Sister

After dispatching the Earth Demon, Kanae Kocho sheathed her Nichirin Blade and walked toward Tsugikuni Kuuga. By then, Tsugikuni Kuuga was already on the verge of passing out.

But a sweet fragrance drifted into his nose. Tsugikuni Kuuga struggled to raise his head and saw a black-haired, violet-eyed girl standing before him, searching through something. Suddenly, she looked back and smiled. Tsugikuni Kuuga thought he had seen an angel.

"Um, Angel Sister, am I dead?" Tsugikuni Kuuga asked weakly.

"Angel? What's that? And you're not dead yet!" Kanae Kocho replied with a smile.

"So I'm not dead. That's wonderful!"

In his excitement, Tsugikuni Kuuga spat out another mouthful of blood. Kanae Kocho hurriedly stepped forward to support him, and a soft sensation pressed against his arm. Tsugikuni Kuuga looked up.

The girl's chest was pressed very close to him. As someone who had been single for years, how could Tsugikuni Kuuga withstand this? Even his nose started bleeding. Seeing this, Kanae Kocho hurriedly used gauze to wipe away his nosebleed.

As a physician at the Butterfly Mansion, Kanae Kocho assumed Tsugikuni Kuuga's internal injuries had worsened and began to worry. Kanae Kocho was just that kind-hearted; even toward someone she had never met, she possessed a healer's compassion.

"Are you all right?" Kanae asked.

"I'm fine, but I might feel better if you moved back a little," Tsugikuni Kuuga said.

Hearing Tsugikuni Kuuga's words, Kanae Kocho hurriedly backed away. She thought she had pressed down on him too hard. In a sense, she really had used too much force.

Tsugikuni Kuuga really wanted to complain: Coach, she charged into me with the ball. That's a foul. But that would have been rude, especially since she was the incomparably kind Kanae Kocho.

In truth, Tsugikuni Kuuga had recognized her at first glance. After all, she might be his Shinobu-wife's older sister—which made her his older sister too.

"Feeling better?" Kanae Kocho asked.

"Much better, Angel Sister!" Tsugikuni Kuuga said with a smile, though blood still trickled from the corner of his mouth.

Tsugikuni Kuuga had suffered extremely severe injuries during the Earth Demon's attack. If Kanae Kocho had not arrived in time, he would have lost an arm by now.

"Then I'll bandage you up first. Otherwise, you might die!" Kanae Kocho said with a serious expression.

Kanae Kocho then began bandaging Tsugikuni Kuuga. Before long, he had been wrapped up like a mummy.

After finishing, Kanae Kocho sat down beside Tsugikuni Kuuga. Her mission for the day was already complete, but she could not simply abandon an injured person.

"By the way, where is your home? I'll take you back," Kanae Kocho asked.

"Home? Maybe I don't have one anymore. After all, I was a sacrifice offered to a demon by my village," Tsugikuni Kuuga said mockingly.

"I'm sorry, I brought up something painful!" Kanae Kocho quickly apologized.

"It's all right. Everyone in the village raised me for fourteen years. I had planned to kill that demon anyway, so I can consider it repayment for raising me. With demons running rampant, they had no choice either. After all, what parent would want to send their own child to die?" Tsugikuni Kuuga sighed.

A trace of sorrow filled his golden eyes. He wanted to say he did not hate the villagers, but they had sent him to die. Yet they had also raised him. Tsugikuni Kuuga simply could not bring himself to hate them.

Kanae Kocho looked at Tsugikuni Kuuga's sorrowful expression and had just been about to offer some comfort when he smiled and said breezily, "By the way, Angel Sister, what's your name?"

Kanae Kocho froze for a moment. Did this guy's mood change that quickly?

"Hello, my name is Kanae Kocho."

"I am Tsugikuni Kuuga. Please take care of me from now on!" Tsugikuni Kuuga said with a smile.

"So it's Mr. Tsugikuni," Kanae Kocho said with a smile.

"Big Sister is my lifesaver, so there's no need to be so formal. Just call me by my name."

"Kuuga, would you be interested in joining the Demon Slayer Corps? Become my Tsuguko. You were the one who injured that demon so badly just now, weren't you? That alone proves you're a genius!" Kanae Kocho said, smiling as she held out her hand.

Kanae Kocho knew very well that the demon had been powerful. For an untrained boy to injure it and survive, he had to be a genius.

"Then please take care of me from now on, Sister Kanae!" Tsugikuni Kuuga replied with a smile.

This was also the outcome Tsugikuni Kuuga had wanted most. He had thought he would need to ask Kanae Kocho for help to join the Demon Slayer Corps, but instead he had directly become her Tsuguko. A Tsuguko was a Corps member personally trained by someone with Hashira-level strength; not just anyone could become one, especially under such a gentle Hashira.

And Kanae was still alive. That meant he could save Kanae, who would die at Douma's hands. This was something Tsugikuni Kuuga had never understood—why did someone so gentle have to die?

"If you don't mind, you can just call me Sister. From now on, you're a member of the Butterfly Mansion!" Kanae Kocho said with a smile.

Hearing Kanae Kocho's words, Tsugikuni Kuuga fell silent, seemingly lost in thought. Kanae Kocho thought she had said something wrong. After all, suddenly becoming someone's older sister was rather impolite.

Just as Kanae Kocho began to doubt herself, Tsugikuni Kuuga smiled. It was a warm smile, bright as the blazing sun.

"Okay, Sister!"

With Kanae Kocho supporting him, Tsugikuni Kuuga picked up his ancestral sword. But the instant he lifted it, the entire blade shattered, leaving only the guard and hilt intact.

If not for that broken sword, he would have died long ago. Tsugikuni Kuuga could only put away the guard. It was round overall, but its edges bore flame-like patterns, making it look like a tiny sun.

After learning that the sword was an heirloom, Kanae Kocho patted Tsugikuni Kuuga on the shoulder to comfort him. Feeling Kanae Kocho's gentleness, Tsugikuni Kuuga's tightly wound heart finally relaxed.

But the moment that tense state faded, exhaustion surged through him. Tsugikuni Kuuga's body swayed unsteadily, his vision blurred, and he finally passed out.

Kanae Kocho caught this little brother of hers. After all, she had been the one to invite him into the Demon Slayer Corps. She had clearly led him into danger, and Kanae Kocho felt somewhat guilty.

But she had not expected Tsugikuni Kuuga to agree without a moment's hesitation. No matter what, she had to take responsibility to the end. Judging from Tsugikuni Kuuga's account, his background was terribly tragic.

Although Kanae Kocho was a woman, she was still a Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps. Carrying a young boy on her back was no problem at all.

Suddenly, Tsugikuni Kuuga smiled and unconsciously murmured, "That's great. I have family too now, hahaha!"

Kanae Kocho was startled, then a smile appeared on her face. Family? That was what the boy longed for. Perhaps inviting him to join the Demon Slayer Corps had not been the wrong choice.

As the sun gradually rose, Kanae Kocho felt its warm rays and carried Tsugikuni Kuuga toward the Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters.