The Kakushi carried the injured demon slayers to a nearby Wisteria House. I watched as they disappeared down the road, carefully supporting the three of them.
Technically, I should've gone along too, since I'm also a patient. But Shinobu-san had already decided my destination would be different.
"Let's go," she said lightly, turning around. "The Butterfly Mansion isn't as far as it seems."
I accepted and followed beside her on this two-person journey. Naturally, before we fully left, I went back to the barn to grab my backpack and the gourds so I could keep up my training.
The farmer pretended he hadn't seen anything.
Me blowing into the gourd while walking down the trail created a dull, uncomfortable echo.
But on the road of grind, I can't waste time!
The problem was that Shinobu-san kept giving me a strange look.
"That method…" she finally said, tilting her head. "Who taught you that? It's identical to what we do…"
I stopped blowing into the gourd and replied, "I learned it from Gotoge Koyoharu-sensei."
Shinobu-san blinked. "Sensei? But Hayato-san said he didn't have a cultivator…"
"Ah, it's different. Gotoge-sensei never gave me any training."
I never even met or spoke to Gotoge-sensei personally!
"Is that so?" She seemed genuinely interested. "And where is Gotoge-sensei now?"
"I don't know… it's been a few years since I heard anything about her."
Since the manga ended, I haven't heard much about her! Or at least I don't remember!
So technically it wasn't a lie… it just depends on which calendar you're using! It's all about perspective!
Shinobu-san stopped walking and visibly thought for a few seconds. "I've never heard of any swordswoman or cultivator by that name."
I nodded, imagining how terrifying it would be if Shinobu-san had actually heard of Gotoge-sensei.
"Gotoge-sensei isn't exactly a swordswoman…" I explained hesitantly.
Shinobu-san really needs to stop asking questions!
"Oh? Then what was she?" she pressed, looking curious.
I couldn't keep my mouth shut. "Gotoge-sensei was an… artist."
Shinobu-san frowned slightly. "An artist?"
"A very talented artist," I started blowing into the gourd again to hide my embarrassment before continuing. "It was through her that I learned about Oni, the Demon Slayer Corps, the Breathing Styles…"
That's not a lie at all!
After all, she wrote the manga! I'm just leaving out a few minor details!
"That's also how I learned about the gourd training."
"It seems Gotoge-sensei left Hayato-san quite a bit of useful information…"
"She did…" I agreed, because that was absolutely true. "I can't even imagine how I'd manage without it…"
Shinobu-san stayed quiet for a few steps, the wind brushing through the trees.
"And Hayato-san decided to go out hunting Oni because of that?"
"It was for a different reason, actually…"
She glanced at me and let out a soft sigh. "I see… we've all had our hardships…"
Looks like Shinobu-san misunderstood me, but I didn't correct her.
There's no way I could explain the real reason, right?
'Or can I…?'
I'd need to check if the Company has any rules about that.
"They do say life is a constant state of suffering," I commented, almost absentmindedly.
Shinobu-san looked at me sideways. "Did Gotoge-sensei teach you that as well?"
"No, that was Nietzsche," I said, shaking my head and almost regretting it. "He said something like, 'To live is to suffer; to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering'."
Shinobu-san was quiet for a moment, then smiled. "Hayato-san knows some interesting people."
"Seems like it…"
She made a small hop to step over an exposed root on the trail and continued walking. "So what meaning has Hayato-san found?"
I had to pause and seriously think about that.
Because I feel like someone in my position really should know their own meaning!
But apparently, it was easier to figure out than I expected.
"My meaning… is to have a life that can be enjoyed."
Shinobu-san didn't respond right away, but her smile remained.
Meanwhile, my Total Concentration Breathing went up another point as we continued our journey.
…
A few days later, the Butterfly Mansion finally came into view. A wide roof, light-colored wood, well-kept gardens, and the faint scent of medicinal herbs in the air.
Flowers scattered across the grounds, butterflies drifting lazily through the garden…
For a second, it almost felt like the world had switched genres. We went from destroyed villages and murderous Kekkijutsu… to something that looked like the set of a light afternoon drama.
A few girls in simple uniforms walked by carrying buckets and cloths, stopping the moment they saw Shinobu-san.
"Welcome back, Shinobu-sama!"
She waved with the same gentle smile, then pointed in my direction.
"This is Hayato-san," she said. "He'll be staying with us for a while."
I couldn't think of anything technically wrong with what Shinobu-san said… but why did that sound wrong?
The girls greeted me with small nods before hurrying away again.
"Welcome to the Butterfly Mansion, Hayato-san," Shinobu-san said.
"It's more… peaceful than I expected," I commented as we walked through the courtyard.
"Don't be fooled," she replied in the same light tone. "There is suffering here as well. We're simply the ones who tend to it."
She gave me a quick tour. The recovery rooms, the training area, the medical wing…
"I'll report the latest mission and recommend Hayato-san for preliminary training," she said, already turning away. "In the meantime… behave~"
The way she stretched that last word made me uncomfortable.
She disappeared down the main hallway with light steps, leaving me alone in the courtyard.
The place was spacious, with a good view of the sky.
I was about to grab the medium-sized gourd when I felt someone's gaze locked onto me.
I turned my head slightly and found a girl standing a few meters away, staring at me silently.
'Ugh… chills…!'
I didn't need anyone to introduce her. That was Shinobu-san's adoptive sister and Tanjiro's future wife, Kanao.
Except… she looked younger than I remembered.
Because of that, I stopped for the first time to think about exactly where I was in the Demon Slayer timeline.
'Has the disaster with Tanjiro and Nezuko-chan already happened? Has Tanjiro become a demon slayer? Is he still training under Urokodaki-san?'
Those were the key starting points of canon.
I looked at Kanao and then thought about Shinobu-san. 'Yeah… I can't spot any obvious differences.'
The only reason I noticed anything was off was because Kanao was visibly younger than expected.
So I must be before the point where Tanjiro becomes a Demon Slayer. The question is how long before.
"So…" I muttered.
She kept staring at me, not speaking or changing her expression.
"… Do you want to train?"
She tilted her head slightly to the side, as if evaluating something.
'Ah…' now I remembered her behavior at the beginning of canon.
"I would like you to train with me," I added clearly.
For Kanao at this stage, it was easier for her to process a direct request rather than something ambiguous or dependent on her own desires.
She looked at me for two more seconds in absolute silence, then reached into her pocket and pulled out a copper coin.
The coin Kanae gave her.
She flipped it into the air and caught it when it fell. Opening her hand to check the result, she nodded. Without saying a word, she walked toward me with light steps.
Her hand went to her katana, and she unsheathed it without hesitation.
"… Right," I muttered. I'm the one who asked for this.
I unsheathed my katana too. For a second, I considered suggesting bokken for practice, but just imagining having to explain that to her…
'Total Concentration.'
Kanao moved immediately, probably noticing the shift in my breathing.
I remember that among the five who passed the Final Selection in canon, she had the best "eye." Her visual ability was more than obvious during her fight against Doma.
So the difference between someone with talent and formal training and someone who learned fumbling in the dark while relying on cheats became clear in less than a second.
The first strike came diagonally, with zero wasted movement.
I stepped back and raised my own blade to block.
The impact was light, but I didn't think it was because she lacked strength.
Kanao changed the angle of the second strike mid-motion, and I dodged by centimeters… but she was already repositioning before I finished adjusting myself.
Her footwork was almost silent.
I tried to respond with a horizontal slash to stop her advance, but Kanao tilted her body and let the blade pass by.
There wasn't even a hint of tension on her face.
It almost felt like all my effort was being dismissed.
I stepped forward, controlling my speed. She retreated at the exact right moment.
The tip of my blade passed less than a centimeter from her haori, and then she rotated her wrist and tapped the side of my sword.
It was pure technical display.
My blade veered off its trajectory completely.
If this had been a real fight and I were an Oni, with my flank open and my throat exposed, Kanao would've already cut my neck.
Realizing that, I stopped advancing and we both stepped back at the same time.
I stared into those eyes that seemed empty as she tilted her head slightly.
'She's good.'
No, that's an understatement. Technically speaking, there was an abyss between us.
And that's exactly the kind of opponent I need.
"Again?" I asked.
This time, Kanao nodded without needing to flip her coin.
With a quick step, she came in with three consecutive cuts.
I blocked the first and dodged the second, but the third grazed my shoulder.
'The first two were to limit my movement range…?'
She was shaping my positioning into something favorable for her. And even though I noticed the setup, I was still a step behind.
Kanao spun to continue the sequence, but I forced distance with a shoulder shove.
The difference in our strength pushed her back a little more than she intended, so I took the chance to enter her guard.
But Kanao seemed to have already predicted that.
Her blade stopped a few centimeters from my throat.
The wind passed through the courtyard as I swallowed.
"… I lost," I said, raising my hands in surrender.
She blinked, then stepped back and sheathed her sword.
'She's younger… but already ridiculous.'
During the Infinity Castle Arc, Doma said she had already surpassed Shinobu-san.
I don't know how true that was, but even with Kanao not fully grown yet… at least in terms of technique mastery and battle IQ, she was overwhelming.
'Or maybe I just suck?'
Kanao kept staring at me without changing her expression.
It was starting to get uncomfortable.
"… Is something wrong?"
After a few seconds that felt way too long, she finally spoke. It was the first time I heard her voice.
"You… were holding back." Her voice was soft, barely above a whisper.
So she noticed that too.
"I'm trying to learn not to rely only on brute force," I replied. "Did that bother you?"
She blinked once, looking like she didn't quite understand something.
"I know I can compensate for weak skills with brute strength," I explained, "but if I rely only on that, I'll keep being bad at the other important parts."
She kept staring at me without reacting, so I added, "If there's something we're bad at, we just have to train until we get better."
"… Train until we get better…" she repeated my words, falling into a long, thoughtful silence.
I was about to ask if she'd frozen when she took a step forward.
"… Let's have a match," she requested, almost in a whisper.
"Of course," I agreed.
But since this one was an actual "match," I was the one who ended up winning this time.