Chapter 44 – Recovery at the Butterfly Mansion
Consciousness drifted.
In darkness.
Hikaru felt as if he were trapped in a dream—a deep, endless dream.
There was nothing here.
Nothing at all.
Like a silent, boundless sky… or a blank sheet of paper yet to be written on.
He walked forward without knowing why.
Step after step… with no idea where it would lead.
Then—he saw it.
A faint glow began to bloom beneath his feet.
Like stars.
Like sparks.
Or maybe… like ancient symbols carved into paper, slowly lighting up one by one.
But the light wasn't complete. It wasn't shining fully.
Some parts burned bright.
Others remained faintly etched.
And yet… what did it say?
He could feel it, though he couldn't truly understand it.
Before he could think further—
A silent thump echoed through the void.
His eyes snapped open. He gasped for breath.
Light poured in, shattering the last remnants of the dream.
Wooden ceiling beams came into view above him, their joints adorned with delicate butterfly carvings.
A blue-violet butterfly drifted lazily near the ceiling, its wings beating in slow, gentle motions.
"…The Butterfly Mansion, huh?"
This wasn't a strange place to him.
The smell of medicinal herbs filled the air—thick and familiar.
The Demon Slayer Corps' primary recovery ward.
He had once stayed here for half a year. Considering he'd been in this world for less than a year, that meant more than half his time here had been spent in this place.
No wonder it felt so familiar.
"…Stone Hashira… Himejima Gyomei…"
"…So he's the one who brought me back, huh?"
As his mind cleared, fragments of the last battle came rushing back.
Sunlight filtered in through the latticed window, casting warm lines across the room.
The world looked the same as before… and yet somehow different.
There was something new he could feel.
Faint, but real.
"…Transparent World… and Void Breathing…"
Hikaru tried to sit up.
But the moment he moved, a sharp pain shot through his body, forcing him to wince.
From his own knowledge of medicine, he knew instantly—
His injuries were serious.
Before he could lower himself back down—
"What do you think you're doing!?"
A sharp, scolding voice cut through the air.
He turned his head. A girl with long hair tied into a high ponytail strode into the room. A blue-violet butterfly clip swayed against her hair as she moved.
Small in stature, but her eyes were sharp—and right now, filled with irritation.
"Patients are supposed to stay in bed!"
She closed the distance quickly, her voice crisp.
Hikaru blinked, then gave a faint smile. "…Ah. Sorry."
He eased himself back onto the bed.
"Honestly…"
The girl—Kanzaki Aoi—stood with her arms crossed, her breathing sharp from the scolding, though the worry beneath her tone was plain to see.
It was almost like payback.
Back when Hikaru first came here, he'd refused treatment, insisting he wasn't a patient.
Now it was her turn to return the favor.
Still, her concern was genuine.
Even though Hikaru was now a Hashira, Aoi treated him no differently than before.
Unchanged.
Kanzaki Aoi—who had once passed the Final Selection but stepped down from being a Demon Slayer after realizing her own limits—now served as a caretaker here.
Hikaru had met many members of the Corps.
Including the Kakushi who worked behind the scenes.
But none of them spoke to him without formalities and respect.
Except… Aoi.
"Hikaru-nii! Hikaru-nii!"
"Is Hikaru-nii back!?"
"We want to see him!"
A sudden burst of noise came from outside.
Three little girls in white uniforms burst in like a tiny whirlwind.
Hikaru couldn't sit up, but he still lifted his hand in greeting. "It's been a while."
"Hikaru-nii, are you okay?"
"Does it hurt a lot?"
"Did someone hurt you!?"
They all spoke at once, worry spilling out in every word.
Aoi sighed and gently shooed them back.
"Alright, you three… Hikaru's still recovering. Don't disturb his rest."
"…Let's go out for now."
"Aww… fine…"
Reluctantly, they obeyed and shuffled toward the door.
Before leaving, Aoi glanced back and said, "Make sure you rest properly. Don't think that just because you're a Hashira, I'll be scared of you!"
She was probably the only person in the entire Corps who could say that to a Hashira.
The room fell quiet again.
Hikaru let out a long breath.
He didn't move this time.
His wounds were too severe.
"If it normally takes a hundred days for bones and muscles to heal… this will probably take even longer."
Even with a body strengthened by intense training and Breathing Techniques, it would take time.
Still—
The cost had been great.
But the gains… far greater.
He had achieved a breakthrough in Void Breathing.
"…Kokushibo. The next time we meet… I'll have a surprise for you."
The memory of the demon's face—retreating with unwilling rage—brought a small chuckle to his lips.
"Hm? What's making you smile to yourself like that?"
A soft, almost teasing voice interrupted his thoughts.
Hikaru turned his head.
A young woman with black hair tipped in blue-violet stepped into the room. A butterfly ornament rested in her hair. She wore the standard Corps uniform, layered with a white haori patterned with butterflies and a pink gradient at the hem.
Kocho Shinobu.
She moved with unhurried grace, settling into a chair beside his bed.
Her purple-blue eyes regarded him with quiet curiosity. A faint smile curved her lips. Her head tilted slightly.
Big eyes, small question, Hikaru thought.
"I was just… remembering something pleasant. Nothing important."
He coughed lightly, then smiled.
"It's been a while, Kocho-san… Or no, I guess it's only been a few days since we last met."
Since Shinobu had returned from Tokyo, not much time had passed.
"Mm."
She gave a small nod. And then she simply sat there.
Silent.
Smiling faintly, gazing out the window at the sky.
A strange kind of quiet.
But not an awkward one.
For some reason, Hikaru felt as though—
In that silence, the only thing left in the room…
Was the sound of their heartbeats.
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