From Mount Kumotori to the Butterfly Mansion, it's a journey of over a hundred miles.
Under normal circumstances, the Giyu Tomioka would definitely have booked the most comfortable carriage!
But now, the situation has undergone a slightly awkward physical change.
The current Water Hashira is currently running like crazy on the dirt road, relying on his two legs!
The reason is simple: he's out of money!
He left all the top-grade silver notes and gold coins he had with the Kamado Family. Now, Giyu was truly penniless!
"Gurgle~"
Giyu's stomach let out a deafening protest.
As he passed through a rather bustling town, the aroma of roasted rice balls wafted into his nostrils on the cold wind, almost unbearable.
Giyu stopped abruptly, expressionless, and stood there blankly in front of a restaurant. A hint of intense craving for carbohydrates flashed in his deep blue eyes.
But after touching his empty pockets, he could only swallow hard and forcibly look away.
"As long as I run fast enough, hunger can't catch me."
Giyu frantically tried to brainwash himself.
Then, without even thinking, he activated Total Concentration Breathing!
"Water Breathing - Runaway Type!"
With a loud bang!
Giyu's figure instantly became a blur, kicking up a trail of dust as he hurtled towards the Butterfly Mansion!
The passersby only felt a gust of wind, and couldn't even see a person clearly. They could only curse at the fallen leaves that were being swept up.
--
Butterfly Mansion.
As usual, the air was filled with a faint scent of herbs and the comforting Wisteria.
Sunlight filtered through the thin clouds, casting a warm glow on the spacious courtyard of the Butterfly Mansion.
Kanae Kocho, dressed in a fitted pink casual outfit, was standing on the courtyard corridor, directing several hidden team members to move the newly delivered medicinal herbs.
A year has passed just like that.
This stunningly beautiful Flower Hashira lady keeps the Butterfly Mansion in perfect order, inside and out.
However, whenever the night is quiet or she has some free time to relax, her clear pink eyes always seem to drift towards the direction of Mount Kumotori.
"When will that blockhead finally come back...?"
Kanae sighed softly to herself.
"Kanae! Should this batch of hemostatic herbs be stored in Warehouse A?"
"A member of the Kakushi Division asked loudly."
"Okay, put it in warehouse A. Make sure to keep it dry."
Kanae turned her head, a gentle smile on her face that could melt ice and snow.
The instant she finished speaking.
Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside.
Immediately afterwards,
"Bang!"
Sunlight streamed in through the open door.
A tall, imposing figure, draped in his signature haori, stood at the doorway.
He was slightly out of breath, and a few withered leaves that had fallen while he was traveling clung to his short, black hair, but his deep blue eyes were even more profound and brighter than they had been a year ago!
Giyu Tomioka is back!
"Clatter!"
The list of medicinal herbs that Kanae was holding fell to the floor.
The entire courtyard seemed to have been paused at that moment; time itself seemed to freeze.
Kanae stared blankly at the man she had been longing for day and night at the door, her pink pupils trembling wildly.
One second, two seconds.
Tears quickly welled up in her eyes.
"Giyu..."
Kanae's lips trembled slightly as she uttered those two words.
The next second,
Like a pink butterfly that has finally found its home, she lifted the hem of her casual clothes, stomped on her wooden clogs, and ran headlong toward the gate without a care in the world!
"Giyu!!"
Kanae, accompanied by a fragrant breeze, threw herself directly into that broad embrace!
That astonishing softness struck Giyu's chest solidly.
Giyu naturally opened his arms.
His left hand firmly supported her slender lower back, while his right hand gently pressed against the back of her head, protecting her completely in his arms.
"I'm back."
Upon hearing this, Kanae could no longer hold back her tears.
She raised her head, her beautiful face streaked with glistening tears, her eyes filled with deep affection and longing.
Looking at the man's face, which was thinner but more resolute, Kanae couldn't help but stand on tiptoe.
She closed her eyes, and her rosy lips pressed directly onto Giyu's lips!
The Kakushi Division members who were carrying the medicinal herbs around them all had their eyes practically popping out of their sockets!
They turned around in a flurry, wishing they could instantly transform themselves into deaf and blind stone men.
Giyu was slightly taken aback by the sudden, passionate kiss!
Then, I followed my deepest desires!
Giyu suddenly pulled his hand away from Kanae's lower back.
He tilted his head slightly, turning the tables and taking the initiative, prying open the girl's teeth without hesitation, deepening the kiss.
"Hmm..."
Kanae gasped in surprise, her legs suddenly going weak and she couldn't muster any strength at all.
The man's scent robbed the air from her lungs; that mature masculine aggression instantly turned Kanae's mind into mush.
That's so unfair! Absolutely so unfair!!
How did this blockhead suddenly become so capable?!
Just as the two of them were oblivious to everyone else and showering each other with affection at the entrance of the Butterfly Mansion, they were being incredibly lovey-dovey.
Around the corner of the corridor, a pair of purple eyes were watching everything unfold.
Shinobu Kocho was holding a stone mortar and pestle, hiding behind a pillar.
Watching that straight-laced guy who once both infuriated and adored her now so skillfully embracing and deeply kissing her sister...
Ren's heart was instantly filled with mixed emotions—no, it was as if ten jars of vinegar had been overturned.
It's so sour! So sour it'll make your teeth fall out!!
"That idiot, that blockhead, went to the deep mountains and forests, did some fox spirit possess him? How did he suddenly become so skilled?!"
He bit his lower lip, nearly crushing the stone bowl in his hand.
It would be a lie to say I'm not jealous!!
After all, she genuinely liked that expressionless swordsman.
However, when she saw the happy tears sliding down her sister Kanae's eyes, and the genuine tenderness in Giyu's eyes, Shinobu's hand, which had been tightly gripping the pestle, slowly loosened.
"Never mind."
He suppressed a soft groan in his heart.
"Anyway, the original plan was for the two of us sisters to marry this big idiot together."
"Now that my sister has taken the lead and melted this block of ice, it's a great thing for me too! o(￣ヘ￣o#)"
Ren leaned against the pillar, a sly glint in his purple eyes.
"Now that the blockhead has finally figured things out, there's a long road ahead for him."
"Mr. Giyu, don't think that everything will be fine just because you've dealt with my sister!"
And at the main entrance.
This deep kiss, enough to make any single person die on the spot, lasted for more than a minute.
Kanae was almost out of breath when she weakly punched Giyu's chest with her small fist, and only then did Giyu reluctantly let go of her.
"Huff... huff..."
Kanae leaned against Giyu's chest, panting heavily, her beautiful face as red as a ripe apple.
She raised her large, watery pink eyes and glared at Giyu with a hint of coquettishness:
"You bad guy... you start bullying people as soon as you get back."
Giyu didn't say anything.
He raised his right hand and gently wiped away the tears from Kanae's eyes.
Because I miss you so much.
Straight ball!
A perfectly timed, high-level straight shot attack that caught you completely off guard!
These few simple words, spoken by someone with a perpetually expressionless face, have a destructive power comparable to a nuclear explosion!
Kanae was so overwhelmed by this immense feeling of happiness that she felt dizzy and disoriented.
She couldn't help but hug Giyu's waist again, burying her face deep in his chest, smiling sweetly.
This scene is so romantic it's almost unbelievable!
Even the air was filled with pink heart-shaped bubbles.
However, in this romantic and touching moment that could instantly elevate someone to godlike status...
"Gurgle--!"
The romantic pink bubbles burst instantly, scattering everywhere.
Kanae paused for a moment, lifted her head from his embrace, and blinked.
Giyu's handsome face, which had been so affectionate just moments before, now had a rare, suspicious blush.
But he quickly adjusted his expression, reverting to his usual stoic, expressionless face.
"To make my journey faster, I gave all my money to others."
Giyu looked at Kanae with a serious expression, his tone frank.
"I've run a hundred miles and haven't eaten for two days."
???
Kanae paused for two seconds, then burst out laughing.
She laughed so hard she was shaking, and even tears streamed down her face.
Sure enough, although this man seems to have improved his emotional intelligence, his idiotic nature of valuing free meals as much as life itself hasn't changed at all!
"Excellent, excellent, our great hero!"
Kanae wiped away the tears of laughter, naturally took Giyu's hand, and led him towards the kitchen.
"We just bought the freshest salmon in the kitchen yesterday. I'll cook it for you myself, and I guarantee you'll eat until you're stuffed!"
Giyu held her hand and heard the word "salmon," a hint of satisfaction finally appeared in his cold eyes.
The sunlight cast their shadows long, long.
Hidden in the shadows, Shinobu Kocho watched them walk hand in hand toward the kitchen, gave a haughty snort, picked up the stone bowl, and turned to leave.
"I want to go to the kitchen too!"
"How can I let my older sister have all the chance to shine! Humph!"
With the return of Water Hashira, the Butterfly Mansion, which had been silent for a year, has finally returned to its bustling and vibrant state.