Shinobu Kocho said evenly.
"Why?" Tetsu no Sosuke paused. "When you said you were leaving earlier, you seemed pretty decisive. Why are you suddenly worried about this?"
"...The first time I went on a mission with you, Kokushibo showed up. The second time, we faced Upper Moon Six... The third time, we faced Kokushibo, Upper Moon Two, Upper Moon..."
Tetsu no Sosuke's mouth twitched. "So this is my fault?"
"I'm not blaming you... But I do feel like I need to think twice before going on a mission with you," Shinobu Kocho said. "Whenever I get mixed up with you, we seem to run into enemies who are incredibly troublesome."
"From the Demon Slayer Corps' standpoint, isn't that a good thing?" Tetsu no Sosuke protested through gritted teeth, feeling thoroughly embarrassed.
"That's true..." Shinobu Kocho glanced at him. She seemed to have more to say, but in the end she shook her head and swallowed it.
Tetsu no Sosuke stood there reflecting for a long while and realized she might be right... Every time someone teamed up with him, all kinds of unexpected things happened. Did he have some kind of Rare Blood even he didn't know about?
When he looked up again, Shinobu Kocho was already far away. He hurriedly called after her, "Where am I staying tonight?"
"Wherever you stayed before."
Shinobu Kocho's voice drifted back from the distance.
It was the same room as before. There was no dust on the furniture; clearly, someone cleaned it regularly.
Tetsu no Sosuke sat on the tatami and gazed at the stars outside the window. He began to miss his wife... but before long, his thoughts drifted to Shinobu Kocho.
"She seems to have something on her mind."
Tetsu no Sosuke folded his arms and propped up his