Outside the gates of the Butterfly Mansion.
Aoyama Ren had just returned when he ran into Tanjiro, who had also come back from a mission.
Tanjiro looked exhausted and disheveled.
But the moment he saw Aoyama standing at the gate, his eyes lit up.
It had been a month since they last met.
Ever since Aoyama left with Nezuko for a mission, he hadn't returned to the Butterfly Mansion.
After Tanjiro recovered from his injuries, he was immediately sent on a solo demon-slaying mission as well.
"Senior Brother Aoyama !!! You and Nezuko finally—"
Before he could finish, loud crying and shouting came from the courtyard.
Inside the yard—
The Sound Hashira, Tengen Uzui, had Aoi slung over one shoulder while holding Naho under his arm, carrying them away.
The others in the courtyard were crying but didn't dare step forward.
"K-Kanao-sama!!! Please save us!"
Aoi cried with reddened eyes, calling out to Kanao Tsuyuri, who stood nearby.
Uzui glanced at Kanao but paid her little attention.
She usually looked absent-minded and quiet.
He clearly didn't think she would interfere now.
Kanao's face showed hesitation.
Her hand unconsciously reached toward the coin in her pocket.
But then she remembered—
She had promised to change.
And if she wanted to change, she had to act.
She rushed forward and grabbed Uzui's clothing.
Uzui turned around, annoyed.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing, you spacey girl?"
"Don't delay my mission!"
"Let go!"
Kanao held onto his clothes tightly, saying nothing.
She simply hoped he would put the girls down.
Seeing her silent stubbornness only irritated Uzui more.
"Let go!"
"Didn't you receive the mission order?"
"If you weren't Shinobu's Tsuguko, I'd be taking you instead!"
As a Hashira, he had the authority to take female corps members from the Butterfly Mansion for missions—as long as they weren't Shinobu's direct successor.
Aoyama and Tanjiro rushed into the courtyard after hearing the commotion.
They arrived just in time to see Uzui scolding Kanao while the girls cried in fear.
"HEY! What are you doing?!"
Tanjiro shouted and immediately charged forward, preparing to deliver a headbutt.
But Aoyama grabbed him by the collar before he could rush in.
"Ah—Senior Brother Aoyama ? Why—"
Tanjiro looked confused.
Kanao noticed Aoyama and tears welled in her eyes.
Uzui turned and saw him as well.
The anger on his face eased slightly.
"Oh! Aoyama ."
Aoyama calmly walked forward.
He gently removed Kanao's hand from Uzui's clothes and said slowly,
"Sound Hashira, what exactly are you doing?"
"Bullying girls doesn't really match your status."
The moment he finished speaking—
He threw a punch.
Uzui sensed the danger instantly.
Just as the fist nearly hit his face, he jumped back, landing on the courtyard wall while still holding the two girls.
"Aoyama ! Y-you tried to sneak attack me?!"
Uzui protested.
Aoyama replied calmly,
"Nope. That was a frontal attack."
"If it were a sneak attack, I'd have hit you from behind."
His tone was completely confident.
After all, the face counted as the front.
"Enough talk."
"I'm taking these girls on a mission."
"They're a bit clumsy, but at least they're female corps members."
Uzui didn't plan to fight Aoyama .
After all, every Hashira had already witnessed his strength.
Besides, Uzui didn't want to waste time.
He still had a demon-slaying mission to complete.
"Hey, Mr. Uzui."
"If you think they're clumsy…"
"I can find you three female members who aren't clumsy at all."
Uzui's eyes lit up.
He tossed aside the smaller girl and freed one hand.
Then—
He smacked Aoi's butt while she was still on his shoulder.
"Ah!"
Aoi cried out.
Her face flushed red from embarrassment and anger.
At that moment, Zenitsu, who had just arrived after hearing the commotion, saw everything.
His mouth dropped open.
He felt both furious and jealous.
He had spent so much time with Aoi and had never—
"H-He… he… he touched Aoi's—!"
Zenitsu stuttered, unable to finish his sentence.
Then he remembered a phrase Aoyama once mentioned.
Pointing at Uzui, he screamed,
"AHHH!!! He's the real shameless bastard!!!"
Except for Aoyama and Tanjiro, no one understood the phrase.
They all looked confused.
Aoyama slowly turned his head toward Zenitsu.
"You sure you're not the same as him?"
Zenitsu instantly exploded.
"I'M NOT!!!"
"He is! HE is!"
"He slapped Aoi's butt! I've never even touched it!"
The moment those words left his mouth—
Tanjiro looked at him differently.
Like he was staring at a complete pervert.
With a blank expression, Tanjiro said,
"Zenitsu… are you saying you regret it?"
"Because the one who slapped Aoi's butt wasn't you?"
Zenitsu froze.
Completely petrified.
Tanjiro—who was normally so dense—had seen right through him.
Meanwhile, Aoi struggled desperately on Uzui's shoulder, blushing furiously.
She just wanted to disappear into the ground.
Inosuke, who barely understood the conversation, proudly puffed out his chest.
"I've slapped female and male butts too!"
"Back in the forest, I even stepped on their backs!"
"AHHH!!!"
Sumi and Kiyo screamed in horror.
"This boar-head stepped on women's backs!!!"
Everyone was stunned.
Even Kanao, though silent, looked equally shocked.
What kind of monsters were these people?!
They were practically competing to touch girls' butts.
And Inosuke even stepped on their backs?!
Kanao slowly looked toward Aoyama with blank eyes.
Was he like them too…?
Seeing her gaze, Aoyama frowned immediately.
He answered decisively.
"No."
"I'm absolutely not the same as those guys."
Kanao visibly relaxed.
Standing on the wall, Uzui didn't think the butt slap was a big deal at all.
He was more interested in what Aoyama had said earlier.
"Aoyama , are you serious?"
"You'll give me three flashy female members?"
"They must be capable—and not clumsy."
Aoyama patted his chest confidently.
"Absolutely."
"Extremely flashy."
But the smile on his face carried a strange meaning.
Uzui immediately jumped down from the wall and set Aoi down.
Then he walked over eagerly.
"So where are these excellent female members you mentioned?"
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