Slayer Corps uniform from a nearby table, put it on quickly, and draped a brand-new light green haori over his shoulders.
Shinichi subconsciously thought, 'Is the Butterfly Mansion's logistics department this good? They thoughtfully prepared uniforms and haoris.'
Without another thought, Shinichi, now fully dressed, thanked Yushiro again and headed out of the ward with Yuichiro.
'Awooo!! ' Maru-nii let out two happy cries, swung his four paws, and steadily caught up with the two.
Kanae also solemnly expressed her gratitude to Yushiro, and then followed Shinichi and Yuichiro.
As the Flower Hashira, her fate was inextricably linked to the survival of the Demon Slayer Corps.
Even as the others departed, both Kanae and Yushiro felt a faint sense of unease.
They dismissed it for the time being—Shinichi was right, the situation demanded immediate decisions from the Hashira.
Watching the three figures leave, Yushiro sighed inwardly.
He didn't have many options.
Lady Tamayo's disappearance was most likely the work of Muzan or Shokyu.
He couldn't rescue her alone.
Therefore, helping the Demon Slayer Corps was a mutual necessity.
"You guys, please don't let me regret this..." Yushiro slowly walked to the bedside, grabbed Shinichi's discarded hospital gown, thought for a moment, and suddenly looked up as if he realized something.
"Wait... that outfit... didn't Shinobu prepare that?"
Before the words were even finished...
Bang!!
The door was violently thrown open!
"Shinichi!"
An excited and cheerful voice echoed in the ward, but it instantly faded.
The joyful light in her violet eyes quickly turned into confusion and helplessness upon seeing the empty room and Yushiro's astonished face.
When Kanao caught up with her master, slightly out of breath, she found her standing blankly at the door.
"Huh? Why is Master standing there? Could it be that Shinichi-sama hasn't woken up yet?" Kanao looked very puzzled.
However, when Kanao arrived at Shinobu's side, she felt the temperature around them drop several degrees.
'Damn it, Shinichi Moriki, he ran off before the person who cares about him the most arrived! What a bastard!' Yushiro cursed inwardly, conveniently forgetting that he hadn't thought to warn Shinichi, despite having seen Shinobu fold the uniform and haori moments earlier.
At the same moment, Kanae, who was approaching headquarters, suddenly remembered her younger sister.
"Oh no, I forgot to ask Kanao to remind Shinobu. Shinobu must be at the Butterfly Mansion by now... but if we go back now... well, Shinobu has always been a very well-behaved and gentle child, she definitely won't hold a grudge over such a small thing."
Though his physical body had returned to that of an ordinary human, Shinichi didn't feel like he had completely lost himself.
So what if he lost his immortal body and powerful strength? For thousands of years, countless Demon Slayer swordsmen had fought demons with mortal bodies!
He, Shinichi Moriki, was not a coward!
"Hmm, such a familiar floral scent."
The brand-new uniform and haori he was wearing emitted a pleasant and familiar fragrance, which gave Shinichi a slight lift.
However, his newly "restarted" brain couldn't immediately place the familiar scent; he just thought it smelled very nice.