The sharp blade pierced through flesh, but her neck bone gave her a bit of trouble, though she still managed to sever it smoothly.
By this point, Kochou Shinobu, her anger gone, stood up and looked at the people around her with a somewhat lost expression.
Mei Jing began to burn, her expression returning to its previous tranquility, muttering something under her breath.
Kochou Shinobu didn't want to listen. Her biggest difference from Kanae was that Kanae would listen to the dying words of every demon, even if most of them were curses and hatred directed at her.
But Shinobu was different; after so many experiences, her beliefs were already firm.
Only demons whose heads were cut off by a nichirin blade were worthy of salvation.
As for whether they went to heaven or hell, whether they were good people or bad people, that was for the gods to judge.
Compared to her, Genya's attitude was even worse.
He kicked the demon's head far away and took out a syringe from his satchel, drawing blood from the demon's remaining body.
"It's for Miss Tamayo," he explained, "for researching medicine to conquer demons."
"You all are amazing," Haruto said. He checked the girls' injuries and found that none were serious. Jiangzhong Baili's hand seemed to be the most painful, but it could recover quickly after treatment.
"Shinobu-neechan (Older sister Shinobu), you killed a Lower Moon…"
They murmured, looking at Kochou Shinobu with incredulity, "You're going to become a Pillar!"
"What are you talking about?!" The Kochou young lady jumped up like a startled cat, her face flushed with embarrassment and awkwardness. "That was Haruto-ge… Haruto… Star… Mr. Haruto's credit! And if it weren't for you all, I would have died long ago!"
Haruto raised an eyebrow, feeling a bit confused.
Shinobu had changed how she addressed him three times in one sentence, finally calling him Mr. Haruto? That was too strange!
He glanced at everyone, finding that only Genya met his gaze calmly.
"Mm." Genya nodded.
"Mm what?"
"Are you a riddle solver?"
"If, if it weren't for everyone, I wouldn't have been able to cut off her head… I might have even died by her hand already!" Kochou Shinobu forced a difficult smile. "So please stop making jokes about being a Pillar!"
"You're wrong," Haruto came back to his senses and shook his head. "Even if I hadn't arrived, the toxins in her body had already accumulated to a fatal level. Even if she had truly escaped, there was a high chance she would have melted on the way."
"Haruto-ge!" Shinobu finally called out his name, a hint of anger in her tone. "That's just a chance!"
"Miss Shinobu…" Genya spoke up, looking dumbfounded. "Could it be that you're afraid of being separated from your older sister and living in a house alone?"
"You mean?"
"Don't you always say I'm a big brother's boy?" Genya pointed at his own nose, then at Kochou Shinobu. "An older sister's girl?"
"Uh."
Haruto glanced at Kochou Shinobu, whose face was so red it looked like it was about to explode, and struggled to keep himself from laughing out loud.
"Genya, next time just tell me such things quietly.
Whether one is a Pillar or not is not for us to judge, but for headquarters, for the Master to evaluate."
The last sentence was directed at Kochou Shinobu. Haruto playfully patted her shoulder. "What should you all do now?"
Shinobu reacted, quickly turning to look at Jiangzhong Baili, who was in pain. "Baili's hand needs to be treated back at the Butterfly Mansion, and the rest of you still need to continue towards Suzuki, but the Kakushi…"
No sooner had she spoken than many heads wearing black cloth hats suddenly emerged from the surrounding bushes.
"Mr. Haruto." Kuwano Masachika waved at him cheerfully. "So you were the one who arrived!"
"Eh? It's Masachika. Are you on duty near the Butterfly Mansion now?" Haruto nodded knowingly. "That's right, after all, the Butterfly Mansion is the place Sanemi comes to most often, besides his own home."
Kuwano Masachika smiled, narrowing his eyes, and did not deny it.
"That crazy kid, Sanemi Shinazugawa, is really lucky to have an older brother like you."
Haruto chuckled, suddenly feeling a burning gaze from his side.
Genya: ⊙_⊙ Staring… "Ah… Of course, Sanemi is also very lucky to have a younger brother like you! Don't stare at me like that!"
Having dealt with a Lower Moon, everyone felt relieved.
Haruto and Genya took the injured Jiangzhong Baili back to the Butterfly Mansion, while the rest continued towards Suzuki.
"So what exactly happened before I arrived?" Haruto recalled Shinobu's reaction, still a bit confused. "Why did she call me Mr. Haruto?"
Genya honestly replied, "Because that Lower Three had mind-reading abilities, and she recited a bunch of things to Miss Shinobu… something about a young lady's infatuation, youthful years, and so on…"
"Eh?" Haruto's heart skipped a beat. "Shinobu has someone she likes? Who is it? Is it Kuwano Masachika? Your older brother? No way, your older brother doesn't like…"
Genya blinked, his large eyes with a lot of white showing some confusion.
"It seems to be you, Teacher."
Jiangzhong Baili, who wanted to signal Genya with her eyes, covered her forehead with her other hand.
Shinobu-neechan (Older sister Shinobu), I'm sorry, I couldn't protect you… Kochou Shinobu still walked at the back of the group, much more awkward than when they had arrived.
She would secretly observe the expressions of the other girls, even though they didn't show anything amiss.
How embarrassing… in front of so many people… and Genya even heard it. But Genya is still so young, he probably doesn't know what that Lower Three was saying.
But… Baili, Saori, Kumiko, they must have heard everything clearly.
Damn Lower Three! Why did she have to run into her!
Shame swelled in Kochou Shinobu's heart, making her almost want to break her neck and bury her head in her chest.
"Shinobu-neechan (Older sister Shinobu)," Saori, who was a year younger than her, helplessly stopped her foolish actions. "It's alright."
Shinobu-neechan (Older sister Shinobu) usually seemed calm and wise, why was she like this today?
"Saori," Kochou Shinobu looked up, her eyes darting away. "You all…"
"Isn't it normal to like Mr. Haruto?" Saori smiled helplessly. "At least in the Butterfly Mansion, it's a perfectly normal thing."
She reached out and poked the other girls. "Tomomi, Tomomi also likes Mr. Haruto a lot!"
"Saori!" A somewhat heroic-looking young lady patted Saori's shoulder. "Star Pillar is handsome, powerful, and very gentle and humorous. It's hard for anyone not to like him, right?"
"Yes, yes, even among the Kakushi, there are many young ladies who admire Mr. Haruto," Kuwano Masachika, who had approached at some point, nodded with a smile. "So Shinobu, please don't feel burdened by this matter~"
"Exactly! Mr. Haruto seems very smart, but he seems to be a blockhead when it comes to emotions."
"Dr. Miki Misaka from the Fuji no ie (Wisteria House) has been secretly in love with Star Pillar for several years, but she has never dared to express her feelings to him…"
"Isn't Igawa's sister, Nami, also always admired Mr. Haruto?"
Humans are indeed creatures fond of gossip. Amidst their chattering, Kochou Shinobu not only learned that secretly liking Haruto in the Demon Slayer Corps was no big deal at all, but she also discovered that there was such a large group of "potential competitors"!
"There's even such a thing?" Shinobu covered her lips, muttering to herself.
"There's even such a thing?!" Haruto widened his eyes and raised his voice.
Baili, who had betrayed many people's secrets to save Shinobu-neechan (Older sister Shinobu)'s dignity, silently recited several "Dear Gods, please forgive me" in her heart.
Genya, who had been helping out at the Butterfly Mansion for some time, seemed to have expected it, leaving only Haruto to experience a pupil-shaking moment in his own gossip.
Why!
All these things!
I myself!
Was completely unaware!