The butterfly breaks free, bound for flowers
In the flower field behind the cabin, Shinobu was chasing a white butterfly, muttering to herself:
"Don't run! I'll catch you!!"
Ren's purple figure darted about in the flower bushes, sometimes accelerating, sometimes suddenly stopping, sometimes making sharp turns, without any pattern, just like a butterfly in flight.
Her training uniform hem was covered in grass seeds and flower petals, and her short purple hair flew wildly in the wind, the ends brushing against her cheeks, tickling her, but she didn't care at all. Her eyes were fixed on the white butterfly, and she was holding back a strong feeling in her heart.
I'm definitely going to catch you today!
The white butterfly was clever; just as Shinobu was about to catch up, it suddenly flew upwards. Shinobu missed, and upon landing, she quickly rolled over to dissipate her energy. Sitting on the ground, panting, she glared at the butterfly and said angrily:
"Damn it! They tricked me!! (｡•ˇ‸ˇ•｡)"
"Tolerate."
A very calm voice suddenly came from the side.
Ren looked up and saw Giyu standing by the flower field. His blue feathers stood out against the colorful flowers, and a playful white butterfly had landed on his shoulder, fluttering its wings and resting comfortably.
Ren quickly got up, dusted himself off, and said with a pout:
"Mr. Giyu, you walk so silently, like a ghost! You scared me!"
He complained, but he was a little guilty inside, afraid that he would say that he only knew how to play around with swords but didn't practice.
Giyu didn't respond to her words, but raised his right hand and gently extended one index finger.
The white butterfly seemed to understand human nature; it flew off his shoulder and landed steadily on his fingertips, its wings opening and closing gently.
Ren leaned closer, squatted down in front of him, her purple eyes so close to the butterfly that she could see the fine powder on its wings, which shimmered like pearls in the sunlight. The butterfly's antennae swayed gently, as if it were greeting her.
She was so engrossed in watching that she forgot all her anger from earlier.
"It got tired of flying."
Giyu spoke, his voice calm and even, his gaze softening considerably as he looked at the butterfly.
Ren looked up at him. Sunlight shone on his profile, highlighting his distinct features and long eyelashes that cast a soft shadow under his eyelids. Although he still had that expressionless face, his eyes were incredibly gentle.
"Mr. Giyu, do you like butterflies?" I couldn't help but ask.
Giyu paused for a moment, looked down at the butterfly on his fingertip, thought for a moment, and shook his head:
"I don't know! I just think they fly so freely and it looks beautiful!"
Having grown accustomed to fighting and killing, he found himself inexplicably calmed when he occasionally saw these lively little creatures.
She suppressed a laugh, her eyes sparkling.
"I love it! Butterflies are so beautiful. When they fly, it's like they're dancing. And when they emerge from their cocoons, it takes them so much effort to break free—they're amazing!"
She always felt that she and her sister were like butterflies that hadn't yet broken free of their cocoons, and that one day they would become incredibly strong, able to personally slay all the demons.
Giyu looked at her; she was a ten-year-old girl, small in stature, but with a tenacity beyond her years, and her purple eyes sparkled.
His heart skipped a beat, and he said softly:
"You too, are slowly emerging from your cocoon, working very hard."
Ren froze for a moment, her eyes wide open. When she came to her senses, her face flushed bright red. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but her throat tightened, and in the end, she could only manage to utter:
"I will definitely catch up with you! One day, I will be able to slay demons alongside you, and you will no longer need to protect us!"
These words were like a vow, each syllable emphasized firmly and resolutely.
Giyu looked at her for a long time, his icy blue eyes full of expectation, then nodded gently and said earnestly:
"Okay. I'll wait for you."
The butterfly on my fingertip fluttered its wings, flew away, and disappeared into the depths of the flower field.
Giyu turned around and walked towards the wooden house.
Ren stood there, watching his retreating figure, motionless for a long time. The sunlight bathed her, warm and comforting. It felt as if a seed had sprouted in her heart, filling her with energy. She clenched her fists and silently recited:
I will definitely keep my word!
Beside the waterfall on the back mountain, the water roared, and the spray drifted around, condensing into a small rainbow under the sun.
Giyu sat cross-legged on a flat bluestone, his eyes closed, his breathing steady, and he entered a meditative state.
His Transparent World also opened up naturally during meditation.
He saw Kanae patting the bedding in the yard, each pat a steady rhythm, her breathing even;
He heard Shinobu running through the flower field again, her footsteps light and cheerful.
He could smell his Urokodaki writing a letter inside the house, the soft scratching of his pen on the paper, and the faint scent of ink.
Further away, Kasugai Crow flapped their wings and flew over the mountains and forests, the sound of their wings beating clearly audible; wild rabbits in the grass were nibbling on tender leaves, the sound of their teeth grinding against the leaves was also audible to him.
The movements of the entire Mount Sagiri, the flow of all life, unfolded slowly in his heart like a three-dimensional painting.
Giyu slowly opened his eyes. A flash of pale golden light passed through his ice-blue pupils, so fast that it was impossible to catch.
He looked up at the waterfall, where water rushed down from the cliff top, which was more than ten meters high, and crashed into the deep pool, splashing up snow-white water droplets. The roar was so loud it hurt his ears, and water vapor was everywhere. It was both beautiful and powerful.
The candlelight flickered, the night was deep, and the wooden house was filled with the warmth and comfort of cooking.
That night, the two sisters lay in bed together. The lights were long gone, but neither of them could sleep; they stared at the ceiling with their eyes open.
"Sister, are you sad?"
Ren asked in a low voice, her tone sounding somewhat dejected.
"Although I said I was going to Flower Valley, I can't bear to leave Mount Sagiri, I can't bear to leave my master, and I can't bear to leave Mr. Giyu."
Kanae was silent for a moment, then said softly:
"I am a little sad, after all, we've been here for a month and have long considered this place our home. Practicing swordsmanship with you every day, with our master's love and care, it really makes me feel at ease."
She raised her hand, gently took Ren's hand, and said softly:
"But Mr. Giyu is right. Flower Breathing is more suitable for us. Only by becoming stronger can we protect ourselves and avenge our parents."
"Besides, Master said we can come back anytime, and if we train well enough, we can see Mr. Giyu again, right?"
"Um!"
Ren nodded forcefully, his voice becoming much firmer.
"I must practice Flower Breathing diligently and become incredibly strong!!"
She gripped her sister's hand tightly, and the slight disappointment in her heart slowly turned into fighting spirit. She wanted to become stronger and become someone who could stand shoulder to shoulder with Mr. Giyu.
Kanae smiled and gently patted her hand:
"Okay, let's work together to become stronger."
Moonlight streamed in through the window, casting a silvery-white glow on the floor, gentle and serene. The two sisters, holding each other's hands, slowly drifted off to sleep.
On the other side, in Giyu's room, he sat by the window, looking at the full moon outside. The moonlight was very bright, and the silvery light filled the courtyard. The flowers, plants and trees in the courtyard were all enveloped in the moonlight, and they were blurry yet very beautiful.
He knew that sending the two sisters to Flower Valley was the right thing to do. Flower Breathing was more suitable for them; they could become stronger there, unlike him, who only grasped the Breathing Style at the brink of death and didn't have to face so many dangers.
But I just couldn't bear to part with them. I couldn't bear to part with their crisp voices, their unwavering dedication when practicing their swordsmanship, Kanae's gentle smile, or Ren's stubborn gaze.
Giyu sat for a long time until the moonlight moved, then he lay down on the bed and closed his eyes.
Even in his sleep, a faint, almost invisible smile lingered on his lips.
In Urokodaki's room, the candlelight was still on. He sat at the table, writing a letter to Flower Valley's Cultivator, detailing Kanae and Shinobu's physiques, progress in sword training, and temperaments. He was afraid his old friend wouldn't understand them, and he specifically instructed him to take good care of the two sisters and not let them push themselves too hard.
The pen scratched across the paper. As he wrote, Urokodaki stopped, looked out the window at the moonlight, and his expression became somewhat complicated.
He recalled his first visit to Mount Sagiri thirty years ago, and the disciples he had taught—each one a living, breathing person who ultimately died at the hands of demons. His greatest wish in this life was for his disciples to live peacefully and safely.
Now that Kanae and Shinobu are leaving to pursue a path more suitable for them, he only hopes that this path will keep them away from danger, allow them to live longer, and lead them to a brighter future.
Urokodaki put down his pen, blew out the candle, and the room fell into darkness, with only moonlight seeping in through the cracks in the window, like a silver path leading into the distance.