"Kyoujurou-sama… he's severely injured…"
Kanzaki Aoi said with a sorrowful expression, looking at Chiba Yo.
How could this be…
Chiba Yo's mind instantly became a mess. After a moment of stunned, he ran quickly towards the Butterfly Mansion.
He had just returned to the Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters and found that Kyoujurou had not yet returned, nor had he seen the other Pillars or Tanjirou. Just then, Kanzaki Aoi passed by, so Chiba Yo casually asked a question and received this unfortunate news.
Rushing into the Butterfly Mansion, Chiba Yo then remembered that he hadn't asked Kanzaki Aoi where Kyoujurou's ward was.
As he was anxious, two Hidden members walked around the corner of the corridor.
"Kyoujurou-sama finally woke up; he's been unconscious for three days."
"Yes, Kyoujurou-sama's injuries this time were indeed too severe. We don't know if his left eye can recover, his right abdomen was almost pierced through, his body temperature has been consistently high, and his heartbeat is dangerously fast."
The two Hidden members chatted as they walked.
"Excuse me, which ward is Kyoujurou-sensei in?"
Hearing the conversation between the two Hidden members, Chiba Yo instantly ran in front of them and asked anxiously.
"Ah!"
The two Hidden members were startled by Chiba Yo's sudden appearance. Once they realized it was him, they quickly apologized: "We're sorry, Chiba-sama! Kyoujurou-sama is in the third ward on the left."
After Chiba Yo knew the location, he immediately rushed to the third ward on the left. Chiba Yo forced himself to calm down, then gently pushed open the ward door.
Loud noises are certainly not good for patients.
Pushing open the ward door, Chiba Yo saw Kyoujurou lying on the hospital bed with a bandage wrapped around his left eye. Beside the bed were Kagaya and his two daughters, and Kochou Shinobu also stood nearby.
"Sensei…"
Chiba Yo looked at Kyoujurou worriedly and slowly walked into the ward.
"Xiao Yang is here." Kyoujurou turned his head to look at Chiba Yo, his voice slightly weak, but still revealing his optimistic and sunny disposition.
"How did this happen?" Chiba Yo walked to the bedside, knelt down, and looked at Kyoujurou with heartache.
"Kyoujurou encountered the Lower Moon One on the Infinity Train. After he and Tanjirou killed the Lower Moon One, he then encountered the Upper Moon Three.
Kyoujurou, by himself, held off the Upper Moon Three, protecting all the humans on the train, and delayed him until dawn, but he himself was injured as a result."
Kagaya, who was nearby, gently explained to Chiba Yo. During the three days Kyoujurou was unconscious, he came to guard by the bedside every day and also learned about the incident from the Kasugai Crow.
Upper Moon Three…
Chiba Yo silently made a mental note of this debt.
Then he asked worriedly:
"How are Sensei's injuries now?"
"I feel much better now," Kyoujurou replied with a smile.
"Rengoku-san, your body temperature is already over thirty-nine degrees, your heart rate has reached 210 beats per minute, and the wounds on your left eye and right abdomen are also very serious. You've only just gotten out of critical danger; this is not what you call 'much better'."
Kochou Shinobu, who was nearby, couldn't help but expose him upon hearing this.
Kyoujurou said nothing when he heard this; he didn't want others to worry about him.
"Can Sensei's injuries be healed, Shinobu-jie jie?" Chiba Yo asked Kochou Shinobu upon hearing this.
"If he wants to live like a normal person, treatment isn't very difficult, but to fully recover, he needs time to recuperate, and he cannot fight before he has fully recovered," Kochou Shinobu replied.
Chiba Yo breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.
"Then how long will it take, Kochou?" Kyoujurou frowned and asked Kochou Shinobu upon hearing this.
He was still hoping to recover quickly and continue hunting demons. If it took too long, he was afraid that humans in his guarded area would be harmed by demons.
"At least three months or so, and that's because your physical condition is relatively good," Kochou Shinobu replied to Kyoujurou after a brief thought.
"That's too long! What if a demon appears in my guarded area during this time? I don't think my injuries are that serious; two weeks of rest should be enough," Kyoujurou said.
Hearing this, Kagaya said to him: "Don't worry, I will temporarily assign your guarded area to the other Pillars. For now, just focus on recovering, Kyoujurou."
Kagaya's tone was gentle as he told Kyoujurou the solution.
"Kagaya-sama, I will take responsibility for Sensei's guarded area!" Chiba Yo quickly said to Kagaya upon hearing this.
"Alright then, I'll tell you the scope of Kyoujurou's guarded area later," Kagaya agreed after hearing Chiba Yo's words.
Kyoujurou also felt relieved after hearing this solution. Although he really wanted to protect humans himself, he also knew that his current injuries were severe. He was aware of Chiba Yo's strength, so Kyoujurou felt more at ease with him taking responsibility for his guarded area.
"Kagaya-sama, regarding this mission, I have other matters to report. I seem to have also awakened the Breath Styles / Marks that were mentioned before." With the matter of the guarded area resolved, Kyoujurou thought of his state during his battle with Akaza and spoke to Kagaya.
Breath Styles / Marks…
Hearing Kyoujurou's words, Chiba Yo was not happy about his increased strength. What Kagaya had said before and what he had learned from Tamayo…
Chiba Yo already knew that the fact that Breath Styles / Marks swordsmen do not live past twenty-five years old was almost certainly true, but he, who was born with Breath Styles / Marks, might not be affected. Furthermore, he was the first Breath Styles / Marks swordsman to appear in this era, and Kyoujurou was very likely influenced by him. At this moment, he felt some guilt and sadness, and even began to hope that he would not live past twenty-five like Yoriichi.
However, what he didn't know was that it was precisely because of the appearance of Breath Styles / Marks that Kyoujurou was able to persevere until dawn in his battle with Akaza.
The others in the ward did not know what Chiba Yo was thinking at the moment. Kagaya, upon hearing Kyoujurou's words, smiled and said to him: "We already knew about this two days ago when you were still unconscious. Let's talk about the Breath Styles / Marks in a few days when you're feeling better. For now, just focus on your treatment."
Kagaya had already sent Kasugai Crow to summon the other Pillars. In a few days, when Kyoujurou was feeling better, he planned to discuss this matter with the Pillars collectively.
"Yes." Kyoujurou said nothing more upon hearing this and agreed.
After instructing Kyoujurou to rest well, Kagaya left with the support of his two daughters. Kochou Shinobu also went to prepare medicine to treat Kyoujurou's injuries. Only the master and disciple were left in the ward, but there were two Hidden members outside the room, responsible for taking care of Kyoujurou. If he had any needs, the two would come in to help.
"If only I could have gone with Sensei…"
Chiba Yo said with guilt and regret.