"And you, is it that funny?" Mizuki turned back helplessly to look at Kochou Shinobu.
"Ahem..." Kochou Shinobu cleared her throat and smiled, "Not at all~"
Mizuki rolled her eyes: "Yes, yes, not at all~"
She had clearly been constantly snickering since just now.
Kochou Shinobu didn't try to argue, just smiled slightly: "I just feel like Mizuki has become much cheerier. Have you reconciled with your elder brother?"
Mizuki's expression froze.
Just like how Kokushibou felt facing her, Kochou Shinobu could always easily guess her thoughts.
An unnatural smile appeared on Mizuki's face: "Well... as for reconciling, that guy hasn't changed from before... it's just that I've come to terms with it myself."
"I was so close to chopping off his head..." Mizuki's smile carried a hint of helplessness, "If Shinobu hadn't come to save me, I might have been dragged into the Infinity Castle."
"Mizuki, you can be scared too?" Kochou Shinobu put her hands behind her back, tilted her head slightly, and looked at her smilingly, as if teasing her.
Mizuki gave a slight smile: "Yes, very scared."
At that moment... she was truly afraid.
It wasn't fear of death, but fear of becoming a tool for Muzan to overcome the sun.
Causing trouble for everyone in the Demon Slayer Corps.
She couldn't imagine how a Muzan who had conquered the sun could be slain.
If Yoriichi were here... maybe it would still be possible... Kochou Shinobu pursed her lips, not saying anything teasing or mocking, and comforted her: "Well, next time remember not to push yourself so hard."
"Even if you can't kill the opponent, prioritize your own safety."
Mizuki naturally understood what she meant, but this kind of comforting advice was usually just for listening; if such a good opportunity arose, even if she had to do it again, she couldn't give up.
But Kochou Shinobu just kept her hands behind her back, walking backward in front of her, her purple eyes silently fixed on her, as if she absolutely had to wait for an answer.
Fearing that she might trip over a stone and fall flat on her back, Mizuki nodded helplessly.
"I understand."
Sure enough, after getting Mizuki's answer, Kochou Shinobu turned around, satisfied.
Mizuki inexplicably felt a sense of being dominated, and frowned, saying:
"Shinobu."
"Nani?" Kochou Shinobu smiled and turned back.
Mizuki's lips curled up slightly: "Your heart is racing."
Kochou Shinobu paused for a beat, realized what she meant, her face turning slightly red, and she whispered, "What an outrageous ability..."
Mizuki laughed: "If Shinobu tries hard, maybe you can do it too."
"Even those guys haven't mastered it, Mizuki, stop teasing me." Kochou Shinobu was very aware of her own limitations.
Although they were all Hashira, the disparity in strength between the Hashira was frighteningly large.
Kochou Shinobu considered her own talent to be at the bottom rank among the Hashira, requiring the aid of 'Poison,' an external tool that wasn't exactly glorious.
Now, Tanjirou had probably already become stronger than her.
Kochou Shinobu suddenly remembered: "Speaking of which, in your eyes, I don't look like a walking skeleton, do I?"
Mizuki shook her head.
Kochou Shinobu breathed a sigh of relief.
Mizuki pressed her index finger against her lips, pretending to think: "I wouldn't say *just* a skeleton, right? After all, I can clearly see the blood vessels, blood, muscle tissue, and brain matter, too."
Kochou Shinobu:...I'd rather you only see a skeleton. Hearing that made her, a doctor, feel sick.
"Young Miss Mizuki, Young Miss Shinobu."
Unknowingly, they had arrived at the pile of ruins. Hearing Tanjirou's call, the two looked over.
Tanjirou emerged from the ruins, covered in dust and grime.
"What are you doing?" Mizuki asked, seeing his face covered in black soot. "Was someone buried under the ruins?"
Tanjirou scratched his head: "No, the Village Chief seems to have tallied the numbers. Everyone is accounted for except for Mr. Haganezuka."
Kochou Shinobu suddenly interjected: "What if Haganezuka is down there?"
The expression on Tanjirou's face stiffened: "N-no way."
"We didn't sense Mr. Haganezuka's presence during the fight."
Mizuki tilted her head: "Maybe he's already dead?"
Tanjirou instantly turned pale with fright.
"Just kidding."
"..."
"Since there are no casualties, is there still a need to clean up here?" Mizuki glanced at Kochou Shinobu. "The village's base of operations should be changing, right?"
What if Muzan came back for a surprise attack after they all left?
Kochou Shinobu nodded: "Yes, the Swordsmith Village doesn't have just one base."
The Demon Slayer Corps has survived Muzan's pursuit until now precisely because of this reliable caution.
There are countless bases; besides Ubuyashiki Kagaya, probably no one else knows all of them.
Mizuki couldn't help but sigh in admiration.
The Ubuyashiki family truly doesn't have a single weak link.
Tanjirou wiped his face, but only made it blacker: "Exactly, we were just about to wrap up."
Mizuki's mouth twitched, and she reached out to wipe the dust from his face: "There."
"Thank you."
Mizuki laughed: "Go wash up when you get back."
"Mhm."
...After Tanjirou left, Kochou Shinobu said admiringly, "That child is really full of drive."
"Mhm."
Compared to Zenitsu and Inosuke, Tanjirou is undoubtedly much better in terms of personality and attitude.
This is also why Mizuki believed he could make good use of that sword.
To be frank, a good weapon is mainly about feel, maximizing the ability of a Breathing Swordsman.
Even the sword Yoriichi used wasn't much faster than modern swords.
What really matters is the user.
Mizuki suddenly thought of the Nichirin Blade Kokushibou dug out from inside yoriichi type zero. In that instant, although she didn't look too closely, that sword didn't seem to be the one yoriichi type zero was holding.
Although it was covered in rust, it was clearly the weapon of a Sun Breathing user... Forget it, shattered by Kokushibou like that, repair would be useless.
Moreover, Tanjirou is the one who uses Sun Breathing most now; she hardly uses it anymore.
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