Tanjiro Kamado hesitated for a moment, then laid out his plan. "Nezuko, you take the lead. I'll support you!"
Although Tanjiro Kamado wanted to face Kanae Kocho alone, he had to admit that he was no match for her. He was not even as strong as his younger sister, leaving him no choice but to swallow his frustration and support Nezuko as she took the lead against Kanae Kocho.
Seeing Tanjiro Kamado and Nezuko furtively discussing their strategy, Kanae Kocho shook her head helplessly. She drew the Zanpakutō at her waist and smiled with utmost gentleness. "Oh dear, you still won't face the facts?"
In that case, let me show you the gap between us.
"Dance, Spirit-Devouring Butterflies!"
At Kanae Kocho's soft invocation, the slender, silvery blade transformed into countless colorful butterflies that fluttered and danced. Their glittering scales filled the air like starlight, creating a dazzling, dreamlike sight.
The moment Tanjiro Kamado saw those glittering scales, he held his breath and gathered orange-red flames around himself and Nezuko, forming a burning mantle to keep the scales from touching them.
What Tanjiro Kamado had not expected was that when the scales touched the fiery mantle, its flames began to dwindle and die, as though someone had poured water over them.
"How could this happen?"
Tanjiro Kamado could not understand what those scales did, or why his flames could not burn them away and were instead being suppressed by them.
Kanae Kocho offered no explanation. The butterflies filling the air swarmed toward the pair, their shimmering scales drifting through the air and slowly settling on Tanjiro Kamado and Nezuko like dust.
Tanjiro Kamado swung his long, flaming blade, trying to drive off the butterflies surging toward them one wave after another. To his dismay, however, they not only showed no fear