Every world-crossing Inori had undergone so far was the result of a Stand's attack—Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (D4C). Yet she still had no idea when or where D4C's dimension-crossing ability had struck her. And this particular D4C was somewhat different from the one wielded by President Funny Valentine as she understood it.
The worlds she was crossing into were no longer parallel iterations of the same reality, but entirely unrelated, wholly distinct ones—Guilty Crown, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, and now Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.
The trigger condition, as best Inori could figure, required her to defeat the known enemies of whichever world she currently occupied, and only then enter a state of genuine peace of mind—meaning someone had dragged her into a journey with no endpoint in sight.
But right now, what weighed on Inori wasn't Muzan. It was the secret of the Nameless Monster within her. How to restore it to King Crimson's state. What the Star-shaped Birthmark on her neck truly meant.
Until she resolved those questions, she couldn't reach D4C's trigger—peace of mind.
—The D4C's purpose is peace of mind... but how can I be at peace when the Nameless Monster's secret is still unsolved?
And so, killing Muzan held little practical meaning for her right now.
"Inori-san."
Inori had been sprawled over the table, limp as a worm—when a voice from outside the door snapped her alert. She was on her feet in an instant.
Through the shadow cast across the paper screen... she had a fair guess as to who it was.
"Coming in~"
A greeting first—then the door slid slowly open, and Kanae stepped inside to find that strange, otherworldly girl sitting bolt-upright on the low table beneath the window, bathed in clear golden sunlight, eyes closed, perfectly still, in quiet meditation.
The light caught the long, delicate sweep of her upper and lower lashes, making them shimmer like fresh snow. Loose pink hair draped across pale, faintly-flushed shoulders... The sight was breathtaking—a vision stepped from a scroll painting—Kanae Kocho found herself selfishly wanting to linger.
But the portrait didn't last. Inori opened her eyes, looked over, and slowly straightened—and Kanae found herself glancing away with a flicker of discomfort. She'd caught a glimpse of the skin left bare by that outfit. Far too daring for this era.
"Kanae-san, just call me Inori from now on."
"...Then call me Kanae. No formalities needed."
Kanae slid the door shut and crossed the room, setting down the bundle she'd been carrying—a neatly folded black kimono—on the table before Inori.
"These are for you."
"Thank you!"
Delight lit up the girl's eyes.
"It's just a kimono—I wasn't even sure it would fit..." Kanae answered with a warm smile, then added thoughtfully, "Would you like help putting it on?"
Inori felt a small rush of gratitude at the offer, though truthfully she was accustomed to being treated this way. It was practically a passive skill of hers~
"...Actually, there's something I may have forgotten to mention."
Inori's cheeks went faintly pink as she squirmed her way to a startling admission:
"This outfit can't be taken off. It's not clothes—it's skin that's grown onto my body."
"Hm?"
The two bright violet gems before Inori contracted sharply.
Kanae covered her mouth, eyes wide. Something trembled through her she couldn't quite put into words—because what the girl had just said was enough to shake over a decade's worth of understanding she'd built about the world. ...Bizarre new knowledge acquired!
"You can touch it, if you'd like."
Inori spread her arms and leaned closer, giving Kanae a better view of that vivid, form-fitting garment. Kanae blinked. Her expression stayed even, but a bead of sweat traced a slow path down her temple.
...She's asking me to touch it? Is that really all right?
Between girls it shouldn't have been an issue—and yet Kanae's pulse quickened regardless. Perhaps because the girl called Inori was simply too... alluring. She reached out a finger toward the fabric along Inori's side—and accidentally grazed the bare skin of her navel.
"Ah!"
The lightest brush—and the pink-haired girl let out a small, utterly adorable sound, like a startled creature. Her whole body gave an involuntary shudder.
"No—not there..."
She puffed out her cheeks in protest, voice streaked with aggrievement, a suspicious flush rising on her face.
"It tickles. Please don't touch my belly."
"Of course~ I'm sorry."
Kanae apologized with impeccable composure—though that smile of hers was absolutely swimming with amusement. She was definitely laughing at her!
—Ugh, how embarrassing! No one had touched that most sensitive stretch of waist and belly in ages. Last time was when Yasuho grabbed at her waist without warning to take her measurements!
"You're right... it doesn't feel like fabric."
Kanae looked up with fresh understanding. Inori's garment was smooth as silk, yet yielded with the warmth and softness of something living—and it rose and fell with each breath in a way that left no doubt. This was unmistakably a garment that was alive.
Curiously, it was only the bare skin that produced that sensitive reaction. If the Nameless Monster formed a buffer between, there was no response at all.
It wasn't clothing—but soft and pliable regardless, pleasant to the touch. A playful impulse stirred in Kanae, and she gave it a few more gentle squeezes with a smile.
"Oh?"
She tilted her head slightly, like she'd noticed something odd.
"What is it?"
Inori followed her gaze down—and found that an eye had appeared on the portion of fabric Kanae had been kneading. The Nameless Monster, tired of the continued stimulation, had grown curious about who was bold enough to do this—and opened one eye to look.
The eye sat on the red cloth, staring unblinking at Kanae Kocho, then blinked several times, its pupil expanding and contracting.
"How adorable!"
Kanae clapped her hands together with a delighted smile.
—She called it adorable?! Any ordinary girl who suddenly saw an eye open on someone's outfit would have fled screaming!
"...As expected of the esteemed Flower Hashira~" Inori muttered, covering the eye with her palm, head dipping, expression dimming a shade. "Doesn't it disgust you? Having something like this growing on you..."
"Not at all."
Kanae blinked, the great bright amethysts in her eyes shimmering with warm, genuine light.
"It really is cute, you know. And they help you fight too, don't they? I'd love a reliable little companion like that~!"
"..."
The sincerity in the girl's eyes was worth more than gold.
Inori lifted her face, helplessness softening the edges of her expression.
—Kanae Kocho was far too kind... Kind enough that Inori couldn't bring herself to refuse her anything. Perhaps she really was going to be drawn into this warmth and end up joining the Demon Slayer Corps.
"Still—a girl can't walk around looking like that in public. If it won't come off, we'll cover it up with clothes."
"That was already my plan."
Inori knew the Nameless Monster disliked being wrapped in other garments—but it couldn't defy her will.
And so... it took Kanae the better part of half an hour to tuck all those trailing strips into the kimono's inner lining.
Kanae was thoroughly occupied—and thoroughly entertained—because while helping Inori dress, she'd taken every opportunity to "accidentally" brush her waist and belly again to tease her. The soft, involuntary gasp Inori let out each time was enough to make you lose your mind.
"Hehe, just as I thought—red and black really does suit a pink-haired girl!"
Inori looked perfect now. This kimono was from Kanae's younger years: a red yukata as the inner layer, a black kimono worn over it. She'd rarely touched it herself—the dark palette wasn't to her taste—but on Inori it was striking. The embroidered red sash and its cord both complemented her hair color beautifully.
The black stockings that rose above her knees needed no trousers to complete the look, and if she walked with a longer stride the flowing hemline would flutter open, revealing the absolute territory above the stocking tops... Every angle a delight.
"Not a single giveaway! You look exactly like any ordinary girl~, Inori-chan."
"It's a bit fussy to put on, but practice makes perfect—you'll get the hang of it, and then you can live just like everyone else!"