The room suddenly felt alive and full of life because of the steaming dish of salmon and radish.
A rare hint of wavering appeared on Giyu Tomioka's usually expressionless face.
His Adam's apple, very honestly, bobbed up and down once.
"Gurgle!"
In the quiet room, the sound of swallowing saliva seemed particularly loud.
Kanae knelt beside the low table, her chin resting on her hands.
Her clear pink eyes curved into beautiful crescent moons, and the smile on her lips was impossible to hide.
"Eat up, Mr. Giyu."
Kanae gently pushed the chopsticks toward his hand, her voice as soft and sweet as a freshly baked marshmallow.
Even if you're going to do something great to save the world, you can't go on an empty stomach.
"If you faint from low blood sugar halfway there, Lord Water Hashira's reputation will be damaged."
Giyu walked over silently, sat down cross-legged at the low table, and picked up his chopsticks.
"I'm starting."
Then, only the rhythmic and efficient sound of chewing filled the room.
Kanae just watched him quietly.
Watching his brow relax slightly as he ate the food he had been craving, and seeing a rare glimpse of human warmth and humanity on his usually aloof profile, I felt a sense of peace and normalcy.
Her gaze was so gentle it seemed to melt glaciers.
But it only lasted a few minutes.
Thank you for your hospitality.
Giyu put down his chopsticks, clasped his hands together, and found that the bowls and plates in front of him were so clean that not even a single scallion was left.
He pulled out a clean piece of linen to wipe his mouth, then turned around and turned his gaze back to the dark bundle that was not yet properly knotted.
The atmosphere subtly shifted at that moment.
The brief moment of warmth vanished instantly, and the coldness of a swordsman once again filled Giyu's eyes.
"You're leaving."
Kanae's smile faded slightly as her gaze fell on the clean rolls of bandages and spare team uniforms.
"Um."
Giyu nodded.
Kanae took a deep breath, suppressing the slight bitterness rising in her heart.
Where are you going? How long will you be gone?
She tried her best to make her voice sound steady.
Giyu reached out and pulled up the two corners of the bundle, tying a tight knot.
"Mount Kumotori."
He turned his head and looked into Kanae's eyes.
"Go learn how to kill Muzan Kibutsuji."
???
This sentence contained so much information that even Kanae's usually sharp mind momentarily froze.
"Study?"
Kanae frowned slightly. "Go to Mount Kumotori to learn? From whom?"
"A charcoal seller."
Giyu's answer was simple and unpretentious, but it only left Kanae even more confused.
A charcoal seller?
How do you defeat the Demon King Water Hashira in the Church Demon Slayer Corps?
This sounds like a complete fantasy.
But Giyu wasn't joking.
He straightened his posture, his deep blue eyes filled with an unprecedented solemnity.
"Muzan is no ordinary demon."
He has five brains and seven hearts.
Kanae's pupils contracted sharply, and her pale fingers involuntarily gripped the fabric on her knees.
Five brains and seven hearts?
This completely defies the laws of biology; it's practically an indestructible monster!
"The Water Breathing cannot be severed."
"Only absolute heat and absolute destruction can completely burn his cells to ashes."
"That man from Mount Kumotori knows that Breathing Style."
Giyu stood up, slung his bundle over his shoulder, and grabbed the dark blue Nichirin Blade.
"I must learn it!!"
"Time is running out for the Demon Slayer Corps. Muzan could discover the truth at Muzan moment and launch a furious counterattack."
A brief silence fell over the room.
Only the flame of the oil lamp flickered slightly in the night breeze, making a soft crackling sound.
Kanae lowered her head, her bangs obscuring her eyes.
Her hands gripped the hem of her yukata tightly.
Heartbreaking!
An indescribable heartache!!
This man had just survived a near-death battle at Mount Sagiri and had just returned to the safe haven of the Butterfly Mansion.
Before I could even get a good night's sleep, I had to pack my bags again and face the unfathomable darkness alone.
He always did this, silently shouldering all the burdens.
Kanae really wanted to tell him loudly:
Don't go! Stay! Let's figure something out together!
However, the words that Sister Ruka Rengoku had spoken to her in the inner room during the day echoed in her ears with unparalleled clarity.
"Don't stop a man from drawing his knife; it's his fate."
"What we must do is become the warmest and most inclusive scabbard for his return."
Kanae took a deep breath, and her tightly clenched lower lip slowly loosened.
When she looked up again, her eyes were slightly red, but her pink eyes shone with a light brighter than the stars.
She smiled, gently wiped away the tiny tears welling up in the corner of her eyes with the back of her hand, and then gracefully stood up from the tatami mat.
"You're quite the impatient one, Mr. Giyu."
Kanae's voice regained its usual gentleness, even carrying a hint of teasing laughter.
"He takes advantage of you and then tries to run away; he has no consideration for girls whatsoever."
Giyu's body stiffened almost imperceptibly.
He wasn't good at handling that slightly resentful tone and was about to give a curt explanation.
Kanae, however, had already walked lightly to him.
The distance between the two had shrunk to less than half a step.
Kanae stretched out her fair and slender hands and very naturally grasped the collar of Giyu's distinctive haori.
Giyu instinctively wanted to back away, but seeing the deep affection in the girl's eyes, he remained rooted to the spot.
"The collar is a bit wrinkled."
Kanae spoke softly, her fingers deftly smoothing the collar of his haori.
Her movements were gentle, as if she were handling the most precious work of art in the world.
A faint fragrance of Wisteria lingered around Giyu's nose.
After straightening his collar, Kanae didn't immediately withdraw her hand, but instead let it slide down and gently pat his firm chest.
Although I don't really understand any grand principles...
Kanae tilted her head slightly, her gaze fixed on the depths of Giyu's deep blue eyes.
"But I know that if it's something Mr. Giyu decides to do, he will definitely be able to do it."
The smile on her face was breathtakingly beautiful, yet it also exuded an irresistible determination.
Go!
Kanae took a half step back, folding her hands in front of her, like a wife seeing off her husband who was about to go to war.
"Don't worry about the rear! I'll take good care of the wounded from the Butterfly Mansion, and everyone in the Demon Slayer Corps is doing their best."
"Just keep moving forward and don't look back."
Hearing these words, Giyu's heart, which had been encased in ice, felt as if it had been gently kneaded by a warm hand.
It was sour and astringent, yet incredibly vibrant.
His fingers tightened slightly around the hilt of the knife.
I'm leaving.
Giyu left only these three words, turned around, and strode out of the room.
He was afraid that if he looked into those gentle eyes any longer, he would be completely unable to move his feet.
The paper door was pulled open, and a cool night breeze carrying the fragrance of flowers from the courtyard blew in.
Giyu walked through the corridor and into the courtyard bathed in moonlight.
The moonlight is exceptionally beautiful tonight.
A full moon hung high in the night sky, bathing the entire Butterfly Mansion in a soft, silvery light.
Just as Giyu was about to step out of the courtyard archway.
I heard hurried footsteps behind me.
"Giyu!"
Kanae's voice rang out in the night breeze, less dignified and more filled with barely suppressed urgency.
Giyu stopped and turned around.
Kanae, not even having had time to put on her shoes properly, was running towards him, clutching the hem of her light pink yukata.
Under the moonlight, her long, flowing hair danced in the wind.
Is there anything else?
Giyu turned around, thinking she had left behind some important information.
Kanae ran up to him, slightly out of breath.
A faint blush graced her exquisite face, and her chest heaved violently.
She didn't speak, but instead looked at him deeply with her bright, pink eyes.
The next second.
Kanae stood on tiptoe, grabbed Giyu's shirt with both hands, and pulled it down forcefully.
In Giyu Tomioka's deep blue eyes, which were slightly widened in shock.
Kanae closed her eyes and pressed her soft lips against hers without hesitation.