Butterfly Mansion.
Shinobu stared at the place she had once built together with her sister Kanae Kocho—the home where they had lived for quite a while.
Her expression turned complicated, and she softly murmured, "I'm home."
Everyone has their own place of peace in their heart.
For Shinobu, the Butterfly Mansion was that place.
Maybe it was because she had returned here, but the girl's eyes—which had lost all color after losing her loved ones—regained a faint spark of light.
Even the fake smile she always wore on her face seemed to feel a little more genuine now that she was back.
At that moment, a black-haired girl with long straight hair came forward to greet her. Her voice was gentle yet nagging as she circled around Shinobu like a fussy mother, chattering nonstop.
"Ah, little Shinobu's back?"
"Why were you gone for so long this time?"
"Did the Demon Slayer Corps give you another complicated mission again?"
"I thought we agreed I didn't want to see you working so hard anymore, yet you still push yourself like this. Really."
"But it's okay. As long as big sister is here, no matter when, little Shinobu can feel free to act spoiled with me."
"Oh right, you must be starving after just getting back, right?"
"I checked the kitchen earlier—Aoi prepared your favorite side dishes in advance. Dinner should be ready soon."
"And Kanao—oh, Shinobu, I have to tell you, that child has been getting less and less cute lately."
"And Naho and the other girls have been getting rowdier too. Last time you weren't here, they almost burned the kitchen down by accident."
"Shinobu, you really should discipline them properly."
"And also—"
The black-haired girl kept circling Shinobu, tirelessly and enthusiastically filling her in on all the little things that had happened at the mansion while she was away.
But Shinobu completely ignored her. She didn't even glance at the girl once.
Seeing this, the black-haired girl felt a bit discouraged.
But then she noticed Shuya standing behind Shinobu.
Her interest immediately perked up. She gave Shuya a quick once-over, then turned to Shinobu with a teasing grin.
"Oh my, little Shinobu actually brought a man back this time. That's really rare."
Yet the result was the same—Shinobu ignored her completely, as if she didn't exist.
So the black-haired girl turned to Shuya instead.
"Hey hey, little brother, what's your relationship with my little Shinobu?"
"You look pretty good. You two seem quite well-matched."
"How many people are in your family? Do you have a house? Any land?"
"Wait, none of that matters. As long as you marry my little Shinobu, this entire Butterfly Mansion can count as her dowry. Isn't that exciting?"
"So hurry up and tell big sister—how far have you and my little Shinobu gone? Have you kissed yet?"
"I'll tell you, don't be fooled by how tough my little Shinobu acts on the outside. Deep down, she's actually very sensitive."
"I remember when we were little, one night when it was thundering outside, little Shinobu ran crying into my room saying she was scared and wanted to sleep with big sister."
"How about that? Isn't Shinobu super cute?"
"Hey hey, why aren't you saying anything?"
As she kept talking without any response, the black-haired girl slowly lowered her head.
Yes… she had actually died two years ago.
She only stayed behind as a lingering soul because she couldn't stop worrying about her little sister.
No one could see her. No one could hear what she said.
But she had already gotten used to it.
Used to watching Aoi Kanzaki manage the mansion's affairs perfectly every day like a head housekeeper.
Watching Kanao sit quietly in the courtyard spacing out every day.
Watching the three little girls play and cause trouble around the mansion every day.
It felt like everything was still the same as before.
Except for her little sister Shinobu, who she really couldn't stop worrying about.
Ever since she died, her little sister Shinobu had started copying her—wearing a fake smile on her face like a mask.
She had clearly begged her before dying to quit the Demon Slayer Corps and live a normal life.
To give up killing demons, get married, have children, and find the happiness an ordinary girl deserves.
But her sister had gone in the exact opposite direction right under her nose.
"You're right. Shinobu really is pretty cute," Shuya nodded and replied.
"Right? Right? Shinobu is the cutest in the world!"
The black-haired girl answered instinctively.
Then her whole body froze as if struck by lightning.
She started trembling slightly without realizing it. She lifted her head and looked at Shuya, her face full of disbelief. In a careful, tentative voice, she asked, "You… can see me?"
"Mm."
Shuya responded softly.
"You can really see me?"
The black-haired girl still couldn't believe it. She asked again to test him and even moved her position slightly.
But she found Shuya's gaze remained fixed on her.
The black-haired girl asked weakly, "So… you heard everything I just said?"
"I heard all of it."
Shuya nodded at the girl, then emphasized again, "Every single word!"
"This——"
The black-haired girl's voice carried a hint of weak pleading: "Can you… forget everything I said just now?"
"I can't."
Shuya shook his head, a playful smile appearing at the corner of his mouth as he teased, "It's not just little sister Shinobu who's cute."
"Big sister Kanae, when you're circling around your little sister talking to yourself like that… you're pretty cute too."
Yes, the black-haired girl in front of him was none other than Shinobu's older sister—Kanae Kocho, the former Flower Hashira who had been killed by Upper Rank Two two years ago.
Even Shuya himself hadn't expected this.
He had planned to search around the Butterfly Mansion after arriving to see if he could find Kanae Kocho's soul.
But he had barely activated Gyo by layering aura over his eyes.
He hadn't even started looking yet.
And she had come straight to him.
What was this?
Walking right into the trap?
Shuya could only quietly watch from the side as Kanae Kocho showed her deep sisterly love for Shinobu.
But Shuya could also understand why Kanae Kocho's personality seemed a bit different from the original story.
After all, unlike Makomo and the others on Mount Fujikasane, she was all alone at the Butterfly Mansion.
No one could see her, and no one could talk to her.
If she didn't talk to herself like this, she might have gone crazy after all this time.
"Ah?!"
Kanae Kocho's fair cheeks flushed bright red at a speed visible to the naked eye, as if the air itself had become scorching hot.
Her toes, wrapped in tabi socks inside her geta, awkwardly gripped the wooden sandals beneath her.
Her unknown side, along with certain secrets about her and her little sister Shinobu, had been exposed to the man in front of her.
And it was all because she had said it herself!!
Social death!
At that moment, Kanae Kocho felt nothing but utter, complete social death.