Tokyo Prefecture.
The Rengoku Family is nestled in a tranquil, lush landscape, with ancient trees reaching for the sky and secluded stone paths, resembling a secluded haven. Sunlight filters through sparse clouds, dappling the exquisite courtyard and bathing the ancient mansion in a warm, golden glow.
Kyojuro Rengoku, dressed in a Demon Slayer Corps uniform with a haori (a type of traditional Chinese garment) draped with flames, walked steadily toward his father, Shinjuro's, residence.
He knocked gently on the door, but there was silence inside, broken only by the occasional chirping of birds in the distance.
After waiting for a moment and seeing that there was still no sound coming from inside, Kyojuro did not hesitate any longer and opened the door and went in.
Inside the room, a few pieces of clothing were scattered on the tatami mats, and the air was filled with a faint aroma of sake and the scent of sandalwood.
Kyojuro knelt down beside his father and said:
"Father, headquarters has notified us that Hashira Meeting will be held in seven days, and we request your attendance!"
Shinjuro lay on his side on the tatami mat, one hand supporting his head, the other tightly gripping a slightly worn sake bottle, his eyes revealing a hint of unruliness and weariness.
Upon hearing Kyojuro's words, Shinjuro merely sneered, raised the sake bottle to his lips, took a large gulp, and then rudely cursed:
"What kind of Hashira Meeting! It has nothing to do with me. If you want to attend, go attend yourself!"
Kyojuro was already used to this, and he was not discouraged. Instead, he continued in a calm and firm tone:
"I heard this time it's because they encountered Upper Rank Two."
Upon hearing this, Shinjuro paused slightly in his drinking motion, a flicker of surprise crossing his eyes, but he quickly regained his mocking smile.
"Ha, then there's no need to even bother! We already know the result anyway; it's bound to be another pillar dying!"
"No, Father, you are wrong." Kyojuro's voice was even more resolute, " The Flower Hashira Wind Hashira successfully stalled until dawn and brought back crucial information about Upper Rank Two."
"Cough cough..."
Upon hearing this, Shinjuro's hand trembled slightly, spilling sake and causing him to cough repeatedly. Once the coughing subsided, Shinjuro spoke:
"Ha... a genius? What does that have to do with me? If you want to attend the Hashira Meeting, go attend it yourself!"
"Yes, I will definitely learn from the Flower Hashira Wind Hashira and strive to become the next Pillar as soon as possible!"
Shinjuro ignored Kyojuro's words and continued to do as he pleased, occasionally taking a sip of sake.
Juro knelt on the spot and waited for a while. Seeing that his father had nothing more to say, he bowed deeply to his father, then stood up and left the room.
As the sliding door gently closed, a flicker of clarity suddenly appeared in Shinjuro's dazed eyes. He put down the sake jug, sat up straight, and fell into deep thought:
"To survive Upper Rank Two, did you awaken your Demon Slayer Mark...?"
If so, doesn't that mean Kyojuro Demon Slayer Mark in the future?
Why don't we just let him leave the team?
No, he's just an ordinary person. Even if someone around him awakens their Demon Slayer Mark, it doesn't matter to him...
The look of clarity vanished in an instant; he picked up the wine jug again and continued to pour wine, as if trying to mask his inner conflict and unease.
Shikoku Island.
Deep in the mountains.
Upon hearing the report from the Kasugai Crow, Gyomei Himejima.
Tears streamed uncontrollably down my face.
"Amitabha... Kanae and Teiichi must have had a tough time yesterday..."
night.
Butterfly Mansion.
Kanae's bedroom.
Kanae Kocho was lying flat on her bed, with several Wisteria branches spread on top of it.
According to Shinobu Kocho, Wisteria flowers are naturally effective against all things related to demons. When encountering damage caused by Blood Demon Art that is difficult to treat, adding some Wisteria is always a good idea.
At this moment, Shinobu Kocho was sitting on a small stool by the bed, her hands resting on the bed, her head resting on her hands as she fell asleep.
She didn't sleep a wink last night either, then rushed to Mine City and spent a long time there, before bringing her sister back this morning.
Although I'm certainly not as physically exhausted as Teiichi, who has experienced even more exhaustion, I'm still quite tired.
Nevertheless, in order to see her sister as soon as she woke up and to check on her condition, Shinobu Kocho chose to lie down and sleep for a while next to her sister's bed.
Abrupt.
Kanae's eyelids twitched as she lay in bed.
"Cough cough..."
Before I was fully awake, my body started coughing.
A sudden cough woke Shinobu Kocho from her sleep.
Shinobu Kocho shook her head to clear her mind, then quickly moved closer to Kanae's head.
"Sister... Sister..."
Kanae opened her eyes with some effort, looking at Kanae in front of her with a slightly confused Shinobu Kocho.
"Ninja? Where am I?"
"Sister, we're going back to the Butterfly Mansion. This is your room."
Hearing Shinobu Kocho's words, Kanae turned her head left and right to look at the familiar scenery around her, and felt slightly relieved.
Suddenly, Kanae seemed to remember something, and her heart jumped again.
"By the way, Teiichi?"
Hearing her older sister asking about other people as soon as she woke up, Shinobu Kocho felt a little annoyed, but she still answered anyway.
"I've arranged for him to stay in another room. He was exhausted last night, he's probably still sleeping now."
Kanae pressed, "Is he alright? Is he hurt?"
"I wouldn't say he wasn't injured, but it's nothing serious. He should be fine after a couple of days of rest."
Hearing Teiichi hadn't suffered any serious injuries, Kanae finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Although she saw Teiichi and Doma fighting fiercely before she fell into a coma, when it comes to fighting demons, if it's just a matter of evenly matched strength, then humans are undoubtedly at a disadvantage against demons who can recover quickly.
"Sister, how are you feeling now?"
Upon hearing Shinobu Kocho's question, Kanae closed her eyes and sensed the state of her body. After a moment, she gave a wry smile.
"His lungs are severely frostbitten; this time, he might not recover so quickly."
Shinobu Kocho nodded upon hearing this and began to comfort her older sister.
"You've been working so hard lately, sister, you should take this opportunity to rest and relax."
Kanae could only nod bitterly upon hearing this.
"By the way, aren't you curious about what happened last night?"
To Kanae's surprise, Shinobu Kocho shook her head.
" Teiichi already told me when I got back today."
Hearing Shinobu Kocho's words, Kanae couldn't help but feel a little curious.
"What did Teiichi tell you?"
He said that when he arrived, you were still struggling to hold on by yourself, and then after he arrived, he took over the task, because it was almost dawn when he arrived, so he managed to hold on until dawn.
Kanae blinked, and seeing that Shinobu Kocho didn't seem inclined to continue, asked, "That's it?"
"That's all!"
"..."