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I turned back to face forward again. The kindness in my eyes faded, replaced by calm, unreadable focus.
"Should we call Kokushibo now? This time is different. We'll need to bring him to the Demon Slayer Corps… after all of this."
The thought made me frown. Yuichiro Tsugikuni's original goal had been simple—bring his brother back to the Corps, even if it meant killing me, Kibutsuji Muzan. Now that I was standing here, wasn't this a two-for-one deal?
"Even if we summoned every demon we could, it still might not be enough to defeat him."
I glanced at Yuichiro again. He noticed my gaze, leaned forward so our eyes met, and asked lightly:
"Hm? What's wrong?"
I couldn't explain why, but hearing his voice and seeing his face made me uneasy. My irritation slipped out as a command:
"When you kneel, carry a ten-pound stone on your back."
Yuichiro: "…"
Meanwhile, Giyu crouched down beside Tanjiro and Inosuke. He opened his pack, applying medicine and wrapping the worst of their wounds. Then he moved to Zenitsu, and what he found surprised him.
"…Strange. That speed should've torn his legs apart, but his body shows no damage. It's almost like… something protected him."
Thunder Breathing mimicked lightning, but it wasn't real lightning. Still, Zenitsu's speed should have left severe strain. Yet, here he was—completely fine.
Giyu sighed and put away his bandages. Zenitsu didn't need them. Nezuko, too, had quietly slipped back into her box, safe. Giyu had long known what she was, but the absence of malice in her presence reassured him.
Then suddenly—his senses sharpened. Subtle footsteps. Two people, drawing closer.
Giyu immediately reached for his blade, ready to breathe and strike. But before he could, the footsteps surged faster, and two figures emerged beneath the moonlight.
"Brother…!"
Giyu's voice trembled. His eyes widened as he rushed forward, hugging me tightly, hands gripping my shoulders. He didn't even notice Yuichiro Tsugikuni standing behind me.
Yuichiro froze, shocked.
I placed a hand on Giyu's head, stroking his hair softly. Oddly, his desperate embrace didn't disgust me. Instead, I teased him with a quiet smile.
"Well, well. Isn't this my little Giyu—the one who isn't hated anymore?"
Hearing my tone, Yoriichi's hands clenched unconsciously, veins bulging across his skin. He stared, silent, but his body told the truth.
I let the teasing expression fade and walked toward Tanjiro and Inosuke, my face firm again.
"They knew they couldn't win… yet still fought to the end. One by one."
I raised my palm, crimson light flaring.
"Blood Demon Art: Healing."
The glow enveloped Tanjiro and Inosuke. Their wounds closed instantly, though exhaustion weighed them down until their eyes finally shut in sleep.
"If you keep abusing your bodies, you'll die for real one day," I muttered, withdrawing the light.
I walked toward the place where Zenitsu had struck with Thunderclap and Flash. Red light covered my eye as I searched. No trace of Rui's soul. He had already gone to Hell to pay for his sins.
"…That's probably the best ending you could have hoped for."
The thought left me heavy. I closed my eyes for a moment—only for a bad premonition to stir within. Opening them again, I smirked faintly.
"They're coming fast."
I stretched, took one step back, and glanced around with feigned distraction.
"Right, Shinobu Kocho."
At once, a butterfly-like shadow darted from the night sky, blade flashing like a silver streak. But because of my backward step, her thrust missed, driving straight into a tree.
Thunk!
Her Nichirin sword lodged deep into the trunk.
"Long time no see… Kibutsuji Muzan," Shinobu said, her eyes narrowed, smiling faintly.
My expression darkened at once. I turned, glaring at Yuichiro.
"You traitor…"
He looked confused, but my sharp gaze made him tense.
I sighed. So, the truth was bound to come out sooner or later.
Shinobu tugged at her sword, struggling. There was no poison on the blade. She hadn't come here to kill me.
Bending down, I used my height to loom over her. I patted her head mockingly, speaking with playful cruelty.
"Oh~ Miss Shinobu. Only 151 centimeters tall, and yet so weak?"
Her body stiffened, anger flashing in her eyes. She let go of her sword and reached inside her haori. Metal clinked. She drew—
A musket.
"Don't insult people!" she snapped, gripping the weapon with both hands.
Bang!
The shot went off—only for Shinobu to be thrown backward by the recoil. The gun smacked her head, leaving a bump as she tumbled clumsily to the ground.
"…Really?" I muttered.
When the smoke cleared, I stood there holding the crushed bullet between my fingers.
"Ancient pistols. Useless."
Shinobu's eyes widened in disbelief. She'd expected it to at least pierce me.
I flicked the flattened bullet away, then pulled her sword free from the tree and handed it back. My other hand touched her forehead, red light soothing the swelling.
"Poison suits you better, Miss Kocho."
Just then, Yoriichi walked to my side. Crows cawed in the distance. "The Hidden" were approaching.
Two messenger crows swooped low, crying:
"Urgent! Summon Tanjiro Kamado and Nezuko Kamado to headquarters! All available members, gather! Depart immediately before sunrise!"
Hidden operatives appeared one after another from the shadows.
I sighed inwardly. If I went to headquarters, my risk was far greater than Nezuko's. She never drank blood—her survival was simple. I, on the other hand, had.
"…What if I refuse?" I asked quietly.
Before anyone could speak, Shinobu pulled out a folded note from her sleeve.
"The master only wishes to confirm something. He has no intention of harming you. He promises your life will not be in danger."
I read it carefully. To turn it down now would only raise suspicion. After a long pause, I nodded.
"…Fine. I'll go."
Relief washed over them all.
But I wasn't a fool. Survival odds were nine out of ten—but that one chance of death still lingered.
"When we reach headquarters, no matter what happens, don't interfere unless lives are truly at stake," I told Yoriichi firmly.
"…Understood," Yuichiro replied.
Only then did I relax.
The sun was close. My skin tingled, heat crawling up my arms.
Yoriichi opened a wooden box, gesturing politely. "Please."
I stared at him. For once, he wasn't forcing me.
Strange. But I didn't have time to question it. Shrinking my body to a child's size, I slipped inside.
Shinobu and Giyu gasped, stunned by my transformation.
"…Cute…" Shinobu whispered.
"…Very cute," Giyu echoed awkwardly.
Yoriichi closed the lid gently, sunlight brushing his face. His usually cold eyes softened, lips curving into a rare smile.
"I'll protect you," he murmured.
Inside the box, I buried my face in my hands, ears burning red.
Why… why would he say something so embarrassing!?
I smacked my cheeks, muttering to myself, It must've been an illusion. Yes. Definitely an illusion.
At last, I sighed, closed my eyes, and let sleep take me.
The sun had already risen high in the east, shining brightly across the land. But inside the room, not a single ray touched me.
I was sitting on the wooden box, looking like a child. All the windows and sliding doors were shut tight, sealed to keep the light out. The doors were reinforced, clearly on purpose.
In the corner, I spotted another box—Nezuko's.
Resting my chin in my hands, I stared blankly ahead.
"So boring… they didn't even give me anything to eat."
Knock, knock, knock!
Steady knocks sounded from the door.
The sliding door opened, and a young man stepped in. His hair was pale, medium-length, and his silver eyes carried horizontal marks. A scar ran from the corner of his mouth to his cheek.
It was one of the Hashira—the Water Pillar, Tomioka Giyu.
"Your meeting is about to start," Giyu said quietly. But then he paused mid-sentence, blinking at me with an odd look, as if unsure what he was seeing.
After a moment, he returned to his usual composure. He knelt on one knee, holding out a pitch-black umbrella to me with a serious expression.
"Please follow me to the courtyard."
I accepted the umbrella, studying him with some surprise.
(Giyu is strong… but can Yoriichi really trust me to walk around like this? Aren't they worried I might run off?)
I thought back to the long journey here. From Mount Natagumo to the Demon Slayer Corps' headquarters took around five hours. Along the way, the box I had traveled in had been passed around between different swordsmen, each one carrying it at a different pace, as though done deliberately.
But now wasn't the time to dwell on it.
I opened the umbrella. The fabric was thick and black, the frame solid. It felt more like iron than cloth.
Giyu stood, lifted Nezuko's box with care, and led me out into the courtyard.
The courtyard was wide, its ground covered in white pebbles. Lotus ponds glistened in the sun, fish swimming beneath the ripples. Wisteria trees lined the sides, filling the air with their familiar scent.
I glanced around. It was quiet—too quiet. No one else was in sight.
"…Are we early?" Giyu murmured.
Just then, a door at the far end opened. My eyes were drawn to the figure stepping out.
Golden hair, its tips touched with red. Piercing eyes under thick black brows. A flame-patterned haori draped over his uniform.
My body trembled without meaning to. My heart leapt.
The Flame Hashira—Rengoku Kyojuro.
Though excitement surged within me, I kept my face composed. After all, we stood on opposite sides.
"…Cat? Owl?" I muttered aloud, feigning confusion.
"Huh?" Giyu blinked, then glanced from me to Kyojuro. His lips twitched. He covered his mouth, holding back a laugh. "Pfft… when you put it like that… yes, I see it. He does look a little like one."
Kyojuro, having just stepped into the courtyard, turned his burning gaze toward us. His eyes lit up.
"GIYU!!" His voice boomed, warm as fire. He rushed forward so quickly that a breeze swept past us.
"Long time no see, Rengoku," Giyu replied with a small smile.
I simply stood still, watching them.
Their arrival was like a signal. More footsteps approached, heavy and numerous. I could tell at least six people were coming.
Soon, the other Hashira began to appear—Tomioka Giyu, Uzui Tengen, Iguro Obanai, Kanroji Mitsuri, Kocho Shinobu, Kocho Kanae, Tokito Muichiro… even Tokito Yuichiro.
Not all of them were here, but enough.
And suddenly, I was surrounded.
"W-wait, don't all crowd around me!" I snapped.
But it was too late. They had closed in so tightly that the umbrella in my hand felt useless—no sunlight could reach me with them blocking it out.
"Wow you're so small and cute, Chibichuan!" Muichiro chirped. He hugged me from behind, rubbing his cheek against mine like I was some kind of soft pillow.
The others watched, amused, though they kept their distance. All except one.
A little further back stood Tomioka Giyu, his fists clenched, brows furrowed. He didn't move in closer, but I could feel his frustration.
(…He really wants to push Muichiro away and take his spot, doesn't he?)
Giyu muttered under his breath, "…I just want to hug my little brother."
I groaned in my head.
(This is exactly why I shouldn't stay in this child form for long…)