When he saw Shinazugawa's constipated expression, he knew the man thought he was telling him to go find Su Chen.
"I meant you should go ask Kocho."
"After all, Su Chen is with Kocho now. You can ask her about him."
Shinazugawa visibly froze at that.
He seemed to be hesitating.
He gave Obanai a suspicious look. "Why did you come tell me this?"
Obanai paused, not having expected Shinazugawa to be so quick on the uptake this time.
But how could he possibly tell this big lout what he was thinking?
He spread his hands. "I just don't want you to lose to Su Chen. Is that so hard to understand?"
"Something's off." Affecting an air of wisdom, Shinazugawa folded his arms, then pointed at Obanai. "Why are you being so helpful? That's not like you!"
Obanai's expression darkened. "Do whatever you want."
Just then, a Dish Crow flew over in a hurry.
It was Obanai's.
A small roll of paper was tied to its leg.
Before it had even landed, the Dish Crow started chattering, "It's Kanro..."
Whoosh!
"Serpent Breathing, Fifth Form: Winding Serpent!"
A gust of wind stirred with his blade.
By the time Shinazugawa reacted, Obanai was already holding the Dish Crow in his arms.
The paper on the Dish Crow's leg was gone, and Obanai had its beak tightly covered.
Obanai gave Shinazugawa one last look.
"Are you going to the Butterfly Mansion to ask Kocho or not?"
Shinazugawa stubbornly shook his head. "No!"
"You really aren't going?"
"No!"
"Suit yourself."
Obanai left with the Dish Crow in his arms.
He was who knew how many times faster than when he had arrived.
Especially when Shinazugawa called after him-Obanai only ran faster.
In the blink of an eye, he vanished from sight.
Although Shinazugawa was puzzled,
he did not give it much thought.
He glanced at the already cracked skin on his hand and stubbornly muttered to himself, "I'm not going!"
The sky was clear, birds sang, and flowers scented the air.
Today, an important member of the Demon Slayer Corps returned to the Butterfly Mansion.
His upper body was bare, two serrated Nichirin Blades hung at his waist, and he wore a wild boar mask on his head.
He radiated swagger.
"What's going on? Why hasn't anyone come out to welcome me today?"
Standing at the gate, Inosuke fell into thought.
Ever since the battle on Mount Natagumo, he had sunk into the most crushing period of his boar life.
Later, he had found new life at the Butterfly Mansion.
So Inosuke was quite fond of this place.
He even considered it his second home.
But!
He had just shouted, yet not a single person had come out to greet him!
"What's going on? I'm back from a mission! How dare Tanbachiro and the others not come out to welcome me!"
Inosuke was angry!
He planted a foot on the gate and vaulted over the wall with a Headlong Rush.
The front courtyard was packed with people.
The sight made Inosuke's eyes hurt, so he simply turned his gaze toward the sparsely populated back courtyard.
There, a young-looking man was practicing his swordsmanship.
That man was none other than Su Chen.
As for Kanao, who had been there earlier, no one knew where she had gone.
"That guy!" Inosuke's boar eyes widened.
With a Headlong Rush, he charged straight into the back courtyard.
He carefully parted the bushes, revealing only a boar's head.
Then he watched Su Chen's movements like a wild beast.
"What a strange sword style!"
Inosuke could not help muttering.
He himself was a swordsman who used an unusual breathing style, one that could not compare in sophistication to those who used the five basic breathing styles.
Precisely because of that, Inosuke had always wanted to find someone who, like him, could use a beastlike breathing style.
And now, that person had appeared right before him.
The moment he saw Su Chen's movements, Inosuke was utterly captivated.
Because this person's movements reminded him of a kind of insect he had encountered in the mountains!
A giant hornet!
Small as it was, that thing on its tail packed a nasty dose of venom!
Inosuke had been stung by one before.
If not for his naturally high resistance to poison, he would have died back then.
This guy actually knows the giant hornet's moves!
Inosuke thought excitedly.
Now his mind was filled entirely with Su Chen's figure.
As for that little matter earlier, he had long since forgotten it.
There in the courtyard,
Su Chen alternated between lunging forward and swinging his blade.
Sometimes he slid low, and sometimes he moved at high speed.
The flowing sequence of movements was a pleasure to watch.
Su Chen drew a light breath.
He intended to practice the newest move of bee breathing.
It was at that very moment
that an impatient Inosuke suddenly charged over.
Su Chen twisted his blade, his body vibrating at high frequency.
The vibrations spread to the tip of his blade.
He closed his eyes.
At that moment, he listened carefully to everything around him.
The buzzing of the bees nearby.
The sound of butterflies alighting on flower buds.
And a crude, idiotic shout:
"Hehahahahahahaha! You're pretty strong, kid! Come fight me and see who's best!"
"Bee Breathing, Eighth Form: Blood Demon Bee Fang!"
Su Chen swung his Wooden Katana.
Several explosive cracks rang through the air.
Several red-and-yellow blood fangs burst from the blade's tip!
Bzzzz!
Every sound around him abruptly stopped.
Su Chen opened his eyes.
But there was no one in front of him.
"Was I hearing things?" Su Chen muttered in puzzlement.
Just then, Aoi Kanzaki's voice suddenly came from the front courtyard.
"Lady Shinobu is back!"
Shinobu's back?
Su Chen put away his Wooden Sword.
After straightening his appearance, he headed toward the front courtyard.
Little did he know
that in a thick patch of bushes nearby,
a person wearing a boar mask had already fallen fast asleep!
"Lady Shinobu, you're finally back!"
"Lady Shinobu, I missed you so much!"
"Lady Shinobu, I want a hug!"
Shinobu Kocho entered the Butterfly Mansion, and before she could take off her shoes, Kiyo, Sumi, and Xiao Caihui threw themselves into her arms.
Shinobu Kocho fondly stroked their heads.
Then she saw the patients filling the beds that already crowded the Butterfly Mansion.
"Oh my, oh my? Is everyone so busy today?"
Shinobu Kocho smiled, her eyes curving. "It looks like everyone worked very hard while I was away!"
"Yes, yes, yes!"
The three little girls nodded in unison.
"Lady Shinobu, you're finally back. Did the Master say anything this time?"
Standing behind the three little girls, Aoi Kanzaki spoke somewhat cautiously. "About our funding this time..."
Clap!
"Oh dear~"
Shinobu Kocho suddenly clapped her hands with a smile. "I forgot this time. How about I try to think of something next time?"
"All right, all right, Aoi, get back to work. The Butterfly Mansion can't manage without you, Aoi dear~"
After much persuasion, Shinobu Kocho finally shooed her away with a smile.
Watching the younger girls gradually get busy,
she could not help letting out a sigh of relief.
I'm still not doing well enough. I need to think of a solution as soon as possible!
Shinobu Kocho took off her shoes.
The exhaustion in her body immediately surged over her like a tide.
But she could not rest yet.
She had to rush into the laboratory as quickly as possible.
Because there was someone here whom Shinobu Kocho did not dare face just yet.
But just as her bare feet touched the floor,
Su Chen's voice followed like a shadow.
"Shinobu, you're back?"
Before you continue