"Stop! Stop, stop, stop!" Agatsuma Zenitsu panted, frantically waving his hands in the air and shouting.
The wooden sword, which had been mid-swing, stopped just a few centimeters from his head. The strong gust of wind and sharp sword qi cut a few strands of hair from his forehead.
He clutched his head in lingering fear and retreated sharply, staring heartbroken at the severed hair on the ground. Brother Yoizumi had been getting more and more out of hand lately!
His training was unbelievably strict!
Zenitsu felt uncomfortable all over. Rather than staying here to get beaten, Zenitsu even felt that the demons outside looked much more appealing; at least they weren't as terrifying as Brother Yoizumi.
Of course, truth be told...
Brother Yoizumi's training wasn't entirely useless.
Because he was used to being hit, Zenitsu wasn't as afraid when facing demons.
Even going out on missions had become much smoother.
Now, Tanjirou was nowhere to be found, and Inosuke had also disappeared. He just wanted to be lazy for a bit and got caught.
(It definitely wasn't because he was pestering Nezuko-chan and got caught by Brother Yoizumi!)
Damn it... Zenitsu bit into a handkerchief he pulled out from who knows where, on the verge of tears.
He hadn't even had a chance to ask Nezuko-chan if she would go on a date with him.
Valentine's Day was almost here!
"?"
What was wrong with Zenitsu?
Yoizumi looked at the wooden sword in his hand with some suspicion. Could he have hit his head and damaged his brain?
He had clearly been holding back his strength.
However... Zenitsu had also made great progress. He no longer thought of backing out immediately like before, and he had his own ideas and made counterattacks.
He had been training him rigorously lately. Pillar Training was coming soon, and then there might be no time to rest. Perhaps he should give him a break... "Zen—" His words were cut off before he could finish.
"Valentine's Day is almost here, Brother Yoizumi, aren't you going on a date with Miss Shinobu?" Zenitsu interjected before Yoizumi could speak, needing to quickly divert Brother Yoizumi's attention!
Otherwise, he would start getting beaten again!
"Valentine's Day?" This was an unfamiliar holiday to Yoizumi. Zenitsu noticed the confusion in Yoizumi's words, and his eyes lit up.
There was a chance!
"Don't you know, Brother Yoizumi? I can't do anything with you~" Zenitsu felt that he finally had an area where he was better than Yoizumi, and he had to show off properly.
"Valentine's Day is a very sacred holiday!"
"Lovers go on dates together, eat, shop, and do many romantic things."
"There might even be *certain things* happening!" Zenitsu grew more and more excited, directly grabbing Yoizumi's sleeve. His face showed a strange expression that Yoizumi couldn't understand, tinged with a suspicious blush.
"*Certain things*? What does that mean?" Yoizumi asked, puzzled.
"That would be, of course..."
Zenitsu looked up and met Yoizumi's pure eyes, suddenly feeling a sharp pain in his chest, and an inexplicable sense of guilt welled up.
Brother Yoizumi, you're at least older than me! How can you look at me with such eyes? My heart hurts, okay!
"Of course, what?"
Why did he stop talking halfway?
"Of course... of course..."
His brain worked frantically, sweat starting to bead on his forehead. Finally... "Of course, it's delicious sauces and some rice wine... and such... Um... very common on dates!" Zenitsu looked at the empty space beside him guiltily. Such a far-fetched explanation, only Yoizumi would believe it.
Yoizumi nodded, understanding.
I see.
But... he couldn't drink alcohol... So, there was such a holiday.
A holiday for lovers.
"Valentine's Day, when is it?"
He believed it!
Zenitsu, whose heart had been pounding, breathed a sigh of relief.
"The day after tomorrow."
So soon... Yoizumi felt he needed to catch up on this knowledge.
He would have to flip through books when he went back tonight.
Suddenly, Zenitsu rubbed his hands, lowered his head shyly, and spoke with a hint of probing in his tone.
"Um... Brother Yoizumi~ Can I ask you for a favor?"
Zenitsu felt confident again. As long as he got Brother Yoizumi's permission, he could go on a date with Nezuko-chan!
Facing the fidgeting Zenitsu, Yoizumi considered Zenitsu the type he was least adept at handling, as he sometimes couldn't understand his actions and thoughts.
"Tell me."
"I want to invite Nezuko-chan out to play, can I? Please, Brother Yoizumi~" Zenitsu grabbed Yoizumi's pant leg and wouldn't let go, blinking constantly to try and make Yoizumi soften.
Was his eye twitching?
Gently moving Zenitsu's hand away, Yoizumi looked at Zenitsu calmly. In his usual cold, unruffled tone, he uttered words that sent shivers down Zenitsu's spine.
"Zenitsu, today's training isn't over yet."
"From now on, 500 sword swings. I'll have Kanzaki keep an eye on you. No dinner if you don't finish."
"...Wh-what!"
"No!"
Zenitsu, sprawled on the ground, couldn't get up, like a petrified statue, frozen in place... Headquarters, inside the research lab.
Tamayo put down the potion in her hand and slowly exhaled, her expression relaxing slightly.
The initial stage of the potion... was complete!
Although it was still far from meeting the final requirements, this was a leap forward.
Her mind, which had been tense since arriving at the Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters, finally relaxed. She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. A cup of calming herbal tea was placed in front of her at the opportune moment.
"Drinking this will make you feel better."
Shinobu's face also showed undeniable fatigue, but it was all worth it.
"Thank you, Miss Kochou."
"You should rest too." As a demon, prolonged exhaustion of her energy would lead to fatigue, let alone Shinobu, who was human.
"If you collapse from exhaustion, then I won't be able to finish this alone."
"Oh, right." Tamayo looked up with a smile. Shinobu looked puzzled, not understanding her sudden smile.
"The day after tomorrow is Valentine's Day, isn't it? Aren't you going to spend it with Mr. Yoizumi?"
This... Shinobu shyly turned her head away. Of course, she wanted to!
But there was too much work here, and it couldn't wait.
Noticing Shinobu's worry, Tamayo drank the herbal tea from the porcelain bowl. The fragrance of flowers and fruit filled her mouth, and she relaxed her eyebrows as she advised.
"This is your first Valentine's Day, isn't it? All firsts are worth commemorating."
"And appropriate rest is also a means, isn't it?"
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