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Later That Day
"Kaidō-san! Wait up!" Tanjiro called out as Kaidō passed through the courtyard.
"What's up, Tanjiro?"
"While you were unconscious, Haganezuka-san asked me to give you your Nichirin blade. It's under your bed—I forgot to mention it yesterday!"
"Oh, thanks! I appreciate it."
"Um, Kaidō-san... could I see your weapon too?"
"Sure!"
At the Infirmary—
They retrieved the massive wooden case from under the bed. Opening it revealed the reforged greatsword—identical to the original design. Kaidō lifted it, and the blade gradually shifted to blood-red.
"Still feels perfect. Haganezuka-san's craftsmanship is incredible."
"Thanks for bringing it, Tanjiro!"
"It's nothing, really!"
Tanjiro watched Kaidō leave with the blade, but couldn't bring himself to relay Haganezuka's gruff words of concern. Some things were better left unspoken.
—————
Kaidō's Estate.
Back in his room, Kaidō retrieved the Forging Stone, mentally commanding it to fuse.
A blue light enveloped the greatsword. Minutes later, the stone merged completely.
He could feel the difference immediately. The appearance remained unchanged, but it was sharper, heavier, fundamentally stronger.
'Now I don't have to worry about my weapon breaking. Looks like being unconscious let me dodge Haganezuka's wrath this time!'
"Better take a bath. Being unconscious for two months feels disgusting."
Kaidō opened the bathroom door.
He froze.
Retsuki stood completely naked beside the large wooden tub, towel in hand, mid-wipe. Her petite, delicate frame was on full display—including assets that definitely shouldn't belong to someone her size.
Time stopped.
They stared at each other.
"I'm sorry, Retsuki! I-I-I didn't mean to! I'm leaving!" He slammed the door and bolted, hand clamped over his bleeding nose.
Inside the bathroom, Retsuki collapsed onto the floor, face burning crimson down to her neck.
"This is so embarrassing... Oniichan saw everything..."
She buried her face in her hands, heart pounding like a drum.
But remembering Kaidō's flustered expression made her giggle despite herself. "Pfft~ Oniichan can be cute too sometimes!"
—————
Living Room.
Kaidō sat in a chair, head in his hands, utterly mortified.
'What do I do?? How do I apologize?? She's my little sister—why am I having these thoughts?! GET IT TOGETHER!'
"Oniichan, are you okay?"
"AHHH!!" He jumped a foot in the air.
Retsuki had appeared beside him at some point, now fully dressed.
"S-sorry, Retsuki! About earlier—I should've knocked first!"
"It's fine, oniichan. I don't mind. You didn't do it on purpose." Her face was still flushed pink.
Awkward silence descended.
"Here, Retsuki. This is for you." Kaidō broke the tension, pulling out the jade pendant.
"Wow, it's beautiful! What is it, oniichan?"
"A gift. I hope you like it. Let me put it on you."
"Thank you, oniichan!" She beamed, touching the pendant. It felt cool and smooth against her skin.
Kaidō suffered in silence, standing behind her. She was shorter than him, and having just bathed, her hair carried a floral scent that brought those images flooding back.
He shook his head violently, dispelling the thoughts.
"Retsuki, I want you to wear this always."
"I will! I promise! Thank you, oniichan—I'll treasure it forever!"
—————
Two Weeks Later.
After two weeks of rehabilitation, Kaidō had fully recovered. He met with Shinjuro Rengoku to reclaim his patrol territory.
"Haha! Kaidō, you look good as new! Come visit sometime—Senjuro and Ruka both want to see you again."
"Absolutely, Shinjuro-san. I'll stop by soon."
"Excellent! It's settled then. I need to get back to training some junior swordsmen."
Watching Shinjuro leave, Kaidō turned toward his patrol zone. That familiar, sinister smile crept across his face.
"Hehehe... demons, I hope you're ready to run. Because guess what? I'm baaaack! Kuroha, let's go! Time to hunt some demons tonight!"
His crow landed on his shoulder, waiting for nightfall.
The System observed Kaidō's expression and offered a silent prayer for the demons: three seconds of mourning.
—————
That Night. On Patrol
"♪ La la la~, la la la, I'm a demon-hunting expert! Just waiting for nightfall to catch some prey! ♪"
"♪ Walking and searching, what a lovely night~! One demon, two kidneys! ♪"
Kaidō strolled down a moonlit path, singing a modified tune. He'd already eliminated two or three demons tonight, which sparked an interesting thought.
'Demons regenerate everything, right? Even kidneys. So if I brought one back to my world... wouldn't that be infinite organ harvesting?!' His eyes gleamed with entrepreneurial excitement.
[Host, I strongly suggest you abandon this impractical idea immediately.]
'Why?!'
[Demons from this dimension would become endangered species in yours.]
'...Fine, fine. I was just thinking out loud anyway!'
Passing through a village, Kaidō spotted two demons acting suspiciously. That predatory grin returned.
"Hehe... tonight's quota just went up!"
He crept silently behind them.
"You sure that terrifying white-haired Demon Slayer left the area?" one whispered nervously.
"I'm positive! Now shut up and let's eat before we leave. I keep feeling like something's watching us..."
Just as they prepared to attack, two hands landed on their shoulders.
"Hey, don't touch me! I'm trying to concentrate here!"
"I didn't touch you!"
"Then whose hands are—"
Cold sweat poured down their faces. A horrifying realization dawned.
"Hi there, demon gentlemen~ Want to play a game? It's called 'Infinite Organ Regeneration!' Sound fun?"
The demons turned their heads mechanically. The face they saw was the last thing they wanted to see. Their legs trembled violently. They forgot how to run.
"What's wrong? Am I really that scary? I just want to play a game."
"AHHHHHH!!" Both demons fainted dead away.
"Seriously? You passed out? You're demons. Way to embarrass Muzan." Kaidō sighed, retrieving rope from his inventory. He tied them up, grabbed a leg each, and dragged them toward a nearby forest, humming cheerfully.
"♪ La la la~, la la la, I'm a demon-hunting expert... ♪"
[Poor bastards...] The System offered another three-second prayer.
From the forest came agonized screaming.
"Ahh... ohh... urk..."
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