Chapter Text
Kanroji Mitsuri and Tokitou Muichirou returned from the Swordsmith Village. They had achieved great success this time, slaying two Upper Rank demons together with Tanjirou.
Nezuko successfully overcame the sunlight, and the Love Hashira and Mist Hashira brought back news of the mark.
"So it means that people who manifest the mark have a high probability of not living past twenty-five?"
This news completely fueled everyone's determination, yet shattered their wishful thinking.
After the Hashira meeting ended, Shinobu invited Mitsuri to stay at the Butterfly Mansion, telling her to wait until her own Hashira training began before returning.
Although Mitsuri had no serious injuries and fully recovered after resting for just three days, Shinobu wanted to understand the changes in her body after manifesting the mark, hoping to see if she could create a medicine to deal with this fatal dead end.
From the very beginning, she knew that this was much like their prospects of defeating Muzan, requiring them to use up all their determination while still facing only a faint hope.
After completing another examination on Mitsuri, Shinobu invited her to drink tea together in the courtyard.
"What was Upper Rank Four like?" Shinobu asked.
"It was so terrifying! Tanjirou and the others said it looked like a frail old man at first, but it became exceptionally powerful after splitting apart. I held off its clones while Tanjirou attacked its main body, but even after splitting, it was extremely, extremely hard to fight! Toward the end, I completely ran out of strength and was swallowed into its mouth. I really thought I was going to die!"
Mitsuri's expression was frantic, and she still looked gripped by lingering fear.
Then, there was Upper Rank Two...
Forget it, she didn't want to think about whether she could truly poison it to death for the time being. After all, following the Hashira meeting, it seemed that facing the remaining Upper Rank demons was something they had to be prepared for at any moment.
It no longer brooked any overthinking on her part, as it would change nothing anyway.
"Shinobu-chan, why aren't you participating in the Hashira training?"
"I have other arrangements, Mitsuri."
"Of course I know you have other arrangements, but I feel that if neither you nor Tomioka-san participate, it'll be a huge loss for our subordinates' training curriculum. Even Uzui-san has returned, yet two active Hashira aren't participating. I feel everyone will start speculating wildly."
"Well, my course can't exactly consist of calling the subordinates to the Butterfly Mansion and teaching them how to compound medicines after a battle, can it?"
Shinobu could only joke with Mitsuri.
But Mitsuri's mention of Giyuu made her a little concerned.
In the past, even if Giyuu distanced himself from everyone, he was still entirely dutiful regarding the corps' missions. It seemed that ever since everyone returned from the Swordsmith Village, he had become depressed and low.
Shinobu could only guess that Mitsuri and Muichirou bringing up the matter of the mark had caused him to start overthinking again, wondering whether he could truly ignite a fighting spirit like theirs to manifest the mark under conditions far exceeding what ordinary people could bear, and whether he could shoulder the responsibility of the Water Hashira.
He wouldn't be jealous of them, but he simply couldn't escape the predicament of indulging in self-reflection.
"Mitsuri, do you feel fear and worry because the consequences of manifesting the mark are so hard to bear?"
Mitsuri wore a dejected look on her face.
"Thinking back to how it felt to fight at that time, it was so hot-blooded and exhilarating, and I felt it was simply amazing to have suddenly become so strong! But I also worry that I might die before I have time to do anything in the future, which is just too terrifying!"
Her feelings were understandable. After all, unlike the others, Mitsuri had a happy family, her parents loved her dearly, and her ties to this world were still very deep. She wasn't like Shinobu, who, aside from hatred, seemed unable to take root in this world.
"Then have you ever thought about what you would want to do before that day comes, if it really happens?"
"Defeat Muzan!!"
Mitsuri said with roaring fighting spirit, then shifted to a bashful expression.
"It would be even better if I could also get married after defeating Muzan! After all, I only joined the Demon Slayer Corps because I wanted to find a husband who was stronger than me."
"Iguro-san," Shinobu called out as she looked down to sip her tea, carrying a knowing smile. "Stop hiding on the roof. Come down and have a cup of tea."
"Huh?" Mitsuri froze.
Then, sure enough, she saw Iguro jump down from the roof, which caused Mitsuri's cheeks to suddenly turn red.
"Kochou, when did you notice me?" Iguro sat down beside them.
"I noticed you right from the very beginning," Shinobu teased. "Don't worry, I just brought Mitsuri back to check on her physical condition. I won't use her for any medicine experiments."
"I didn't mean it that way." Iguro took a sip of tea to cover his embarrassment.
"Iguro-san... are you worried about me?" Mitsuri held her chin in pleasant surprise.
"Yeah." And Iguro didn't deny it either.
"This is truly so unexpected, Iguro-san! I thought that since you're usually so difficult and cold, you wouldn't take the initiative to care about anyone at all!"
"I also want to know... after the mark manifests, what will happen to your body..." Iguro was unusually restrained, speaking with hesitation, yet he sounded very sincere.
"Well, you two chat here for a while. I'll go check on Tanjirou," Shinobu said as she rose and left, giving them the chance to be together.
The love between these two was much purer and braver, yet in a place like the Demon Slayer Corps, no matter how brave it was, it still appeared constrained and restrained.
In the ward, Tanjirou was holding a letter that his Kasugai Crow had just brought.
Seeing Shinobu enter, he revealed his sun-like smile. "Shinobu-san."
"How are you doing today, Tanjirou?"
"I feel like I'm recovering," Tanjirou said, pulling out the letter in his hand. "Shinobu-san, Oyakata-sama wants me to go and have a talk with Giyuu-san."
Oyakata-sama was a person of supreme wisdom, knowing that only Tanjirou could make the person who had imprisoned himself step out.
This boy was far too sunny and kind. Even after his family encountered such a tragic plight, he still possessed the power to look forward with hope. Only such a pure and bright person could dry the dampness in Giyuu's heart.
However, Tanjirou didn't seem to have a smooth time of it. He ran around on crutches for a few days and tried many methods, yet Giyuu still closed himself off, even spouting discouraging words like saying he wasn't the Water Hashira.
That prison in his heart had layers upon layers of defenses, and he held himself in such low esteem that he lacked the will to scale over them.
"Kochou?" Giyuu seemed surprised by her visit. "I thought it was Tanjirou again..."
Shinobu rarely lacked a smile. "Tomioka-san, that child is still injured, yet he has never given up on coming to find you. You're being too selfish."
"I didn't ask him to come find me," Giyuu's face darkened. "On the contrary, he annoys me greatly."
"But you know he'll definitely keep coming to find you. It's not just Oyakata-sama's intention. Rather, everyone except for yourself cherishes you deeply."
"But you're criticizing me right now."
"Of course I'm going to criticize you," Shinobu said with a cold face.
"I have no way of understanding what you're thinking. Tanjirou's my patient, and I want him to recover his health as quickly as possible to participate in the Hashira training. Right now, everyone's preparing for the battle against Muzan. If you continue like this, it'll only make everyone waste their focus worrying about you." She paused. "Including me."
Giyuu's expression froze for a moment, and then he said absolutely nothing.
"Tomioka-san, look at that child. He's no luckier than us..."
Having said this, Shinobu prepared to turn around and leave.
"Kochou!" Giyuu called out to stop her. "Then why isn't it you?"
Shinobu understood his meaning.
'Why isn't it you?'
He wanted to ask why it wasn't her who came to lead him out of this predicament.
"Tomioka-san, you know very well that I'm powerless to help with this...."
If she had a way to coexist peacefully with hatred, a way to transcend above hatred, then she wouldn't be making such a desperate, do-or-die decision right now because of that hatred.
Those wisteria flower poisons might be able to permeate Douma's demon blood, but they were similarly eroding her will, the will that existed beyond hatred.
Aside from seeking revenge, she had absolutely nothing, possessing no plan to live on, nor the courage to map out an imaginary future.
Tanjirou returned filled with boundless joy, saying that Giyuu had agreed to participate in the Hashira training.
"Giyuu-san even asked about you today, Shinobu-san," Tanjirou said with a pure smile.
Shinobu froze for a moment before she asked, "What did he ask about me?"
"He said he hadn't heard any news about you, and asked what kind of training program you'll have in the Hashira training. Of course, I'm not clear about it either. Shinobu-san, will you participate in this Hashira training?"
Shinobu resumed her friendly smile. "No, Tanjirou, I have other things to do."
She was to work together with Tamayo to develop a poison to deal with Muzan. This news couldn't be disclosed to the outside, which was why she could only use a smile to put him off.
Now that everyone had returned to the right track, it gave Shinobu a rare sense of peace of mind.
As night fell, Shinobu made some preparations regarding her research. Conducting research together with a demon was something she had never thought of before. After all, her research in pharmacology was entirely for the sake of killing demons.
After preparing the materials, Shinobu took a bath, changed into a loose yukata, and then took out some chamomile from a drawer to brew a cup of tea for herself. Afterward, she heard a heavy footstep land on the bedroom floor.
"Tomioka-san," she spoke even while facing completely away from the window, yet she still precisely guessed the identity of the newcomer. "Actually, you don't need to scale walls and windows to come to the Butterfly Mansion."
Giyuu wasn't embarrassed by this. He simply sat down silently on a chair.
"Would you like a cup of chamomile tea?" Shinobu inquired.
"Thank you," his voice carried a bit of helplessness. "I probably really do need it."
Shinobu finished brewing the tea and pushed it onto the table in front of him.
"Did you come this time to see if I'm still using the wisteria flower toxin?"
"I know you've been using it all along, and it's impossible for me to stop you."
"Then your visit this time is for...?"
Giyuu lifted his face.
"Today I talked with Tanjirou."
"I know," Shinobu nodded. "He already told me. You agreed to participate in the Hashira training. It seems Tanjirou truly is a very bright child to be able to move you like this."
"Kochou," Giyuu's face darkened as he let out a barely perceptible sigh.
"I'm very grateful to Tanjirou. He made me understand the problem that had been troubling me all along. But..." He paused for a moment. "...He extracted the anguish harbored inside my heart, giving me a feeling of relief. However, after that, I seem to have fallen into emptiness once again."
"Emptiness?"
"Yes, emptiness," Giyuu said with certainty. "Those things occupied my life for too long, and now they've been emptied out. Consequently, I want to use something to refill it, but I can only think of you."
Giyuu had always been poor with words, but his wording today was very precise, allowing Shinobu to instantly understand his thoughts.
A child like Tanjirou was a compassionate sun, capable of shining into the chronically dark places inside Giyuu's heart, yet he couldn't alter Giyuu's fundamental nature.
Beyond his powerful identity as a Hashira-level swordsman, he was merely a teetering star. After the pain dissipated, he became even more helpless, only able to think of embracing Shinobu, this other falling star.
Shinobu sat down by his side, leaning against his shoulder. She was a person almost destined to die, whereas Giyuu might not be.
She ought to personally crush Giyuu's expectations to avoid his hopes falling through once more, forcing him to experience loss yet again.
She knew the taste of loss better than anyone else; it was enough to make a person's remaining life ache in bouts of pain.
However, the idea of making plans on behalf of someone else was simply too foolish.
Presumptuously deciding the other party's choice, cutting off his hopes right from now, and not even leaving a person the right to miss them, was the cruelest behavior.
Shinobu raised her hand, gently ruffling Giyuu's messy hair as she stared into his stirred blue eyes. He must have also stayed alone guarding his empty heart for a very long time before deciding to come look for her.
At least for this night, both of them were rushing toward a future with no future.
"You'll stay, right?" Shinobu asked, looking at him, though she already knew the answer.
"If you wish it."
"Then please protect me well tonight, alright, Tomioka-san?" Her tone was light and playful.
"Is there something that will threaten your safety?" This man remained stoic and alert, asking back with absolute seriousness.
Shinobu burst into laughter. "Insomnia. It frequently threatens my safety."
"Then I'm afraid we'll have to face it together, Kochou."
Wrapping the quilt tightly around them, the scent of wisteria on Shinobu's body seemed a bit more intense. This scent used to signify safety, but now it resembled a life-claiming curse instead.
It couldn't be called a fragrance. Rather, because the concentration after extraction was too high, it appeared somewhat bitter.
Giyuu said nothing, merely lifting Shinobu's chin to kiss her lips. Shinobu was stunned for an instant before kissing him back.
"Kochou, please still try your best to wait for me..." She naturally knew what he was referring to.
"I'll try my best, Tomioka-san." This time, the answer was completely different.
Giyuu's kiss descended once more, this time distinct from the previous gentle and innocent one, instead carrying a kind of possessiveness.
This was unfamiliar, yet Shinobu liked it very much. She even took the initiative to extend her tongue, slipping into the tight seam of their lips, and the tips of their tongues intertwined, passionate and deeply invested.
Desire, this thing was very unfamiliar, yet it truly appeared.
It appeared exactly when Giyuu's firm, tall body almost pinned her down. She raised her hands to encircle his neck, and then began to move downward, groping from his collar onto his chest, whereupon her wrist was suddenly seized by Giyuu's hand.
"Kochou?" This was a tentative inquiry.
"Tomioka-san, I know what I'm doing." And this was the permission he needed all along.
Scorching kisses landed on her neck, and Giyuu pressed over her body, one hand pinning down her wrist, then naturally interlacing their fingers tightly.
His burning breath repeatedly claimed the spots his kisses passed over, while his other hand caressed her waist, attempting to find the knot to untie her sash.
He succeeded in doing so. The collar of her yukata pulled open along with the untying of the sash, revealing a vast expanse of snow-white skin.
Shinobu didn't feel self-conscious for even a moment. On the contrary, she grew even more urgent, proactively raising her legs to wrap around Giyuu's waist.
Satisfied with her actions, Giyuu cupped her face to kiss her again, sucking her lips and tongue with dense desire.
"Kochou-sama," a somewhat anxious voice came from the doorway instead. "Something has happened!"
"Damn it..." Giyuu cursed, which was a rare occurrence for him.
Shinobu gave him a kiss by way of reassurance, then stood up to re-tie her yukata sash, walking toward the bedroom door. "What happened?"
It was a Kakushi subordinate, looking exceptionally nervous.
"Kochou-sama, we discovered traces of a demon near the backyard wall."
"What?!"
Giyuu inside the room also became alert, disregarding the fact that they would be discovered alone in a room together as he also walked toward the door.
"Tomioka-sama?" That subordinate looked at the two of them with some confusion.
"Take me so we can go look together." Giyuu's face was completely expressionless as he spoke calmly.
The demon's traces were very faint, suggesting it must have just been passing by and scouting around.
After returning to the room, Shinobu finally spoke. "They're probably coming for Nezuko."
"I don't know what they managed to scout out, but it's hard to say if the Butterfly Mansion has already been exposed," Giyuu chimed in.
"Perhaps not. If they had truly found out that Nezuko is here, Muzan would probably have taken action already. After all, his need for Nezuko has definitely already reached a desperate level."
"Then we'll keep watch tonight to see if there are any new movements."
The night passed in peace. That trace was merely an accident.