Gathering Herbs, Giyu Tomioka and Shinobu Kocho!

Quarry,

Huge craters stretched out one after another, debris was scattered everywhere, and scrap metal was left behind by the fleeing government soldiers...

The moonlight, like a thin veil, quietly spread across this battlefield that resembled a living hell.

"Tick-tock... tick-tock..."

Obanai Iguro lay quietly in a pool of blood.

With a light footstep, two figures pierced the deathly silence of the night and arrived at the edge of the pool of blood.

Giyu Tomioka gripped the deep blue Nichirin Blade in one hand, its tip pointing diagonally at the ground, silently gazing down at his comrade lying in a pool of blood.

Beside him, Shinobu Kocho had already crouched down.

"The situation is very bad..."

Shinobu Kocho quickly opened the special medical kit she carried with her. Her delicate, flawless hands, like white jade, moved between Obanai's horrific wounds.

"Seven ribs were fractured on the left side, two of which were less than three millimeters from the heart; the lungs suffered compression damage, accompanied by extensive internal bleeding..."

While quickly assessing the injury, Shinobu Kocho unhesitatingly took out a special clotting agent and poured the liquid onto the laceration on Obanai's chest.

"With injuries like that, an ordinary person would have been dead long ago."

Shinobu Kocho bit her lower lip tightly, a fine layer of cold sweat beading on her forehead, as she rapidly wrapped a medical bandage around Obanai's body.

"Mr. Iguro, you must hold on!"

While Shinobu Kocho was engaged in a fierce battle against death, Giyu Tomioka stood guard like a guardian deity.

"Following Mr. Himejima and me..."

He looked at the thin man on the ground, his face wrapped in bandages, and a genuine smile appeared on his usually cold and expressionless face.

[Obanai Iguro, congratulations. You have officially become the third Pillar in the Demon Slayer Corps to awaken the 'Transparent World'!]

"Call..."

Shinobu Kocho let out a long breath and wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand.

Obanai's previously weak breathing gradually became steady, temporarily escaping the danger of sudden death.

"His life has been saved, but he'll need to stay in bed for at least three months." Shinobu Kocho stood up, a hint of weariness and relief in her purple eyes.

"That's enough," Giyu replied calmly.

He raised his left arm, put two fingers in his mouth, and whistled a long, drawn-out whistle.

"Quack--!"

With a whooshing sound, the mottled old Kasugai Crow "Kanzaburo" swooped down from the dark clouds and landed steadily on Giyu's shoulder.

"Notify the Logistics Kakushi Division to immediately dispatch a medical transport team to the western quarry. There is a seriously injured Pillar there who needs to be urgently transferred to the Butterfly Mansion," Giyu coldly issued the order.

"Roger! Gaa! The heavily injured Pillar! Notify the Kakushi Division immediately! Gaa!"

Kanzaburo flapped his wings and instantly disappeared into the dark night sky.

After arranging everything, Giyu Tomioka slowly turned around.

His deep blue eyes swept over the utterly shattered battlefield one last time. After confirming that there was no trace of any evil spirits remaining, he gently pressed his thumb against the back of the blade.

Click.

The deep blue Nichirin Blade, radiating a chilling, eerie light, was sheathed.

The following days.

In order to develop some medicines, Shinobu Kocho had to venture deep into the primitive mountains and poisonous swamps surrounding the quarry to collect several rare medicinal herbs that only grow in extreme environments.

This was supposed to be a tedious and thankless task.

But during this quest for medicine, Shinobu Kocho discovers that she has a top-tier bodyguard who is always by her side.

Giyu Tomioka did not return to headquarters alone to report after the battle, but instead silently accompanied and protected Shinobu Kocho.

Deep in the mountains, ancient trees reach for the sky, and sunlight filters through the dense foliage, casting dappled patterns on the moss-covered forest path. The air is filled with the fragrance of earth and the fresh scent of grass and trees, and a gentle breeze brings a sense of tranquility that soothes the soul.

Shinobu Kocho, walking ahead, carried an exquisite bamboo medicine basket on her back and held a small herb-gathering sickle in her hand. She was bending over, carefully searching at the foot of a steep rock face.

The two arrived at the entrance to a primeval jungle covered in thorns.

"Oh dear, the path here is so difficult to walk on, and these thorns seem to carry a mild paralyzing toxin."

Shinobu Kocho stopped in her tracks, looking at the dense, impenetrable vine network ahead, her delicate brows furrowing slightly.

However, the next second...

A tall, slender figure had silently passed her and stood in front of her.

They carefully parted the thorny vines that blocked their way, creating a safe passage for people to pass through.

"Come on, stay close to me."

Giyu turned his head slightly, his deep blue eyes glancing at her indifferently.

Looking at that broad back,

A look of utter disbelief flashed across Shinobu Kocho's purple eyes, which then rippled outwards in a way that seemed to stretch on forever.

"Oh my god... this... is this really Giyu Tomioka, that blockhead who always has a stern face and can't utter a sound even after being hit three times?"

Shinobu Kocho felt her cheeks begin to burn uncontrollably.

Like a young girl experiencing her first love, she followed closely behind Giyu.

When they came to a fast-flowing stream covered with slippery moss.

Shinobu Kocho was preparing to gather her strength and leap over.

Giyu was walking ahead, had already stood firmly on a rock in the middle of the stream, extending his large and warm right hand.

"Grab my hand." Giyu's eyes were clear, as if this was just a trivial matter.

Looking at the large hand hovering in mid-air, Shinobu Kocho blushed and gently placed her delicate, fair hand into Giyu's palm.

The moment their hands clasped, the warm touch of their skin against each other felt like a faint electric current, instantly penetrating Shinobu Kocho's entire body.

Giyu's hands were strong, carrying a reassuring steadiness that guided her step by step, steadily leading her across the rushing stream.

And during the lunch break.

The two sat under an ancient tree, enjoying the cool shade.

Because of her long hours of gathering herbs, Shinobu Kocho's forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat, and her lips were somewhat dry.

Just then...

A bamboo water bucket was already handed to her.

"Drink some water." Giyu held the water bottle to her lips, his tone curt.

"Pfft..." Shinobu Kocho couldn't help but chuckle as she looked at his clumsy appearance.

She took the water bucket with both hands, her fingers inadvertently brushing against Giyu's fingertips.

"Thank you, Mr. Giyu ~"

Shinobu Kocho tilted her head back, took a sip of the cool spring water, and a beautiful smile, brighter than the summer sun, bloomed on her delicate, doll-like face.

In this tranquil primeval forest, a lone man and woman walked side by side.

"Mr. Giyu's gentleness... is truly fatal."

"If only this journey to find the medicine could go on forever, without end... how wonderful that would be."

Shinobu Kocho secretly bit her crystal-clear lower lip, and a ripple of desire called "craving" stirred in her purple eyes.