"Forest Breathing, Second Form: Willow of Life!"
Under the surge of life force, Muichiro pale face finally showed faint traces of color.
Meanwhile, his blood-soaked brother Yuichiro, knelt beside him in self-reproach, gripping his hand tightly as tears of apology streamed down his face, completely ignoring his own still-bleeding wounds.
Shinichi sheathed his Nichirin Blade and retrieved some medical supplies and bandages from his silver mirror, quickly tending to Yuichiro injuries.
Throughout the process, Yuichiro remained like a soulless puppet, refusing to let go of his brother hand.
Fortunately, Shinichi had arrived in time—at least the Tokito brothers were out of immediate
Otherwise, even if the two boys had miraculously unleashed incredible power, without timely treatment, the severely wounded Muichiro might not have survived.
Shinichi and Ubuyashiki Amane, who arrived later, sat silently outside the wooden cabin through the night.
At dawn, Shinichi's Kasugai Crow finally returned with reinforcements from the Kakushi Corps and Shinobu.
As one of the owners of the Butterfly Mansion within the Demon Slayer Corps, entrusting the critically injured Muichiro to Shinobu allowed Shinichi and Ubuyashiki Amane to finally breathe a sigh of relief.
While the Kakushi Corps worked to restore the battered Tokito household, Goto of the Kakushi approached Shinichi, leading a fat Shiba Inu.
"Hey, you, did you forget you even own a dog? People might start thinking I'm Maru-ni owner at this rate. You never take him on missions—look how sad he is!" Goto scolded, hands on hips.
It was rare for a Kakushi member to yell at a Hashira, but Shinichi and Goto had always been an exception.
True to Goto words, Maru-ni's round face drooped pitifully, his fluffy ears sagging in dejection.
Shinichi had no choice but to raise his hands in surrender, admitting his fault and apologizing.
But if he were honest, his reluctance to bring Maru-ni on missions wasn't out of heartlessness—it was out of caution.
As the Forest Hashira, the demon-hunting missions he undertook were the most dangerous in the Demon Slayer Corps.
The demons he faced were never ordinary—some were even members of the Twelve Kizuki, like the former Upper Moon Two, Douma.
Against such formidable foes, Shinichi couldn't guarantee his own survival, let alone Maru-ni safety.
But after facing life-and-death situations, Shinichi had come to accept that he wasn't a god—he couldn't make decisions for everyone.
Just as Shinichi ruffled Maru-ni's fluffy head, Shinobu petite figure, clad in her butterfly-patterned haori, landed gracefully beside him.
Her beautiful violet eyes sparkled and the faint scent of wisteria clung to her as she sat down quietly next to him.
"Shinichi-kun, you seem troubled."
Even after all these days, Shinichi still wasn't used to Shinobu's sudden gentleness.
As adorable as this side of her was, he still preferred her old fiery, straightforward self.
"Huh? Do I? Oh—right, how are the two kids doing?"
"The situation is stable. The younger brother injuries are quite severe and he's still unconscious. He'll need further treatment at the Butterfly Mansion. The older brother injuries aren't serious, just some external wounds."
"That's good..."
An awkward silence fell between them again.
This might be the peculiar way The Forest Hashira and The Insect Hashira interacted.
Often, with just a glance, they could understand what the other wanted to say.
This led to moments where they would try to speak, only to lock eyes, pause for a few seconds, then quickly look away and lapse back into silence.
"So... Shinobu, have you... eaten?"
"I have. A purple rice ball. Skipping breakfast isn't good for the body."
"Uh, then... are you cold?"
"Not at all. Maintaining Total Concentration Breathing helps with blood circulation, so I'm actually a little warm."
"Warm? Good, warmth is good..."
The suffocating awkwardness made the Kakushi Corps members hiding in the back want to scream.
How were they supposed to ship this?!
The stories about The Forest Hashira and The Insect Hashira had always sounded so touching—one fought an Upper moon demon for her, while the other became a Hashira just to stand by his side.
And now, this was the content they were giving their fans?
Was this how they repaid their loyal shippers? Refund! We want a Refund!
Shinobu Kocho always called Shinichi a blockhead, but she never realized she was just as blunt.
Every one of her answers just killed the conversation.
At least with The Forest Hashira, it was manageable.
But when she went on missions with regular Demon Slayers, her gentle yet cutting remarks could shatter morale in an instant.
While the Kakushi members were sulking, Yuichiro who had been silent all this time, suddenly looked up with a resolute glint in his eyes.
As if making up his mind, he stood and walked straight towards Shinichi.
"Since you're here, Shinobu, I'll leave escorting Amane-sama and the two children back to the Demon Slayer Corps to you. I need to head to the Swordsmith Village and check on Old Man Moriki."
Shinobu nodded obediently and replied softly.
"Understood. Please rest assured, Shinichi-kun. And give my regards to Grandpa Moriki for me."
"Will do!"
Just then, a stray dried leaf drifted down and landed right on Shinobu's head, nestling beside her purple butterfly hairpin.
Without thinking, Shinichi reached out toward her.
The sudden movement made Shinobu freeze, as she was about to lean away—until Shinichi barked.
"Don't move!"
And Shinobu actually obeyed, staying perfectly still as Shinichi carefully plucked the leaf from her hair.
"There was a leaf." He tossed it aside casually, but when he turned back, his heterochromatic eyes met Shinobu's shimmering violet ones.
At that moment, Shinichi's heart skipped a beat.
It was a strange sensation—as if his consciousness had been sucked into those swirling violet depths.
The atmosphere grew inexplicably intimate.
Shinobu Kocho also remained motionless, merely gazing gently at Shinichi with her eyes open.
The momentary blankness in his mind made Shinichi instinctively reach out his hand.
'It's happening, it's happening!!'
The Kakushi Corps members peeking from the side suddenly got excited.
There's progress!
There's progress at last!
Sweet reward after bitter toil! Is The Forest Hashira making the first move?!
But just as Shinichi's hand was about to touch Shinobu's cheek, a figure suddenly appeared before them.
Yuichiro clenched his fists and said earnestly to Shinichi.
"I want to join the Demon Slayer Corps!"
BOOM!
In an instant, his mind cleared.
Shinichi's hand retracted as if electrocuted and he and Shinobu simultaneously turned their heads away, both faces flushing with a faint blush.
The peeking Kakushi Corps members:
Where did this kid come from? Right at the climax and forced to stop—this is enough to make someone blood pressure rise!!
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