Although Muzan had already fled back to the Infinity Castle with his tail between his legs, he had also issued a death order for a complete retreat.
But this doesn't mean the Demon Slayer Corps has achieved a victory worthy of celebration.
On the contrary, the Butterfly Mansion intensive care unit is practically a giant mummy exhibition hall right now.
The carnage was so brutal that the logistics workers in the Kakushi Division didn't even have time to shed a tear!
o(╥╥)o
"Let me go!! I'm not dead yet! Give me my Nichirin Blade!!"
Immortal Kawa Sanemi was wrapped in bandages, resembling a giant, raging white rice dumpling.
He lay on the hospital bed, only his bloodshot eyes visible, staring at the ceiling in a helpless rage.
"Mr. Shinazugawa!! Please calm down!!"
Your wound has reopened!
Three burly men from the Kakushi Division, sweating profusely, held down his arms and legs, terrified that the white-haired wild boar would spring out of bed!
On the hospital bed next to him, Obanai Iguro's appearance wasn't much better.
"Shut up, you brainless wild boar."
Obanai's heterochromatic eyes were full of disdain as she weakly began to criticize:
"You don't even have the strength to hold chopsticks, are you trying to bite a ghost to death with your mouth? How utterly vulgar."
"What do you know, you bandaged-covered hermaphrodite?! I..."
The ward suddenly erupted into chaos!
Your gaze travels through the long corridor of the Butterfly Mansion and arrives at the sunny backyard, filled with Wisteria.
Giyu Tomioka was dressed in a clean and tidy casual outfit, with his hands tucked into his sleeves.
He tilted his head slightly, looking at the azure sky and the drifting white clouds, his perpetually expressionless face revealing a calmness as if he were about to ascend to heaven.
As the Water Hashira Pillar who survived that meat grinder battle unscathed.
He naturally received a paid annual leave, a privilege rarely seen in the Demon Slayer Corps in a century.
There were no evil spirits to disturb them, no urgent messages from Kasugai Crow, and even the air itself smelled of freedom.
Giyu took a deep breath of the floral fragrance. He didn't feel any profound emotions about world peace, nor did he have time to lament the passing of autumn or the coming of spring.
Only one simple thought popped into his mind:
I'm hungry.
"I heard there's a new restaurant in Asai District that specializes in radish and salmon. I wonder how it tastes."
Just as Water Hashira was seriously considering his grand plan to cook rice, and even mentally navigating the shortest route to Asai District,
A series of light, familiar footsteps came from behind.
"Oh my god, Mr. Tomioka, what are you doing standing here all alone?!"
Amidst the Wisteria, a pleasant female voice drifted over.
Giyu turned around.
The moment he saw who it was, his eyes, which were always as still as water, froze for once.
Today, Kanae Kocho wasn't wearing her oversized Demon Slayer Corps uniform, nor was she wearing her signature butterfly haori.
She changed into a very modern, fitted casual outfit.
She wore a beige turtleneck sweater on top.
The exaggerated tension made it feel like the yarn fibers were about to snap at any moment.
The eye moves down to a dark, high-waisted pleated maxi skirt that clings tightly to a slender waist, exuding the graceful curves unique to a mature woman.
Her long, black hair was casually draped over her shoulders, and a gentle smile graced her beautiful face.
This outfit is so alluring it's practically maxed out; any normal man would be mesmerized.
(๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧
"How is it?!?! Is it good-looking?"
Kanae stood with her hands behind her back, leaning slightly forward, her watery eyes revealing a mixture of anticipation and mischief.
As she leaned forward, the heavy sense of oppression pressed directly into Giyu's line of sight.
After a brief calculation, Giyu's brain...
"The clothes are too tight."
Giyu looked at her expressionlessly.
"If attacked by a ghost, this material will severely affect the speed of sword swings and the angle of arm extension, greatly reducing the survival rate."
Kanae twisted her ankle almost imperceptibly, and the gentle smile on her face nearly crumbled on the spot.
"This big piece of wood..."
She sighed helplessly to herself.
But this older sister was resurrected at lightning speed.
After all, she already had a foolproof strategy for dealing with a perennial ice pop like Giyu Tomioka.
"Yes, because my clothes are too tight, I can't bring my Nichirin Blade today."
Kanae walked forward with a smile and naturally took Giyu's arm.
"I heard there's a really good radish and salmon restaurant that just opened in Asai District, but I didn't bring a knife, and I'm afraid to go alone."
"Mr. Tomioka, could you be my bodyguard and accompany me?"
Radish and salmon!!
These four words instantly took over the command center of Giyu's actions.
Let's go.
Giyu nodded without hesitation.
As for that breathtakingly soft touch pressed against my arm...
Water Hashira quickly weighed the options in his mind.
In order to be able to eat fresh salmon, he decided to temporarily endure this physical obstacle.
The streets of Asai District were bustling with activity.
A handsome man with a cool and aloof demeanor was walking down the street arm in arm with a stunningly beautiful and gentle older woman.
This scene is so incredibly jealous it's making single people jealous; the rate of people turning their heads to look at it skyrocketed by over 200%.
The young men passing by looked at Giyu with eyes blazing with jealousy that could have set the entire street ablaze.
I wish I could tear this expressionless man to pieces with my eyes... and then take his place!!
Although Giyu has facial paralysis, he is by no means dull.
He keenly sensed the murderous gazes around him, and his brow furrowed slightly.
"These people's eyes were very unfriendly; they were full of malice."
Giyu silently analyzed the situation in his mind:
"Could it be that one of the Twelve Kizuki is disguised as a human nearby?"
"No, I didn't sense any ghostly presence in the Transparent World."
"So, there's only one answer left."
"I guess they also wanted to try that newly opened radish and salmon restaurant, but the lines were too long, so they were jealous that I got to eat there!!"
"The obsession of mortals with delicious food is truly terrifying!!"
Having completed this self-consistent and perfectly logical closed loop, Giyu calmly and proudly accepted the stares of all the passersby.
"Convex (艹艹)"
This is probably what the passersby are thinking!
The two successfully bought hot takeout meals. Kanae was in a great mood, humming a little tune as she linked arms with Giyu along the way.
But on the way back to the Butterfly Mansion, a hint of cunning flashed in Kanae's beautiful eyes.
She deliberately led Giyu away from the main road, making several turns and winding her way into a secluded and deserted alley.
The alley was dimly lit, with only a few rays of sunlight filtering through, and the air smelled of moss.
"Mr. Tomioka."
Kanae suddenly stopped and let go of her hand.
Giyu turned around, holding the radish and salmon in both hands, his face full of question marks:
"What's wrong?!?! If you can't walk anymore, I won't carry you."
Kanae didn't respond, but instead took a big step forward, forcing Giyu against the wall.
She stretched out her fair arm and braced herself against the brick wall, giving the mighty Water Hashira a domineering wall slam.
Giyu was completely dumbfounded.
He held a lunchbox in his hand, his back against the cold wall, looking at the stunningly beautiful face so close to his face.
The distance between the two instantly shrank to the danger zone.
The warm, mature scent emanating from Kanae forcefully entered Giyu's nostrils, wildly stimulating his dulled senses.
She tilted her head slightly.
Her shimmering eyes were filled with undisguised burning love, admiration, and a bold desire to possess, completely disregarding any notion of modesty.
"That..."
Giyu tried to use reason to break the pink atmosphere that was making his heart race.
"If we don't hurry back, the radish and salmon will get cold. Cold salmon will become tough."
"It's okay, you can reheat it if it gets cold."
Kanae's voice was so gentle it was almost dripping with tenderness.
She leaned forward again, her voluptuous body almost touching Giyu's clothes, her warm breath landing directly on Giyu chin.
"But if I don't do some things now, I'll feel so bad that I won't be able to sleep."
The words had barely left his mouth.
Kanae tiptoed, closed her eyes, and precisely pressed her soft, rosy lips onto Giyu's.
"Hmm..."
Mild and sweet!!
If this had happened before the final battle at Mount Sagiri, Giyu's brain would have been completely fried by this sudden wall-slamming attack, and he would have turned to stone.
But--!
After the intense post-war training, the situation is completely different.
He lowered his eyelids slightly, looking at the trembling eyelashes so close to his face.
This is the third time today.
That's right, the third time!!
I bumped into him once in the corridor this morning, once while having tea in the courtyard at noon, and now I'm doing it again after buying food.
Water Hashira Lord's magic resistance to surprise attacks was completely maxed out by this straightforward older sister.
Habits are a terrible thing.
Although his face remained expressionless, his body instincts betrayed him.
His back, which had been pressed tightly against the wall, relaxed naturally, and he even lowered his head to accommodate Kanae.
His hands, holding the radish and salmon, were as steady as an old dog's, as if afraid of tilting it and spilling the soup. This made his submissiveness seem endearingly unexpected.
Feeling the man's skillful cooperation, Kanae felt a surge of sweetness and triumphant pleasure.
She reached out and wrapped her arms around Giyu's neck, deepening the kiss.
In the deserted alley, only the sound of their intertwined breaths could be heard, growing increasingly intense.
I don't know how much time passed.
Kanae finally let go reluctantly and took half a step back.
Her stunningly beautiful face was now as red as a ripe apple.
Her chest heaved violently, making her already outrageous curves appear even more turbulent.
She stuck out the tip of her tongue and licked her moist red lips, her eyes full of slyness at her successful affair.
"Mr. Tomioka is getting more and more skilled these days."
Kanae tilted her head, her teasing tone tinged with smugness.
At first, he would stand there like a log, even forgetting to breathe, but now he's actually learned to bow his head and cooperate!
"It seems my desensitization therapy is very effective."
Giyu didn't reply.
He held the lunchbox in both hands, trying to hide his inner frenzy with a blank expression.
Let's go.
His voice remained as cool and indifferent as ever.
Kanae covered her mouth and chuckled as she watched Giyu flee in a somewhat flustered manner.
This ridiculously strong man is an invincible god of war when facing evil spirits, but when it comes to matters of the heart, he's so clumsy it makes you want to bully him. (* /ω*)
Kanae quickly followed, and naturally took the arm that was slightly stiff again.