The smell of medicinal herbs had not yet cleared from the corridor.
Sanemi Shinazugawa pushed open the wooden gate to the Butterfly Mansion's outer courtyard.
He used tremendous force.
The gate slammed into the stone wall with a sharp crack that set teeth on edge.
He ignored it and strode inside.
His long silver hair had been pulled into a tie.
His scar-covered face left no room for pleasantries.
Obanai Iguro followed half a step behind.
The white bandages covering half his face gleamed in the morning light.
His single eye fixed ahead, his footsteps silent.
Neither man made any attempt to hide his killing intent.
As they stormed in from the outer courtyard, the biting wind pressure overwhelmed the smell of herbs in the Butterfly Mansion's corridor.
Shinobu Kocho stood at the far end of the corridor.
At the sight of the two figures, she slowly lowered the back of her hand from her forehead.
"You two Hashira..."
"Where's the monster?"
Shinazugawa cut her off.
His voice was low, every word dropping as though weighted with lead.
"That thing that ate an Upper Rank's essence raw. Where is it now?"
Shinobu Kocho did not move.
She clenched the broken syringe in her palm.
Her expression quickly settled, returning to her signature faint smile.
"Oyakata-sama has yet to make a decision. For you two Hashira to force your way in here now..."
"Oyakata-sama's decision."
Shinazugawa repeated the words.
His tone carried anger suppressed to the breaking point.
"You're bringing that up now? That thing swallowed an Upper Rank's essence. Ate it raw. Do you know what that means, Shinobu Kocho?"
Shinazugawa's eyes were bloodshot.
"It isn't human anymore."
Obanai Iguro said nothing.
He merely turned slightly sideways and rested his right hand on his sword hilt.
Shinobu Kocho's smile remained