"Speaking of which, why did a silly kitty like you come straight to the training grounds?" the Sapphire Star asked as she stroked her Palico. Given its personality, it hardly seemed likely to rush to anyone's rescue on its own.
"Didn't you say your friends were still fighting up on the mountain, boss, meow~?" The Palico raised its head and gave the Sapphire Star a puzzled look.
The Sapphire Star: "?? I said that??"
The Palico: "Yes, meow. When you passed out, you said something like, 'Oh no, everyone on the mountain is doomed. I've got to hurry and help...' So after I dumped you in the village, I came up the mountain to help, meow~( =∩ω∩= )~"
The Sapphire Star: ???
Everyone else sat on the scorched ground, watching the woman and the cat chat.
"That's... the cat that saved us?" Tanjiro murmured. He shakily rose to his feet, hoping to approach and thank it, only to see the Love Hashira, Mitsuri Kanroji, rush over like a cherry-pink whirlwind.
"Aaaah-so cute!!! Miss Sapphire Star, could you let me pet your kitty?"
Mitsuri's cheeks flushed, stars sparkling in her eyes as she spread her arms to hug the Palico.
"Kitty~ Let me see your wounds! You blocked so many attacks just now. Does it hurt?" Before her hand could touch its fur, the Palico's hair suddenly stood on end.
"Meowrr!" It sprang backward, its tail raised warily.
Mitsuri caught nothing but air and blinked her big eyes in dismay. "Huh? It... dodged me?"
"Idiot, don't scare it. That's not how you pet a cat! Watch me!" Sanemi Shinazugawa scoffed, producing a little dried fish from somewhere as he approached the Palico.
The Palico sniffed Sanemi's dried fish, then gulped it down in one bite. Sanemi tried to pet it afterward,