The Noisy Return and Their Respective Progress

Time slipped quietly by as Moyu devoted himself to training. Life at the Butterfly Mansion was peaceful and fulfilling, and he poured nearly all his energy into deepening and integrating his own powers.

The effects of the Advanced Mental Strength Meditation Method grew more apparent by the day. His daily deep meditation, which he never missed, was like systematically clearing and reinforcing his mental world. The upper limit of his Mental Energy steadily rose, the range of his Six Eyes perception grew wider, and his ability to pick out details became sharper. More importantly, his Mental Energy recovered much faster. Even with his Six Eyes fully active for intense analysis and prediction, he could keep going for longer, providing a solid foundation for prolonged combat.

His training in the Reverse Cursed Technique progressed more slowly, but every step was firm. With the Six Eyes assisting his microscopic control, Moyu could now reliably "reverse" a small portion of his Breathing Style Cursed Energy, producing that positive energy brimming with vitality. The amount was still meager and nowhere near enough to treat fatal wounds, but it was more than sufficient to handle shallow cuts and scrapes or speed the fading of bruises. He knew this was only the first step. An immense gulf still lay between him and using it as freely as Satoru Gojo, let alone replenishing his depleted Mental Energy with it. But he was headed in the right direction; all that remained was painstaking work.

Moyu was even more cautious in his training with Red. After all, it was a Cursed Technique Reversal that contained terrifying powers of repulsion and annihilation. For now, he wasn't aiming for an instantaneous burst of power, focusing instead on control. In an uninhabited spot on the mountain behind the Butterfly Mansion, he repeatedly practiced releasing Red at its lowest output. He could now reliably control Red's power at around twice that of Blue, forming a fist-sized, extremely condensed ball of dark red energy. Although it consumed considerably more energy than a Blue of the same power, his Sage Body and meditation method now kept the expenditure within an acceptable range for combat. Most importantly, his control had become much more stable. The energy ball was no longer as volatile as it had been at first, and he could guide its trajectory and the range of its detonation more precisely.

Amid this day after day of arduous training, a noisy evening arrived right on schedule.

"We're back—!!!"

With Zenitsu Agatsuma's piercing howl, seven parts exhaustion and three parts exaggeration, the quiet sliding door of the Butterfly Mansion was yanked open with a clatter. Tanjiro entered first, the familiar wooden box on his back, his face showing both relief at completing the mission and joy at returning "home." Zenitsu followed, looking utterly exhausted. He nearly collapsed onto the floor as soon as he entered, and Aoi, standing beside him, caught him with an irritated look.

"Shut up, you blond weakling!" Inosuke Hashibira's unmistakable Boar's Head appeared next, followed by his even more unmistakable booming voice, which echoed through the courtyard. He dashed inside with his two swords crossed over his shoulders. Though covered in dust, he was full of energy, looking every bit like a beast fresh out of its cage.

"Tanjiro! Zenitsu! Inosuke! You're back!" The Beady-Eyed Trio came rushing over in delighted surprise. The Butterfly Mansion was instantly filled with a liveliness it hadn't seen in some time.

Moyu and Shinobu Kocho were sitting opposite each other on the veranda, drinking tea and discussing details of using medicine alongside Breathing Styles to restore the body. Hearing the commotion, they looked over too.

"Moyu! Miss Shinobu! We've completed our mission and come back!" Tanjiro's eyes lit up when he saw them, and he hurried over. The lid of the wooden box was pushed open, and Nezuko's little head popped out. Her pink eyes curved into crescents as she greeted Moyu and Shinobu with a muffled "mm-mm."

"Oh, welcome back." Shinobu Kocho set down her teacup, a gentle smile appearing on her face as her gaze swept over the three of them. "You all seem to be safe and sound. What a relief."

"Miss Shinobu! Miss Aoi! Everyone else too! I missed you all so much!" Zenitsu broke free of Aoi's support and tried to throw himself at Shinobu, who looked the gentlest of them all. But Aoi reacted quickly and grabbed him by the back of his collar. "Zenitsu! Behave yourself! You're covered in dirt, so go take a bath first!"

"Boo-hoo... Aoi's so mean... But I haven't seen everyone in so long, I got too excited!" Zenitsu pretended to cry, but his eyes stole a glance at the wooden box on Tanjiro's back. When he saw Nezuko, a suspicious blush instantly spread across his face. Then he immediately put on a feeble act. "Tanjiro! That journey was dangerous! If I hadn't saved you with Thunderclap and Flash at the crucial moment, we'd never have made it back! You'd better thank me properly! And Nezuko, I protected your brother!" He began chattering away, claiming credit and giving an exaggerated account of the "perils" they had faced on their mission.

"Hey! I'm the one who killed the most Demons! What can you do besides hide and scream?!" Inosuke shouted in protest, then charged up to Moyu, his nose pointed at the sky. "Blue Eyes! I took down three strong Demons this time! My Beast Breathing's gotten even stronger! Come on, fight me again! I'll definitely beat you this time!"

Holding his teacup, Moyu glanced at him and said evenly, "Get yourself cleaned up and let your wounds heal first. Also, have you written your mission report?"

Inosuke immediately faltered, his bravado draining away. "R-report? That troublesome stuff... Tanjiro will write it!"

Tanjiro gave a helpless smile and began reporting on the mission to Shinobu in a serious tone. Meanwhile, Zenitsu sidled up to Aoi and the beady-eyed girls and embellished the story of his "heroic deeds," making the girls gasp one moment and cover their mouths with laughter the next. Inosuke leaped around the courtyard, showing off the "Beast Breathing secret technique" he had just devised and causing chaos.

The Butterfly Mansion was suddenly filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

Moyu's gaze passed over the noisy crowd and fell on Kanao Tsuyuri, who stood quietly in the shadow of a veranda pillar. As expressionless as ever, she watched Shinobu Kocho, who was surrounded by Tanjiro and the others with a warm smile on her face. Every now and then, Kanao also cast a fleeting glance at Tanjiro as he gave his earnest report.

Just then, Tanjiro finished his report and seemed to remember something. He took a small cloth bundle from inside his clothes and walked over to Kanao, a slightly embarrassed smile on his face. "Miss Kanao, this... I saw it on the way and thought... it might suit you." He opened the bundle to reveal a butterfly bookmark woven from grass stems. Its design was unusual, and though it was simple, it showed ingenuity.

Kanao paused slightly, looking at the bookmark before raising her head to look into Tanjiro's clear, open eyes. The habitual, doll-like smile on her face shifted almost imperceptibly. After a moment's hesitation, she reached out with both hands and carefully accepted the bookmark. In a voice as faint as a mosquito's hum, she said, "...Thank you."

Although her voice was barely audible, the fact that she had spoken up to give thanks made a trace of surprise and relief flash through the eyes of Shinobu Kocho, who knew her situation well. Moyu watched it all, understanding dawning on him. It seemed that Tanjiro, this "little sun," had indeed begun, without anyone noticing, to melt the ice on the surface of the lake of Kanao's heart.

"Oh, Tanjiro, how thoughtful of you." Shinobu Kocho teased him with a smile, her gaze moving between Tanjiro and Kanao in good-natured amusement. Tanjiro's face turned red at once, and he hastily waved his hands. "N-no! I just happened to..."

A faint blush also appeared on Kanao's cheeks. She lowered her head, clutching the bookmark tightly in her palm.

"Boo-hoo... Damn you, Tanjiro... Even someone like Miss Kanao..." Zenitsu's face was full of envy and jealousy. Then he clutched his head. "Why doesn't any girl smile at me?! When will Nezuko understand how I feel?!"

From inside the box, Nezuko made a muffled "mm-mm?" and tilted her head, seemingly unsure what was happening.

"Shut up, Zenitsu! Gonpachiro, where's my present?!" Inosuke joined the commotion too.

For a while, the scene became even more chaotic.

Shinobu Kocho looked at this bunch of characters and shook her head helplessly, though a genuine smile lingered at the corners of her mouth. She stood and said softly to Moyu, "It seems a quiet cup of tea is impossible tonight. I'll go check their injuries and, while I'm at it... get them to settle down." Her tone held a trace of a matron's helpless indulgence.

Moyu nodded and watched Shinobu walk over to the noisy boys and girls. In a voice that was gentle but allowed no argument, she began arranging for them to wash up, eat, and have their bodies checked. Amid the commotion, she seemed especially composed, as though no matter how chaotic things became around her, she could bring everything back into order.

As the night deepened, the Butterfly Mansion finally returned to peace after the brief commotion. Tanjiro and the other two washed up, ate a hot meal, and were then herded by Aoi into having their wounds treated and examined before being sent off to rest. Nezuko also returned to her box to sleep peacefully. Kanao had quietly left at some point.

Only Moyu and Shinobu Kocho remained on the veranda. She had finished cleaning up the aftermath and brought fresh tea.

"It's nice to be young and full of energy." Shinobu gently blew on the steam rising from her cup, a touch of wistfulness in her voice. Then she looked at Moyu, her purple eyes glimmering in the moonlight. "Still, someone as composed as you is rare, Moyu."

"A little energy is good. A lively, bustling life is more interesting." Moyu took a sip of tea, his tone mild. As he took in the familiar, long-absent clamor, so full of life, a trace of warmth passed through his azure eyes.

Moonlight poured like water into the quiet courtyard. From a distance came Tanjiro's steady breathing, Zenitsu's occasional sleep-talking, and Inosuke's heavy snores. The quiet after all that noise brought a sense of inexplicable reassurance.