"Yes!!"
They answered in unison, then stood and respectfully sat back down.
Takeo then turned his attention to the rice cakes and asked, "Did you make these yourselves?"
"Yes! I made them myself!" the brown-haired girl, Sakura Kaede, replied immediately. "We heard that… Lord Kamado, you really like this kind of snack, so…"
"Who told you that?"
"It was Lord Rengoku, the Flame Hashira!" Yamatagawa answered.
"Hmm.." Takeo gave a slight nod. He didn't question it further.
"I'll accept the gift," he said, "but you don't need to go out of your way like this in the future. After all, I was only doing my duty."
To Takeo, protecting his comrades and the people around him was simply what was expected of the Wolf Hashira.
There was no need for anyone to thank him.
Yamatagawa and Sakura Kaede looked at each other, then bowed respectfully to Takeo once more and said:
"No matter what, you saved us. If you ever need anything in the future, just ask. As long as we're alive, we'll definitely do it for you!"
The death rate in the Demon Slayer Corps was high. Neither Yamatagawa nor Sakura Kaede could guarantee they would survive much longer.
But what they could promise was that while they lived, they would help Takeo achieve whatever he needed.
Seeing their sincere expressions, Takeo said nothing more.
Instead, he picked up one of the rice cakes and took a bite—his silent way of accepting their gratitude. With that, Yamatagawa and Sakura Kaede didn't linger any longer. They bowed deeply once again and quietly left.
Moments after they departed, Kocho Shinobu peeked around the corner of the corridor with a teasing smile.
"Kamado-kun is very popular."
Takeo had no idea how long she had been standing there, silently observing.
While continuing to eat the rice cake, Takeo replied calmly:
"It's an illusion. They're only grateful because I saved them."
"That's enough," Kocho Shinobu said, stepping forward and sitting beside him. "You saved them. That alone is enough to deserve their affection. So how about being honest and just accepting it, Kamado-kun?"
As Shinobu sat next to him, Takeo glanced up at her.
"Did Miss Butterfly come here for something?"
Shinobu Kocho nodded and said to Takeo, "There are a few things. First, I want to confirm your recovery. May I take a look at your left hand?"
Takeo raised his left hand and held it out in front of her.
Shinobu reached out with both hands—one gently pulling back his sleeve to grasp his arm, while the other examined his hand and compared it to his right:
"There are no scars, and it's the exact same size as your right hand—just paler. It's no different from a normal hand. Congratulations, Kamado-kun. Your left hand has fully recovered."
She gently released his hand and offered a warm smile.
Takeo gave a slight nod, then clenched his newly healed hand and asked, "Can I return to work now?"
"Once your Nichirin sword has been reforged, you can. But before that, there's another very important matter I need to discuss with you."
As she spoke, Shinobu sat upright and her expression turned serious.
Seeing this shift in tone, Takeo set down his rice cake and turned to face her directly.
"Please go ahead, Miss Butterfly."
"Do you remember the blood sample I took from you?"
"I do."
"I later used your blood to conduct some tests on rabbits. And I discovered… your blood has restorative effects on certain subjects. Do you understand what that means?"
"…"Takeo was stunned. He stared into Shinobu Kocho's eyes, trying to confirm the truth in her words. When he saw that her gaze didn't waver at all, he asked in a trembling voice:
"Specifically… 'certain subjects'… what do you mean?"
Noticing the slight tremor in Takeo's voice, Shinobu paused for a moment, then quickly explained:
"I'm sorry—I didn't explain it clearly. After your blood was injected into the injured rabbits, some of them died because their systems rejected the transfusion. But the others absorbed your blood without issue and recovered from their injuries at an extremely fast rate.
"It's just that their recovery speed was much slower than yours, so... Kamado-kun, even if you had given your blood to your teammates back then, there was no guarantee they would've survived or healed quickly. You should try not to dwell on that, and instead focus on yourself."
Shinobu could tell at a glance that Takeo, after hearing about the properties of his blood, was thinking about the comrades he had fought alongside.
Even without him saying a word, she could easily guess what was on his mind:
If I'd known this earlier and transfused my blood to my teammates, they wouldn't have died...
But Shinobu was quick to pour a metaphorical bucket of cold water on that line of thought.
Blood transfusion requires blood type compatibility. If the types don't match, a transfusion could worsen the patient's condition—or kill them even faster.
Unless Takeo's blood type and that of his teammates were both confirmed in advance, even knowing the miraculous properties of his blood wouldn't have guaranteed anything.
What she wanted him to understand was that there was no point regretting the past. The focus should be on the present.
"…I'm sorry." After hearing her explanation, Takeo calmed down. He took a steady breath and said, "Please go on."
"Okay. Then I took some more of your blood—with your permission—and tried to extract a key component from it for experimentation."
Shinobu Kocho paused at that point, and Takeo couldn't help but ask, "…Did it succeed?"
"It was… both a success and a failure. Although I haven't conducted biological tests yet, based on my predictions, the liquid I extracted should contain your self-healing ability. However, only you—and your blood relatives.. can use it."
"So that's what you meant by… a specific group of people."
Takeo understood now what Shinobu Kocho meant by a limited group.
It referred to those who shared the same blood as this body.
In other words, his relatives.
"The concentrated extract only works on your relatives, Kamado-kun. But… if the recipient has the same blood type as yours—ah, do you know what a blood type is?"
"I do."
Shinobu looked at Takeo with mild surprise, then continued, "That makes things easier… If the blood types match, your blood can also have a milder restorative effect on other humans.
"This regenerative property might not be very useful for ordinary people, but for a swordsman trained in Breathing Techniques… it could mean the difference between life and death."
Takeo understood her implications clearly.
He even knew the source of this restoration ability.
The [self-healing factor] was something inherited from Wolf's mutant abilities. Although Takeo had never heard of Wolf's blood granting others temporary regenerative powers in the films of his previous life, he still believed it was possible.
Even so, the [self-healing factor] didn't seem entirely reasonable. And Takeo didn't just have Old Man Logan's inheritance—his abilities may have mutated beyond that.
Regardless, the fact that Takeo's blood could affect others was both a blessing and a curse.
If it were only the Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps who knew, they likely wouldn't betray their comrades or spread the information. But if the news leaked, Takeo would undoubtedly attract those with ulterior motives… perhaps even demons.
This was the core reason Shinobu Kocho had spoken so seriously.
Yet Takeo didn't particularly care whether the information got out. What mattered more to him was that his blood had the power to heal others.
Since it worked on the Hashira, it proved that the [self-healing factor] in his body could benefit others as well.
If that factor could be extracted…
Takeo fell silent for a long time, then suddenly asked Shinobu Kocho, "Ms. Kocho, you've been trained in Western medicine, haven't you?"
"…"
Hearing that, the faint smile on Shinobu Kocho's face slowly faded, and the way she looked at Takeo became noticeably more serious.
_________
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