Chiba Yo was a little confused at this moment, trying to figure out the situation in front of him.
In front of him, Giyuu and Kochou Shinobu were entangled in a strange posture.
Kochou Shinobu was clamped under Giyuu's armpit, and she was struggling to break free, but her strength was no match for Giyuu's; even though she trembled with effort, she couldn't escape Giyuu's grip.
... ...What... ...are they doing?
Chiba Yo watched the scene before him and didn't dare to step out directly, afraid of disturbing the two of them.
"Tomioka-san, are you listening, Tomioka-san? My attack to slay a demon is justifiable, so it doesn't violate Corps rules. But Tomioka-san, this is a violation of Corps rules! You're obstructing a demon slayer. What exactly are you trying to do?"
Kochou Shinobu hadn't been able to break free from Giyuu's grip. Though angry, she maintained her smile and questioned Giyuu.
However, Giyuu didn't answer her. Instead, he showed a strange expression, seemingly bewildered or perhaps helpless. In any case, Chiba Yo couldn't understand what that expression meant.
"Shouldn't you say something? This is your last warning. At least tell me your reason."
Not hearing Giyuu's reply, Kochou Shinobu continued to ask with a smile.
But despite her smile, veins were bulging on her forehead, clearly indicating her anger.
Finally, Giyuu, who had been repeatedly questioned by Kochou Shinobu, stopped maintaining that strange, silent expression and replied, "That was probably about two years ago..."
However, he was interrupted by Kochou Shinobu as soon as he started speaking.
"It'll be a headache if you start talking about it from that far back and go on for half a day. Are you intentionally trying to annoy me? Are you holding a grudge because I said you're disliked?"
Kochou Shinobu now strongly suspected that Giyuu's current behavior was entirely because she had just told him he was disliked.
And Giyuu felt offended again upon hearing Kochou Shinobu's words.
... ...Are they so leisurely because the Twelve Kizuki have already been eliminated?
Chiba Yo wanted to go out and ask them if the Twelve Kizuki here had already been eliminated, but he couldn't find the right moment to do so.
At this moment, he saw his Kasugai Crow perched on the tree above him, so he quietly asked it, "Excuse me, has the Twelve Kizuki here been eliminated already?"
His Kasugai Crow had just left him and flown around Mount Natagumo, so it should know whether that Twelve Kizuki had been eliminated.
"Caw! Caw! Lower Rank Five has been eliminated by Giyuu! Lower Rank Five has been eliminated by Giyuu!" The Kasugai Crow flapped its wings and squawked loudly after hearing Chiba Yo's question.
!!! He's doing it on purpose, isn't he!
Chiba Yo's heart tightened, feeling a little flustered. He turned his head and saw that Giyuu and Kochou Shinobu were both looking at him, still maintaining that posture.
"Um... I was just passing by. I didn't mean to disturb you. Sorry!"
Seeing that there was no way to hide, Chiba Yo awkwardly walked out and immediately apologized to Giyuu and Kochou Shinobu.
It's over! I saw them in such an embarrassing posture. Will they hold a grudge against me in the future? Especially Shinobu-jie jie, she was clamped under Giyuu's armpit for so long, and I saw it. She'll definitely want to erase my memory!
Chiba Yo had already seen Kochou Shinobu's kind smile, a kindness that made him a little afraid.
I must not get too close to her in the future, or I'll definitely be poisoned!
"I'm leaving now!" Chiba Yo noticed that Giyuu and Kochou Shinobu were still staring at him. He felt that if he stayed here any longer, he might be silenced immediately.
Just as he was about to turn and leave, a Kasugai Crow flew over, squawking loudly.
"Message! Message! Message from Headquarters! Seize Tanjirou and Nezuko, and bring them back to Headquarters! Caw! Seize Tanjirou and Nezuko, the demon girl, and bring them back to Headquarters!"
Besides that, another Kasugai Crow was constantly repeating descriptions of Tanjirou and Nezuko's appearances.
"Tanjirou, wearing a checkered haori, with a scar on his forehead.
The demon girl biting a bamboo muzzle, Nezuko.
Bring them back! Bring them back!"
The two Kasugai Crows circled in the air, continuously squawking.
Upon hearing the message, Giyuu and Kochou Shinobu stopped, and Chiba Yo also froze in place, a little confused about the situation.
Tanjirou and... the demon girl? Are there still demons on this mountain? Why do they need to be brought back? What's the relationship between this demon and Tanjirou? Nezuko... Zenitsu seemed to have mentioned her before. What exactly is going on?
Questions popped up in Chiba Yo's mind one after another, and he temporarily forgot about Giyuu and Kochou Shinobu's matter.
Until Kochou Shinobu walked over and patted him on the shoulder.
"Xiao Yang, you didn't see anything just now, did you? You definitely didn't, right?
If there's anything you want to forget, I can prepare medicine for you to forget it.
If you get injured in the future, you can come to Butterfly Mansion to find me. I'll make your body as good as new."
Kochou Shinobu said to Chiba Yo with a smile, her face shadowed.
The three consecutive sentences made Chiba Yo's spine instantly chill. Each sentence was more terrifying than the last.
I must never get injured in the future! If I encounter a demon, I'll kill it in one strike, never two!
"I didn't see anything! You don't need to worry about anything else. Thank you for Shinobu-jie jie's 'kindness'!" Chiba Yo immediately replied. Turning his head slightly, he saw that Giyuu was now lying on the ground, foaming at the mouth and convulsing.
"It's good that you didn't see anything. I hope Xiao Yang isn't lying to me. If you lie, you'll end up like Tomioka-san," Kochou Shinobu said to Chiba Yo with a threat.
Chiba Yo nodded repeatedly.
Only then did Kochou Shinobu turn and leave, going to help Giyuu, who was lying on the ground, to his feet.
"Eh? What happened to Tomioka-sama?"
At this moment, a Hidden member rushed over and, seeing the unconscious Giyuu, asked Kochou Shinobu.
"Giyuu-san ran too fast and got heatstroke. Let's send him back to Butterfly Mansion too," Kochou Shinobu replied with a smile.
"Ah? Can one get heatstroke in such a gloomy forest?" The Hidden member took Giyuu with some doubt, then exclaimed in surprise after examining him, "Wow! I didn't expect it to really be symptoms of heatstroke. Shinobu-sama's medical skills are truly amazing; she can immediately diagnose such an incredible situation."
Kochou Shinobu smiled upon hearing this and said nothing. Two Hidden members got a stretcher, placed Giyuu on it, and carried him away.
Chiba Yo, standing to the side, didn't dare to say a word and could only silently wish Giyuu well in his heart.
The Mount Natagumo incident gradually concluded. The injured swordsmen were sent to Butterfly Mansion for treatment, while Tanjirou and Nezuko were taken to the Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters' mansion.
...
Halfway there, Giyuu, lying on the stretcher, woke up.
"...What happened to me?" Giyuu rubbed his forehead, still feeling a bit dizzy.
"Tomioka-sama has woken up. You had heatstroke earlier, and Shinobu-sama saved you," the nearby Hidden member told him.
Giyuu: "..."