"Sanemi, you look pretty lively."
Hozuki closed her book as the door to the room slid open and a swordsman stepped inside, greeting Sanemi as he entered.
He was a young man with cropped black hair, green eyes, and two scars on the left side of his face, one long and one short. Hozuki glanced at him, and he froze slightly, clearly not expecting anyone else to be there.
He looked over at Sanemi lying in bed, then noticed the empty plate of sweets on the cabinet, and immediately understood that this woman had been the one taking care of him.
"Hello. My name is Masachika Kumeno. I'm a Kinoe-ranked… no, a Tei-ranked Demon Slayer." The young swordsman stepped forward and greeted Hozuki politely. She wore a dark violet kimono and was stunningly beautiful, clearly not an ordinary member of the Corps.
But Masachika had never once heard Sanemi mention a woman like her.
That made no sense.
He was the one who had guided Sanemi into the Demon Slayer Corps, introduced him to a cultivator, helped him train in Wind Breathing, and carried out missions alongside him ever since. Their bond was close enough that he was practically the only person Sanemi ever listened to.
So the instant he saw Hozuki, he knew she was someone unfamiliar.
And judging by Sanemi's expression and current state, it almost looked as if this woman had somehow tamed him.
"Hello, Mr. Kumeno. My name is Hozuki." Hozuki set her book aside and rose to bow.
Her manners were flawless. A noble young lady from some great family, perhaps? Masachika grew even more puzzled, but Sanemi's irritable voice cut in, forcing his attention back to the bed.
"You bastard, Kumeno—why are you at the Butterfly Estate instead of out on the mission?" Sanemi shouted. The sheer volume was clearly meant to cover up how worried he had been about Kumeno, considering Kurama Mountain had become a living hell.
"Our mission's already over." Only after nodding to Hozuki did Kumeno answer. To ignore someone right after exchanging names would have been terribly rude, and Kumeno was the sort who paid attention to those social niceties.
"The Sound Hashira took over the mess at Kurama Mountain. He said he'd dig three feet into the ground if he had to in order to drag that damned demon out. Things have already escalated beyond the level of swordsmen like us. To avoid getting in the Sound Hashira's way, only Demon Slayers ranked Kanoe or higher were allowed to remain on the mountain."
He paused, then continued. "That demon didn't just kill our teacher. A few months ago, Flame Hashira Kyojuro Rengoku also died there. That thing is absolutely not a Lower Rank demon. It's an Upper Rank—the kind you hear about only once in a hundred years."
"What?" Sanemi stared at him in shock. "That thing was an Upper Rank?"
Then he turned to Hozuki. "Hey, woman. You knew this?"
"I did," Hozuki replied.
"Come on!" Kumeno grabbed Sanemi by the shoulders. "You can't be that rough with a lady, Sanemi! Though… why is Miss Hozuki here at the Butterfly Estate taking care of you? Is she one of the nurses?"
"Idiot!" Sanemi ground out. "She's a Hashira!"
"What did you just say? A Hashira?" Kumeno's shoulders jolted.
"The Thunder Hashira, actually, Mr. Kumeno," Hozuki said.
"Thunder Hashira!" Kumeno immediately bowed again.
"But then why is the Thunder Hashira personally here taking care of Sanemi?" he pressed on.
"Hey!" Even Sanemi had finally had enough. He had no idea why Kumeno was so hung up on that question.
"Be quiet, Sanemi. This concerns the rest of your life!" Kumeno snapped, dead serious.
Then he turned back to Hozuki, searching her eyes as if looking for some deeper answer there.
Though her eyes were clear, they were too deep—like a pool so dark that even sunlight could not reach the bottom.
"Because Sanemi is far too restless," Hozuki answered, her eyes curving into a smile. "If I'm not here, he causes all sorts of trouble for people. To prevent trouble from happening, I've been keeping watch over him."
"Well, I mean… even so, having a Hashira personally watch over Sanemi feels a little…" Kumeno scratched his head. The unspoken meaning was clear: Sanemi did not deserve that much attention.
"Kumeno," Hozuki said softly.
"Yes!" Kumeno snapped upright at once.
"Since you're here now, you can watch over him in my place." She gave the envelope in her hand a little shake, then put the old books back inside. "I have other matters to attend to."
With that, she gave a small bow and left the room.
"Yes, ma'am! Thunder Hashira!" Kumeno answered.
The moment Hozuki stepped out, the oppressive tension in the room vanished completely. Kumeno looped an arm around Sanemi's neck. "You idiot, do you have any idea how worried I was? Charging in by yourself, getting found covered head to toe in blood… how is that any different from throwing your life away?"
"Hey, hey! Too close!" Sanemi shoved Kumeno's arm away in disgust.
Outside the room, Hozuki slid the door shut.
The garden had been dyed crimson by the evening sun, and Kanae was waiting for her there.
"You really do get along with everyone so easily, Hozuki." The Flower Hashira smiled as she stepped closer. "Shinobu's been wanting to apologize to you for the misunderstanding, but she's too shy to say it herself. So as her older sister, I've come to apologize on her behalf."
"Ah, and one more thing." Kanae pulled a letter from her sleeve.
"The Master sent a reply. He says the demon disturbance at Kurama Mountain has been settled. Uzui successfully drove the demon away."
"Drove away?" Hozuki immediately caught on to that choice of words.
Killed meant killed. Driven away meant it had escaped.
"Yes. Driven away, not slain." Kanae nodded. "The Master's letter also included a few more details. In any case, he doesn't recommend you return to Kyoto right now. The Upper Rank demon in Osaka is the more pressing threat. And… according to the report Uzui sent back, that fox-shaped demon didn't stay near Kyoto just to hunt. Based on his instincts as a shinobi, he believes it was searching for something in Kurama Mountain."
"Searching for something…" Hozuki murmured.
The two of them walked along the Butterfly Estate's corridor, the last light of sunset bathing the great cherry tree in the center of the courtyard.
It was called the Cherry Tree of Certain Victory. Kanae explained that the tree had been planted by the first Flower Hashira and had already stood there for a very long time.
That surprised Hozuki. Flower Breathing was not one of the five basic Breathing Styles, but rather a derivative of Water Breathing, and yet it still possessed such an ancient lineage. Kanae explained that, aside from Water Breathing, the other styles were all notoriously difficult to preserve and pass down, so swordsmen often adapted them into forms better suited to themselves.
Flower Breathing had been one of the earliest derived styles to appear.
As she said that, Kanae could not help but sigh that she had no idea what the future held for Flame Breathing. The entire legacy of Flame Breathing belonged to the Rengoku family alone, and now that Flame Hashira Kyojuro Rengoku had died so suddenly, there was no one left to guide his sons. Since the founding of the Demon Slayer Corps, the two most stable lineages had always been Flame and Water.
"I see…" Hozuki murmured, thinking of the man who had carried her away from the ruins.
"Rengoku had two children, didn't he?" she asked.
Kanae nodded. "Yes. Two brothers, if I remember correctly. The elder is Kyojuro Rengoku, and the younger is Senjuro Rengoku. Why do you ask?"
"It's nothing." Hozuki shook her head.
"The Rengoku estate is in the town near the Butterfly Estate," Kanae said, watching her expression. "You're not thinking of going there to guide those boys in training, are you?"
"The elder son is already serving in the Demon Slayer Corps and, from what I hear, has shown excellent promise. As Flame Hashira, Kyojuro Rengoku must have already passed his martial skill on to him while he was still alive. Since the Rengoku residence is so close, you could visit if you like. Those two boys would definitely welcome you."
"Not yet," Hozuki replied.
Beyond the Butterfly Estate garden, the last glow of sunset sank away, and the night closed in behind her.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 115)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter108)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter82)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter144)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 70
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 99
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 95
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 99
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 92
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 47
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 44
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player 43
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 26
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 32
Uma Musume: From Beginner 26
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