Shinobu, are you angry?

A hint of dawn brushed the horizon.

By the time Shinobu Kocho returned to the Butterfly Mansion, it was nearly light.

She briefly said goodbye to the only team member who had caught up, then walked toward the Butterfly Mansion.

In the dim gray daylight, Shinobu Kocho saw someone waiting for her at the entrance.

Su Chen.

Why was he sitting here?

Shinobu Kocho could not help letting out a sigh of relief. Fortunately, he seemed to be safe.

Just then, Su Chen noticed Shinobu Kocho too.

He stood and walked toward her.

A ray of light slipped through a gap at the edge of the clouds, spilling down onto Su Chen's face.

Shinobu Kocho found herself staring, a little entranced.

The distance between them kept shrinking.

Only then did Shinobu Kocho notice the bandages Su Chen held in one hand and the small medicine box in the other.

She smiled a little bashfully. "Mr. Su Chen, were you waiting for me?"

Su Chen did not answer her question. He walked over and took her hand.

A tingling sensation instantly swept through Shinobu Kocho's head.

Watching Su Chen hold her hand, she inexplicably offered no resistance.

"Injured?" Su Chen asked, as though he had known beforehand.

Shinobu Kocho froze.

Only then did she realize that Su Chen was not taking liberties with her, but had noticed the injury on her arm.

Although she had done her utmost to hide it, Su Chen had still seen through her little attempt.

Shinobu Kocho felt inexplicably guilty. "N-no, I'm not."

"Come with me."

Su Chen led Shinobu Kocho over to sit outside the door.

He opened the medicine box and pulled back her sleeve.

Shinobu Kocho's arm was slender, her skin fair. It was hard to imagine such a small arm could lift such a heavy Nichirin Blade.

As her arm was fully exposed,

Su Chen got a clear look at the wound.

A cut from a blunt object stretched all the way from her wrist to her elbow!

Su Chen frowned and meticulously disinfected Shinobu Kocho's wound.

"That hurts..." Shinobu Kocho could not help letting out a soft moan.

"Don't move. The wound went untreated for too long. It's already becoming inflamed."

Su Chen held Shinobu Kocho's arm firmly, his gaze exceptionally focused.

An unfamiliar feeling stirred in Shinobu Kocho's heart.

Normally, she was used to treating little injuries like this herself.

They did not even hurt!

But with Su Chen sitting beside her, it hurt so much.

Although the wound hurt, Su Chen was especially careful.

The cool medicine spread over her arm felt particularly warm.

Without her noticing, Su Chen gradually overlapped with a figure in Shinobu Kocho's mind.

"Big sister," Shinobu Kocho blurted out.

Su Chen froze at her words.

He gave Shinobu Kocho a rather speechless look.

Why did every girl like calling him big sister?

He wasn't even wearing women's clothes! Had anyone asked for his opinion before changing his sex without permission?

Highly vindictive, Su Chen moved the medicine in his hand toward Shinobu Kocho's armpit.

The girl immediately burst into laughter as clear as silver bells.

"Hahaha! You're so mean, Mr. Su Chen!"

"Then shall I stop?"

"No."

The moment she said it, Shinobu Kocho regretted it.

How could she be so unrestrained? Su Chen was her little brother!

Shinobu, what on earth were you thinking?

But Su Chen did not seem to have heard, making Shinobu Kocho breathe a sigh of relief.

"Shinobu, are you still angry?"

Su Chen suddenly raised his head and stared straight into Shinobu Kocho's eyes.

His way of addressing her had changed from Sister Shinobu to Shinobu.

Shinobu Kocho's expression visibly stiffened.

"Mr. Su Chen, what did you just say?"

Su Chen repeated himself. "I said, you're angry."

Shinobu Kocho fell silent.

Her smile vanished without a trace.

"Yes. Maybe I've been angry all along."

"Ever since my older sister, Kanae Kocho, was brutally killed by a demon."

"Every time I see the tears people shed because demons have taken someone important from them."

"Every time I hear their cries of despair."

"Every time I can't hold my blade firmly enough to cut off a demon's head."

"Anger keeps building and swelling in my heart. Deep inside me, there's a revulsion I can't erase."

As she spoke, Shinobu Kocho's wound hurt more and more.

It hurt so much that she desperately wanted Su Chen to know.

"My sister entrusted her dream to me before she died, but I can't fulfill it at all!"

"I'm a little tired. Demons always lie to protect themselves. They have no reason, and kill on naked instinct."

"I simply can't forgive them!"

"Perhaps all I can do now is keep wearing the smile my sister loved?"

Shinobu Kocho's eyes quickly dimmed, and she pulled her hand out of Su Chen's embrace.

"I'm sorry, Su Chen. I talked a little too much today."

"Thank you for bandaging me. Please keep doing your best."

The horizon gradually turned pale.

The girl's figure had already disappeared from the doorway.

Aoi Kanzaki had just stepped outside to pour out some water when she saw Su Chen sitting alone by the threshold, quietly packing things away.

"Mr. Su Chen, did you practice your swordsmanship all night?" Aoi Kanzaki stared blankly at him.

An inexplicable gulf suddenly opened in her heart.

It was the feeling of someone better than you also working harder than you!

That was exactly how Aoi Kanzaki felt.

Just as Aoi Kanzaki was about to urge Su Chen to get some rest, Xiao Caihui's voice suddenly came from inside. "Lady Shinobu is back!"

Aoi Kanzaki hurried back inside.

Su Chen quickly finished tidying up, then headed inside as well.

Meanwhile, in a bedroom on the second floor of the Butterfly Mansion,

a curtain slowly lowered as Su Chen left.

In the faint daylight, a girl's eyes could still be seen behind the window.

Su Chen was utterly exhausted.

He collapsed almost as soon as he stepped through the door.

By the time he woke, it was already afternoon.

Su Chen opened his eyes.

The first person he saw was Kanao Tsuyuri.

Kanao Tsuyuri was kneeling quietly beside him, watching him in silence.

After noticing Su Chen had woken,

Kanao Tsuyuri parted her lips and gripped Su Chen's hand tightly.

But she simply would not speak.

Su Chen smiled. Collapsing as soon as he returned must have given the girls quite a fright, hadn't it?

Just then, Aoi Kanzaki walked over carrying a small cake.

"Kanao, don't keep holding Mr. Su Chen's hand. He won't be able to rest properly."

Aoi Kanzaki set the little cake on the table.

She was about to speak when she noticed Su Chen was awake.

Aoi Kanzaki immediately shouted excitedly:

"Mr. Su Chen is already awake! Kanao, you should have called us!"

"Kiyo, Sumi, Xiao Caihui! Mr. Su Chen is awake!"

Aoi Kanzaki hurried into the corridor and shouted toward the room next door.

Before long, Su Chen heard footsteps coming from the neighboring room.