Night hung low, stars scattered across the sky.
A huge copper pot had been set up in the Butterfly Mansion's backyard, with charcoal blazing beneath it. Rich broth bubbled away inside, giving off an incredibly enticing aroma. Snow-white tofu, emerald-green vegetables, and marbled beef sliced as thin as cicada wings, its patterns as exquisite as marble, gleamed temptingly under the lights.
Rokuya, Kanae, and Shinobu sat around the hot pot.
Had any other Demon Slayer Corps members seen this scene, they probably would have coughed up blood from envy. The Corps' two most beautiful, unattainable beauties were sitting on either side of Rokuya, constantly putting meat in his bowl as though competing.
"Rokuya, try this. This beef just finished cooking." Smiling, Kanae placed a piece of beef coated in beaten egg into Rokuya's bowl.
"And this! Have some vegetables. Eating nothing but meat won't give you a balanced diet!" Not to be outdone, Shinobu put a large chopstickful of crown daisy greens into his bowl, throwing him a glare that said, "Eat it or I'll poison you."
"Mmm! Delicious! This is so good!" Rokuya paid no attention whatsoever to the subtle competition for his affection between the two girls. Right now, he had eyes only for food. He swept through it like a whirlwind, his chopsticks leaving afterimages in the air. In just half an hour, he alone had demolished over thirty plates of beef, and the empty plates stacked beside him were already taller than he was.
Only when the hunger that had felt capable of draining his stomach acid dry was finally suppressed did Rokuya slow down. He picked up a cup of hot tea beside him and sighed in satisfaction.
"I'm alive again..."
"Slow down. No one's going to steal it from you." Kanae took out a