The Butterfly Mansion at night was eerily quiet!
In Giyu Tomioka's private rest room, only a dim oil lamp was lit.
Water Hashira Master is sitting cross-legged on the tatami mat, with his hands resting on his knees and his eyes closed.
On the surface, he seemed to be practicing some profound Breathing Style meditation, or perhaps reviewing the tactics for the upcoming fierce battle.
But in reality, Giyu's brain was processing at lightning speed a series of high-risk events that had occurred during the day.
"Three times."
"Three surprise attacks in total... and without any murderous intent, it was simply impossible to defend against."
Just thinking about that wall slam in the alley during the day, with its scent of Wisteria Kanae, and the feel of those soft lips pressed against mine...
Giyu felt his ears start burning uncontrollably again.
"Forget it! What's done is done!"
"Let's go to sleep first!"
He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the chaotic pink images in his mind.
I'm getting ready to snuggle into my own bed and end this long, heart-pounding day.
However, the moment his back touched the bedding...
"Knock, knock, knock."
A soft knock came from outside the door, as if afraid of disturbing the moonlight.
Giyu's movements froze instantly.
"Giyu, are you... asleep?"
From outside the door came the gentle, heartbreakingly soft voice of Kanae Kocho.
Giyu's brain CPU completely crashed at that moment.
"What's she doing here so late?"
"Could something have happened to the wounded? No, I don't smell any blood in the Transparent World."
"So... it's happening again?"
Giyu sat up as if facing a formidable enemy, cleared his throat, and replied in as calm a tone as possible:
"Not yet... the door isn't locked."
"Squeak--!"
The Japanese-style paper door was gently pushed open.
Tonight, Kanae is only wearing a thin silk nightgown.
The neckline was slightly open, revealing a large expanse of fair, jade-like skin, and one could even vaguely see the breathtakingly deep cleavage.
She was clutching a pillow tightly in her arms, her long, black hair disheveled and draped over her rounded shoulders.
A refreshing scent of Wisteria, mixed with the warm body fragrance of a young girl after her bath, forcefully entered Giyu's nostrils.
"That..."
Giyu swallowed hard, forcing his gaze away from the astonishing curves and staring at the wall beside him.
"What's up?"
Kanae, clutching a pillow and with her bare, fair feet, slowly walked into the house.
"Mr. Tomioka..."
Her voice had a thick nasal tone, and she sounded extremely aggrieved.
"I can't sleep."
"The post-war trauma is so severe... Whenever I close my eyes, all I see in my mind are the mountains of corpses and seas of blood on Mount Sagiri, and those terrifying ice lotuses of Upper Rank Two ~"
As Kanae spoke, she naturally walked over to Giyu's tatami mat.
"I was so scared, my whole body was freezing. I stayed in the dispensing room, busy, and I didn't dare to disturb her..."
She lowered her head, her watery eyes fixed on Giyu sitting on the ground.
"Mr. Tomioka is the strongest swordsman who defeated the Upper Rank. Just being by your side makes me feel so safe."
"Can I stay here with you tonight... and sleep with you?"
These words were spoken with such pitiful vulnerability, accompanied by tears streaming down his face.
Post-war trauma?
Giyu mentally ranted:
"You didn't suffer any fatal injuries at all on Mount Sagiri!"
"Besides, when you were fighting the Doma, your sword-wielding movements were more decisive than anyone else's. Where did you see any fear?"
Reason told Giyu that the best course of action was to firmly refuse her and then ask her to return to her room.
But.
When he looked up, he met Kanae's eyes, which seemed ready to burst into tears at any moment, and saw her frail body trembling slightly in the night wind from fear.
The words of refusal stuck in my throat; I just couldn't bring myself to say them.
"... what ever."
Giyu ultimately gave in. He expressionlessly moved to the side, making room for a small portion of the space.
Thank you, Giyu!
Kanae, who was just moments ago on the verge of tears, suddenly had a sly glint in her eyes.
She threw down the pillow in her hand and crawled into Giyu's still-warm blankets.
This tatami mat is way too narrow!!
The two lay inside, almost shoulder to shoulder, making it difficult to even turn over.
Giyu lay flat on his back, his whole body stiff like a pharaoh's mummy just dug out of a pyramid.
He didn't even dare to breathe heavily, afraid that the rise and fall of his chest would touch the soft, delicate body beside him.
"It's okay, as long as you fall asleep."
Giyu silently encouraged himself.
"Close your eyes, and you can enter a deep sleep in five minutes..."
However, Water Hashira clearly underestimated the power of the older sister.
Just as he was about to close his eyes...
A rustling sound came from the bed next to me.
Immediately afterwards, a fair and delicate arm crossed the almost non-existent safe distance and landed on Giyu's chest.
Before Giyu could react...
Kanae had turned her body to the side, like a cat that desperately needed security, and pressed herself against him tightly.
That amazing elasticity even created a deadly undulating sensation on Giyu's arm with her breathing.
"This feels so warm..."
Kanae buried her face in Giyu's neck.
Her warm breath sprayed directly onto his collarbone, bringing a tingling, itchy sensation.
That's not all.
Perhaps feeling that this wasn't safe enough, Kanae stretched her long, shapely right leg out from under the covers and draped it over Giyu's waist.
Arms wrapped around neck, thighs pressing against waist and abdomen!!
"Boom--!"
Giyu felt a dangerous snapping sound coming from the string of reason in his mind.
He could even clearly feel the astonishing heat beneath Kanae's pajamas, and the smooth touch of her skin.
"That..."
"Kanae, you're standing too close!!"
"This can affect chest cavity expansion, leading to insufficient oxygen intake during sleep."
Giyu tried to cover up his panic!!
"But I'm still scared..."
Kanae didn't back away; instead, she pulled her arms even tighter...
She breathed softly into Giyu Yong's ear.
"Mr. Tomioka's heart is beating so fast. Thump, thump..."
"Is it because... you feel uncomfortable holding me?"
"..."
Giyu's expressionless face had turned completely red, like a ripe tomato, in the darkness.
Uncomfortable?
This isn't just uncomfortable, this is absolutely agonizing!
He was a normal man, and a top-tier swordsman in his prime, full of vigor and vitality.
If he could remain unmoved by a stunningly beautiful woman with an amazing figure, whom he actually has feelings for, clinging to him like an octopus, he might as well become a monk.
"I feel fine."
Giyu gritted his teeth,
"My heart is racing because... I ate too much radish and salmon for dinner!!"
"This is... a normal physiological phenomenon."
Upon hearing this explanation...
Kanae, who was nestled in the crook of his neck, almost burst out laughing on the spot.
She bit her lower lip hard, trying to suppress her laughter; her shoulders twitched as she tried to hold it in.
This man can even come up with such an excuse to cover up his shyness; it's so cute it's almost unfair.
"Since it's a physiological phenomenon, I'm relieved."
Kanae tightened her arms around him with a sense of gratification, snuggling against his firm chest to find the most comfortable spot.
Goodnight, Giyu.
She closed her eyes, and the smile on her lips was sweeter than honey.
As for Giyu, who was used as a giant body pillow...
That night felt like an eternity.
Kanae soon began to breathe evenly and deeply, clearly sound asleep.
But Giyu dared not close his eyes!
His whole body was stiff; even though his arms were starting to go numb from being pressed down, he dared not move an inch.
I'm terrified that I might accidentally touch something I shouldn't!
Heat!!
An indescribable heat surged up wildly in his lower abdomen.
"No! I must stay calm!!"
Giyu suddenly opened his eyes wide in the darkness and began frantically reciting the incantation of Water Breathing in his mind, trying to extinguish the evil fire with physical cooling methods.
"Water Breathing, First Form..."
Just as the image of calm water surface appeared in his mind, Kanae stirred in her sleep, nuzzling her chest against his arm...
"The Water Breathing, the Fourth Form..."
Kanae's legs tightened around his waist slightly, her warm body temperature seeping through the thin fabric...
"Water Breathing, Eleventh Form! Nagi!"
"Give me absolute peace! Calm down now!!"
However, sadly...
In the quiet of the night,
Even Nagi, who is known for her absolute defense, couldn't withstand this double attack that combined physical and magical defenses against the octopus that exuded the fragrance of Wisteria.
Giyu could only grit his teeth, silently staring at the ceiling, counting the passing time amidst the bittersweet torment of suffering and pain.
Early the next morning.
Golden sunlight streamed through the window lattice and fell on the narrow tatami mat.
Kanae stretched contentedly, slowly waking up from her sleep.
She slept more soundly than ever before.
There were no evil spirits, no nightmares, only a strong, warm chest for her to lean on.
She rubbed her sleepy eyes and turned her head.
Then, she was startled by what she saw.
Giyu Tomioka remained in the same stiff posture as last night.
Only,
This usually aloof and handsome Water Hashira Lord now has sunken eyes.
Beneath his bloodshot, deep blue eyes hung two dark circles even more exaggerated than a panda's.
His expression was blank, his eyes empty like a salted fish that had lost its soul.
"Giyu? You... you didn't sleep all night?"
Kanae blinked a little guiltily.
Giyu turned his neck.
He looked at Kanae, who was radiant and blooming like a beautiful rose.
There was a full five seconds of silence.
Finally, Lord Water Hashira uttered a soul-searching question:
"Kanae!!"
"Has your post-war trauma... healed?"
"If I'm not cured, I might have to sleep on the floor in the yard tonight."