Shinobu Kocho

Kanae Kocho first arranged for Tsugikuni Kuuga to receive treatment at the Butterfly Mansion, then went to seek the Master's approval. After all, taking in Tsugikuni Kuuga required the consent of the Demon Slayer Corps' Master.

Upon hearing of Tsugikuni Kuuga's tragic experience, Oyakata-sama's face filled with sympathy. After confirming that Tsugikuni Kuuga was capable of remaining in the Demon Slayer Corps, he readily agreed to Kanae Kocho's request. After all, he had no desire to see an innocent person join the Corps only to die.

Tsugikuni Kuuga's recovery ability greatly shocked Kanae Kocho. Despite suffering such severe injuries, he had fully recovered in just half a month, and he quickly adapted to life at the Butterfly Mansion.

One morning half a year later, Tsugikuni Kuuga was practicing tai chi with a mind as still as water. It had practically become a habit for him: tai chi in the morning to strengthen his body, then five hundred sword swings in the afternoon. However, after the Earth Demon incident, he had changed that number to one thousand.

Suddenly, someone shouted behind Tsugikuni Kuuga, startling him into a jolt. Yet rather than getting angry, he turned around and pressed a hand onto the other person's head.

The person whose head he pressed down was a girl around Tsugikuni Kuuga's age. Like Kanae, she had black hair and purple eyes, though the ends of her bangs were purple, and her hair was styled in an evening updo.

Shinobu Kocho wore a Butterfly Hair Ornament behind her hair. The ornament was mainly mint-colored, with deep purple edges.

Looking at Shinobu Kocho's mischievous expression, Tsugikuni Kuuga liked her immensely. He knew that after Shinobu's sister passed away, her competitive, lively, and adorable nature had been replaced by Kanae's gentleness.

Seeing the genuine Shinobu now made Tsugikuni Kuuga very happy, even though Shinobu had recently been interrupting his tai chi practice all the time.

"Damn you, Kuuga! Let go of me! Touching my head will keep me from growing taller!" Shinobu Kocho shouted.

"It's fine. A short Shinobu is cute too!" Tsugikuni Kuuga said with a wicked grin.

"I've developed a new poison anyway. You'd better think this through!" Shinobu Kocho threatened.

At the mention of new poison, Tsugikuni Kuuga's body suddenly trembled. Ever since Shinobu Kocho had discovered his powerful healing ability, she would stare at him from time to time, giving him chills.

"Actually, if you stopped pushing forward, you'd naturally get free. I'm not even holding you!" Tsugikuni Kuuga complained.

Only then did Shinobu Kocho realize that she had used too much force, and she hurriedly backed away. Ever since Tsugikuni Kuuga had arrived, her sister had suddenly gained another younger brother. How could Shinobu Kocho, with her sister complex, possibly tolerate that? So she would occasionally tease Tsugikuni Kuuga.

"I have another question. Why were you calling my name while you were unconscious? We didn't even know each other back then!" Shinobu Kocho questioned.

Tsugikuni Kuuga was momentarily at a loss for words. He couldn't exactly say that he had known her before, though it had only been one-sided.

"Uh! Well, do you believe in fate? As they say, everything between heaven and earth leaves a trace. Maybe we knew each other in a past life. I've explained this so many times already." Tsugikuni Kuuga looked like a con artist.

"Do you think I'm a child?" Shinobu Kocho looked at Tsugikuni Kuuga as though he were an idiot.

"Not that big indeed. You may still need to grow a little more!" Tsugikuni Kuuga said very seriously.

The moment Shinobu Kocho saw the ill-intentioned look in Tsugikuni Kuuga's eyes, she became furious.

"Tsugikuni Kuuga, you lecher, go die!"

As Shinobu Kocho spoke, she kicked at Tsugikuni Kuuga, but he easily dodged. She threw several more kicks, all of which missed, so she had no choice but to use a beauty tactic.

"Brother Kuuga, could you stop?" Shinobu Kocho asked in a sweet voice.

The instant he heard Shinobu Kocho's voice, Tsugikuni Kuuga stopped, completely forgetting that she had been chasing him down to beat him.

What greeted Tsugikuni Kuuga was then Shinobu Kocho's kick. It did not hurt much, but it still landed. Then Shinobu Kocho suddenly jumped up and threw a punch, earning Tsugikuni Kuuga half a panda eye.

Tsugikuni Kuuga suddenly crouched down, covering his eye. Only then did Shinobu Kocho realize that she had hit too hard, and she hurried over to check on him.

But Tsugikuni Kuuga suddenly stood up and made a face, startling Shinobu Kocho. Then Tsugikuni Kuuga earned himself a matching panda eye.

"Kuuga, are you okay?" Shinobu Kocho asked worriedly.

"It'd be nice if a beautiful girl gave it a rub!" Tsugikuni Kuuga said.

"You deserved it for scaring me!"

Shinobu Kocho pouted, folded her arms, and turned away, no longer wanting to pay Tsugikuni Kuuga any attention.

Just then, a gentle female voice drifted out from the Butterfly Mansion:

"Little Shinobu, Kuuga, breakfast is ready!"

"Got it!" the two answered almost at the same time.

Inside the Butterfly Mansion, Kanae Kocho burst into laughter upon seeing Tsugikuni Kuuga's panda eyes. Aoi Kanzaki, who was serving the food nearby, nearly dropped the bowls in fright.

"What? Did I become more handsome again?" Tsugikuni Kuuga said narcissistically.

"Shinobu did that again, didn't she?" Kanae Kocho asked.

"No, I fell down by myself," Tsugikuni Kuuga explained.

"If he hadn't scared me, it wouldn't have turned out like this," Shinobu Kocho said as she ate an Onigiri.

"You two really are a pair of quarrelsome lovebirds!" Kanae Kocho joked.

"Big Sister, don't talk nonsense, or I'll get mad." Shinobu Kocho puffed out her cheeks.

Tsugikuni Kuuga said nothing, only kept giving Kanae Kocho a thumbs-up. With a sister like this, what was there to fear about not finding a wife?

"Sister Aoi, another bowl!" Tsugikuni Kuuga said happily.

"Eat yourself to death," Shinobu Kocho muttered.

After the pleasant breakfast, Tsugikuni Kuuga began his day of training. After all, the Mount Fujikasane selection would begin in half a year. Over these six months, Tsugikuni Kuuga had also completely mastered Total Concentration Breathing.

Total Concentration Breathing was a general term for the techniques developed by the Demon Slayer Corps to allow humans to fight demons. It was mainly used to strengthen the heart and lungs, enabling the blood to absorb large amounts of oxygen, dramatically increasing the body's abilities in an instant and granting physical abilities comparable to those of demons.

Tsugikuni Kuuga had once greatly wanted to practice Total Concentration Breathing, but he had not known how. Only after becoming Kanae Kocho's foster child had he come into contact with this Breathing Technique.

After learning the Breathing Technique, Tsugikuni Kuuga found that using sword techniques had become much easier. Could his previous inability to use sword techniques have been related to this? He had never heard of such a thing!

Thinking this, Tsugikuni Kuuga picked up another gourd beside him. Sure enough, gourds were the true masters of Total Concentration Breathing. The shattered gourds scattered across the ground also proved Tsugikuni Kuuga's hard work.

All he wanted now was to become stronger as soon as possible. The people he wanted to protect before had only existed in his imagination; now, they were real.