Aoi Kanzaki thought the captain was joking. She shook her fist at Han Zhiqi as if warning him to watch his mouth from now on.
"Hey, hey, Han Zhiqi, have you learned any Martial Skills? Which of the Five Great Breathing Styles do you practice?" Shinobu Kocho asked excitedly.
The bandages were peeled away layer by layer, revealing a slightly pale face that complemented his white hair rather nicely.
"Wow, what a handsome face. It would be such a waste for that face to be in the Demon Slayer Corps."
Shinobu cupped Han Zhiqi's cheeks in both hands, her deep violet eyes fixed on him as though she were admiring a flawless work of art.
Her palms were warm and moist, carrying the familiar scent of wisteria. Her breath was soft against him, and her smile gentle.
For a moment, Han Zhiqi was utterly entranced.
Beside him, Aoi Kanzaki frowned and raised her hand, smacking the back of his head again.
This time, Han Zhiqi could not take it anymore. He sprang up from the chair, faced Aoi, and roared, "You crazy woman, what's your problem now? You want to fight?"
When she saw Han Zhiqi's face clearly, Aoi froze. Just as the captain had said, he was truly handsome, like a snowflake drifting down in winter—something that seemed as though it might shatter if held in one's palm.
The two stood extremely close, close enough to hear each other breathe.
Aoi had never been so close to a boy before. Her heart immediately began pounding wildly, and she hurriedly took a step back. Stammering, she said, "Y-you were the one who got so close! What, were you going to eat me? Fight? You? I think you just want me to beat you half to death so you can stay at the Butterfly Mansion forever."
"Who said I wanted to stay?"
Shinobu pulled Han Zhiqi back into the chair and continued unwrapping the bandages around his neck. "See? I told you two that you should fight. Han Zhiqi, you still haven't answered me. Which Breathing Style do you practice?"
"Breathing Style? Wh... what's a Breathing Style?"
Ever since arriving at this medical facility called the Butterfly Mansion, Han Zhiqi had felt as though he had crossed into another world. First there was the Demon Slayer Corps, then the Hashira, and now some Breathing Style. Breathing was just breathing—why did it need a method?
"You don't even know what a Breathing Style is, yet you want to fight and join the Demon Slayer Corps? Hmph." Aoi looked utterly disdainful.
Han Zhiqi's teeth itched with anger. First there had been those three strange female nurses. He had thought this one might be better, but she turned out to be a violent maniac. There was not a single normal person in the entire Butterfly Mansion.
"A Breathing Style is a unique breathing technique used in combat alongside Martial Skills," Shinobu explained patiently.
So that was what they called a Breathing Style.
Han Zhiqi pondered for a moment before blurting out, "Ice. The martial skill I use is ice. As for this Breathing Style you're talking about, I don't fully understand it, but I roughly get the idea now."
"Hmph. You make yourself sound so impressive."
Han Zhiqi forcibly suppressed his anger. He truly did not want to bother with this crazy woman.
"Ice? Then you practice Ice Breathing. Ice Breathing should be a derivative of Water Breathing. I've never seen such a Breathing Style before."
Suddenly, Shinobu's eyes lit up. She grabbed Han Zhiqi by the arm and said eagerly, "Hey, Han Zhiqi, you two should go outside and have a fight. Don't you dislike Aoi?" Then she turned to Aoi. "Aoi, don't you look down on Han Zhiqi too? Want to beat him up?"
Both of them were stunned. Shinobu did not look like she was joking.
"Captain, are you serious?"
Shinobu nodded, her eyes almost pleading.
"B-but his body has only just recovered. If I cripple him again, won't he really end up staying here forever?"
"So you agree?"
Agree? When did I say I agreed?
Shinobu gave Aoi no chance to argue and immediately began coaxing Han Zhiqi instead.
"Han Zhiqi, how about I take you to meet Mr. Himejima tomorrow?"
"Really?" Han Zhiqi was delighted.
"Of course. But first, I need to see how capable you are. Maybe then I can put in a good word for you. If I don't know anything about you, I won't even know what to say when I try to speak on your behalf. Don't you think?"
Aoi was utterly speechless. Just to see a new Breathing Style, the captain could make up any nonsense.
"That makes a lot of sense."
Makes sense, my foot! Couldn't he see that he was being played?
Aoi held her forehead, wanting only to get away from these two as quickly as possible, lest they drag down her intelligence too.
"How do we test it? By fighting her?" Han Zhiqi pointed at Aoi without even turning around.
Shinobu grabbed his pointing finger, beaming as she said, "What a smart, good boy. Don't worry, you won't get hurt. We'll use wooden swords instead of Nichirin Blades. Besides, you two already can't stand each other, so this is a perfect chance to let off some steam."
Han Zhiqi thought about it and nodded.
"Fine. This crazy woman says I don't understand Breathing Styles, so I want to see exactly what this Breathing Style you keep talking about is. And I'll also see whether the Demon Slayer Corps is strong enough to be worth joining."
Crazy woman? Was he talking about me?
"Hey, who are you calling a crazy woman?" Aoi raised her fist at Han Zhiqi again.
"Enough, don't flirt by bickering in here. There's no rush to fight."
Shinobu stopped Aoi and pushed both of them out of the treatment room by their backs. "Hurry up, hurry up. A spring night is worth a thousand gold."
"Captain, do you even know how to use that phrase?"
"What? Isn't it right? It means more or less the same thing."
In the front courtyard, the Butterfly Mansion trio, Shinobu, and Kanao Tsuyuri sat kneeling beneath the veranda, with fruit and snacks laid out on the floorboards before them.
Shinobu leaned against her younger sister Kanao's shoulder.
In the open space at the center of the courtyard, Aoi and Han Zhiqi each held a wooden sword. More than ten meters apart, they stared at one another, and the atmosphere was somewhat solemn.
The weather was good tonight. Even without lamps, the moonlight made everything in the courtyard plainly visible.
Shinobu sat up straight, watching the two in the courtyard with an excited expression. She cleared her throat and said gently, "Aoi, Han Zhiqi, are you both ready? If you are, begin."
"You dared call me a crazy woman? Today, I'll show you what the Demon Slayer Corps is capable of."
Aoi's expression was stern, tinged with resentment. She bent her knees, angled her wooden sword along the left side of her body, pressed her left hand against the blade, and gripped the hilt with her right, taking a stance ready to draw and strike.
Water Breathing: third form: Flowing Dance.
Aoi took a deep breath, and a chill flashed through her eyes. Her body suddenly became incredibly light, moving as fluidly and gracefully as a current. Her feet struck the ground with sounds like stepping through puddles as she shifted repeatedly from side to side, rapidly closing in on Han Zhiqi.
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