Everyday Life at the Butterfly Mansion

Life at the Butterfly Mansion was lively enough to give anyone a headache.

"The Eye Hashira?! Moyu, when did you become a Hashira?!!" Zenitsu Agatsuma's shriek nearly blew the roof off. Wrapped in bandages, he leaped out of his sickbed, only to pull at his wounds and fall back, grimacing in pain. "Damn it! We took the Final Selection together! Why are you getting stronger so fast?! It's not fair! I'm still a Mizunoto! I'm going to die on my next mission without ever holding a girl's hand, waaah..."

Tanjiro looked equally stunned, though he was even more sincerely impressed. "Moyu! That's amazing! You became a Hashira so quickly!" He clenched his fists, his eyes burning. "I have to work harder too! I'll become a Hashira soon, together with Nezuko!"

"Hmph! What's so great about being a Hashira?!" Inosuke Hashibira sat cross-legged on his bed, his boar mask tilted to one side, revealing an annoyed expression. "Once I'm healed, you're the first person I'm challenging! You, blue-eyes! Next time, I'm definitely knocking you flat!"

Moyu sat by the window, wiping down his Nichirin Blade, Azure Star. He didn't even lift his eyelids. "Are your ribs mended? Can you get out of bed? The food at the Butterfly Mansion must be too good if you're this restless."

"What did you say?!" Inosuke bristled at once and started to lunge at him, but Aoi Kanzaki, who was changing his dressings beside him, pinned him down.

"Stay still! If your wounds open up, you'll spend another three days in bed!" Aoi scolded him sternly, hands on her hips and a scowl on her face. "And you! Zenitsu Agatsuma! If you keep wailing, I'll give you the bitterest medicine we have! Tanjiro! You can't strain your arm yet! Stop practicing your Breathing Style in secret!"

All three fell silent at once. The black-haired girl with twin tails had an imposing presence.

The corners of Moyu's mouth curved almost imperceptibly. Just then, the door slid open, and Shinobu Kocho walked in carrying a tray of medicine, her usual gentle smile on her face. "My, how energetic you all are~ It seems you're recovering nicely."

Her gaze fell on Moyu, and her smile deepened. "Lord Eye Hashira certainly seems to have time on his hands. Don't you need rehabilitation training?"

"I wasn't really injured, and I'd already fully recovered from the exertion by the time I got back to headquarters." Moyu put away his blade. The regenerative power of his Sage Body Constitution far surpassed that of ordinary people; he had recovered from that little bit of exertion long ago.

"What an enviable constitution." Shinobu handed the medicine to Tanjiro and the other two, then sat down on the cushion beside Moyu with apparent casualness. "Come to think of it, Moyu, your eyes seem more... hmm, deeper than they were on Mount Natagumo. As though they're hiding a starry sky."

Curiosity and inquiry colored her tone as she watched Moyu with unblinking purple eyes.

Moyu knew she was probing. The Six Eyes were too conspicuous to escape the notice of this master of poisons and remarkably observant Insect Hashira. "Perhaps I gained some insight on Mount Natagumo," he explained vaguely.

"Oh? Insight..." Shinobu drew out the words but didn't press further. Instead, she said, "Oh, right, let me introduce you. This is Kanao Tsuyuri, my Tsuguko."

Only then did Moyu notice the quiet girl standing at the door. She had long black hair with straight bangs, a jade-green butterfly hairpin in her side ponytail, and clear pink eyes that showed little emotion as she silently watched them.

"Kanao Tsuyuri, this is Moyu, the newly appointed Eye Hashira," Shinobu said.

Kanao Tsuyuri bowed slightly and gave him a standard, polite smile, but said nothing.

"Kanao Tsuyuri is rather shy around strangers and doesn't talk much," Shinobu explained, a barely perceptible note of affection in her voice.

Moyu nodded in greeting. He could "see" that the flow of energy within Kanao Tsuyuri was exceptionally smooth and steady, and her fundamentals were very solid. She was indeed a genius. But her emotions barely fluctuated at all, like a doll.

Just then, a faint "Mm, mm" came from Nezuko over by Tanjiro. The box opened, and Nezuko, shrunk down in size, poked her head out and looked around curiously.

"Ah! Little Nezuko's awake!" Zenitsu immediately forgot his pain, his eyes turning heart-shaped as he tried to crawl over, only for a glare from Aoi to pin him in place.

When Nezuko saw Moyu, her eyes lit up, and she waved a little hand at him. Moyu nodded to her.

Kanao Tsuyuri watched the exchange, a faint trace of puzzlement flashing through her pink eyes. She seemed not to understand why a Hashira would be so... gentle with a demon.

"Nezuko is a good girl," Tanjiro hurriedly explained to Kanao Tsuyuri, afraid she might misunderstand.

Kanao Tsuyuri merely smiled politely and nodded again.

For the next few days, life at the Butterfly Mansion was orderly and "fulfilling."

Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke began their hellish rehabilitation training. It was called rehabilitation, but the intensity was frightening.

"Not fast enough! Young Kamado! Your breathing is ragged again! The essence of Water Breathing lies in its sustained flow!" That was Giyu Tomioka's stern instruction when he occasionally came to inspect their progress.

"Waaah! I'm going to die! Why is this roller spinning so fast?! It won't stop!" That was Zenitsu's daily scream from the "pain perception roller."

"Hahaha! Come on! I can run another hundred laps!" That was Inosuke, covered in bruises, sprinting madly around the courtyard before Aoi dragged him back by the ear to apply medicine.

Moyu spent most of his time regulating his breathing and familiarizing himself with his rapidly increased power. Occasionally, he went to watch them train.

"Tanjiro, lower your center of gravity another inch when you swing your sword."

"Zenitsu, don't close your eyes and yell. Listen to the flow of the wind."

"Inosuke, control your breathing. Brute force will only waste your stamina."

His advice was often right on the mark, and the three benefited greatly from it. Even Aoi, who was supervising nearby, and the trio with dot eyes, Kiyo Terauchi, Sumi Nakahara, and Naho Takada, were secretly surprised.

Shinobu Kocho often "happened" to appear beside Moyu, either offering him a cup of tea, chatting "in passing" about the habits of demons and the use of medicines, or "curiously" asking his thoughts on certain tactics.

"Moyu, what do you think is the best way to deal with a demon skilled in using poison?"

"Analyze the toxin's structure beforehand, or use an energy barrier to keep it out." Moyu's answer was succinct.

"An energy barrier? Like the one you used to block Mr. Sanemi?" Shinobu asked with a smile. "What a convenient ability~"

Moyu: "..." He knew the woman was fishing for information, but her smile made it hard to get angry.

Once, Moyu was practicing the footwork of Azure Flow Breathing in the courtyard, his movements elusive as drifting clouds. Kanao Tsuyuri stood quietly beneath the eaves, watching him. Her pink eyes followed his movements, and her fingers unconsciously mimicked a certain rhythm.

Moyu stopped and looked at her. "Want to learn?"

Kanao Tsuyuri froze for a moment. A standard smile appeared on her face, and she shook her head gently before walking quickly away.

Moyu didn't mind. He knew the girl's heart was tightly closed off, and she needed time and an opportunity.

Dinner was the liveliest time. Zenitsu shovelled down his food while stealing glances at Nezuko and Aoi, switching between the two. Inosuke, meanwhile, wolfed down his meal and bickered with Aoi as she told him to "chew your food properly."

Moyu usually ate quickly, then sat to one side and watched the noisy scene of everyday life. A trace of gentleness would occasionally flash through his azure eyes.

This was what he wanted to protect.

"Hey, blue-eyes!" Inosuke suddenly set down his empty bowl and pointed at Moyu. "Once I'm better, you're the first one I'm fighting! I'll definitely beat you this time!"

Zenitsu jeered, "Give it a rest, boar head! Moyu's a Hashira now! A Hashira! Are you a masochist?! Do you like getting beaten up that much?!"

Tanjiro tried to smooth things over. "Inosuke, let's recover from our injuries first. It won't be too late to spar with Moyu once we've gotten stronger."

Moyu set down his teacup and looked at Inosuke. "Once you can control your breathing and beat Tanjiro, come challenge me then," he said mildly.

"What?! Are you looking down on me?!" Inosuke bristled.

Tanjiro hurriedly waved his hands. "Huh? Me?"

Shinobu Kocho walked past carrying a bowl of medicine and covered her mouth with a soft laugh. "My, young people certainly are energetic~ But remember to drink your medicine before you fight, Inosuke~"

Inosuke looked at the bowl of pitch-black medicine and wilted on the spot, collapsing straight onto the floor.

Outside the window, the setting sun bathed the Butterfly Mansion in warm light. Pain, sweat, shouting, and the faint scent of medicine came together in a scene of chaos, yet one full of life.