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"CAW! Master!"
Returning to his estate, Kaido saw Kuroha flying toward him from the distance—landing on his shoulder and nuzzling his cheek affectionately.
Having not seen Kuroha in so long, the crow seemed somewhat haggard. Kaido extended a finger, stroking its head. "Kuroha, long time no see. Sorry for making you worry too."
As he finished speaking, another crow flew over—landing on his opposite shoulder.
"Dragon Hashira-sama!"
Kaido recognized this crow—it was Kanae's messenger, Isuzu.
"Isuzu, long time no see!"
But Kaido couldn't understand why Isuzu was here. Just as he prepared to ask Kuroha, he noticed Kuroha's gaze toward Isuzu seemed... off. Absolutely lovestruck...
Understanding dawned. That mischievous grin returned. "Ohhh~ I see. My Kuroha's fallen in love!"
Hearing this, Kuroha could only hide its face behind both wings.
This story began three months ago. After Kaido's reported death, Kuroha had remained utterly despondent—sometimes refusing food and water for days. If not for Retsuki's constant comfort, the crow might have faded away completely.
After one month, Kanae—having recovered somewhat—brought her crow Isuzu to visit Retsuki.
Arriving at Kaido's estate, Isuzu saw Kuroha perpetually dejected and spiritually exhausted. She approached to comfort him, keeping him company and chatting—hoping to help him emerge from suffering.
Thus, through repeated interactions, the two crows' feelings gradually deepened.
Eventually, though Kuroha hadn't fully recovered from his master's loss, his affection for Isuzu grew stronger. The two crows became practically inseparable.
Today, while patrolling Corps territory together, hearing his master still lived—Kuroha immediately flew back.
Which brings us to the current situation.
"Isuzu, thank you for staying with Kuroha all this time."
"You're welcome, Dragon Hashira-sama."
"Well then, I won't disturb you lovebirds. I have matters to handle. Kuroha—good luck!"
Kuroha didn't dare respond, but that bashful demeanor was crystal clear to both Kaido and Isuzu.
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Returning to his room, Kaido retrieved the Super Mental Enhancement Serum.
Examining the finger-sized vial of deep blue liquid, he uncorked it and downed the contents in one gulp.
The moment it entered his system, his consciousness suffered violent impact—as though simultaneously frozen in an ice cavern and roasted in volcanic magma. The world spun upside down. Vertigo hammered his brain directly.
But Kaido didn't surrender. He gritted his teeth, enduring. If the serum's effects were this intense, the benefits would be extraordinary.
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Time crawled forward. Kaido persevered over half an hour until the medicine was fully absorbed. His mental clarity sharpened exponentially.
He could feel it now—facing Muzan again, Demon Eye would control him for several minutes, letting him thoroughly enjoy getting tag-teamed by twenty-two Hashira... wait, no—letting him enjoy getting jumped by twenty-two Hashira simultaneously!
Shame Muzan was obliterated completely. No ashes remained for experimentation.
Next, he retrieved the three Hearts of Revival from System Space. Watching them float before him, he fell into contemplation.
"Sabito and Makomo—I'm resurrecting them both. But this last one... who should I revive?"
"Kie Kamado? No, if I resurrect Tanjiro's mother, I'd need to revive all his siblings too. Otherwise, it wouldn't be fair to Tanjiro..."
"Lisa? That might work... except it also might not. Lisa died protecting her sister, delivering information to me before that bastard Kaigaku killed her... I could consider Lisa."
"Maybe Yuichiro Tokito? Or Kotoha Hashibira? Perhaps Tsutako Tomioka?"
"Yoriichi Tsugikuni? Absolutely impossible! Muzan's already obliterated, plus the System said resurrecting Yoriichi requires ten Hearts of Revival and sacrificing three hundred years of my lifespan. That's basically demanding my life..."
Thinking in circles without reaching decision, frustration exploded into cursing: "DAMN IT! That bastard Muzan—I should grab a few hundred Clone Talismans, resurrect you, then kill you with Form Five a thousand times over!"
"You became a demon yourself—fine! But you transformed others into demons too! And after making them demons, you destroyed countless families!"
"If you weren't already completely annihilated, I'd create hundreds of clones to fight you, then tie you under a tree to roast in sunlight while verbally destroying you until you're crying for mommy and praying to every deity—let you experience what Gyokko felt when I roasted him into mental collapse!"
"Muzan, you ****&@#—beep beep beep beep..."
Good thing he was alone in the estate. Otherwise, this would've been social suicide.
Lucky for Muzan he died when he did. Hearing this tirade would've left him unable to rest in peace.
[Sigh, Muzan... your death really wasn't unjust at all.] The System's internal commentary was resigned.
After cursing for over half an hour, his anger somewhat vented. He'd finally decided who to resurrect with the final Heart.
Adjusting his mindset, he channeled mental energy and Interdimensional Energy into the Hearts of Revival—beginning the resurrection of three individuals.
Mental power drained rapidly. Vertigo slowly invaded his consciousness.
If not for consuming the Super Mental Enhancement Serum an hour ago, resurrecting just one person would've knocked him unconscious. Let alone three...
Time passed slowly—over three hours elapsed. Finally, the Hearts of Revival radiated brilliance.
Light formed silhouettes, gradually materializing. Kaido knew—they were being resurrected, though it required time.
However, excessive mental consumption overwhelmed him. He collapsed—
At that moment, a pair of small hands still glowing faintly caught him, cradling his head in a lap pillow. Gently stroking his face: "Junior, thank you."
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"Ugh... my head's spinning."
Waking, Kaido's head remained dizzy—though he noticed it rested on something incredibly soft.
Opening his eyes revealed two spheres before him.
'This scene feels oddly familiar.' Instinctively, his hand reached out and squeezed.
"Ah~?"
"!!!" That breathy sound jolted him fully awake. "What's happening?! Wait, why did I say 'again'?!"
"Kaido... niisan..."
Hearing that voice, Kaido bolted upright—discovering his sister Retsuki had been providing the lap pillow. Currently, her face burned crimson, cheeks puffed with resentment as she stared at him reproachfully.
Kaido seemed to hear police sirens. Hands clasped together apologetically: "Sorry! I... I meant to do that... wait, no! I did it deliberately... no, no... that's not it! Retsuki, let me make excuses—I mean explain! Just now I was... was... was..."
Nervousness made him completely incoherent, words growing increasingly absurd.
But seeing Kaido's flustered state, Retsuki's anger evaporated. She couldn't help laughing: "Pfft~ Kaido-niisan, I'm not mad. Just be more careful, otherwise..."
Her voice trailed to whispers, face reddening further as she pointed aside.
Following Retsuki's gesture, Kaido saw three people sitting formally—watching him with knowing expressions.
Makomo: "Junior, that won't do! Retsuki-chan is still young."
Sabito: "Junior, mind the setting!"
Kotoha Hashibira simply smiled at Kaido warmly.
"Uh... hehe... I'm done for. Completely done. Three years minimum sentence, death penalty maximum... Plus she's a minor... I'm finished..." Kaido's expression went completely dead inside. His soul practically leaked from his mouth.
"Alright, stop teasing Junior! Don't worry, we won't tell anyone. But you need to be more careful!" Makomo quickly intervened, saving Kaido from spiraling toward the afterlife...
After that brief incident, Kaido recovered—though whenever looking at Retsuki, his gaze kept averting downward instinctively, leaving her somewhere between tears and laughter...
"Junior, thank you."
"Yeah, I really miss Urokodaki-sensei and everyone."
"Senior, when you see everyone, you're going to be shocked. Tomorrow night the Corps is holding a banquet—I'll bring you both to meet everyone. Tonight, please rest here."
"Okay!"
"Kotoha-san, stay here tonight as well. Tomorrow evening at the banquet, I'll introduce you to your son—Inosuke Hashibira."
"Thank goodness! Thank you so much. All these years, he must have suffered terribly. I couldn't keep my promise... I failed him."
After arranging accommodations for the three, night had fallen.
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Evening
In the courtyard, Kaido sat at the entrance with legs dangling. Retsuki settled on his lap, head resting against his shoulder, their fingers interlaced—gazing together at the star-filled sky.
"Feels like all this happened just yesterday."
"Yeah, time flies so fast."
"It really does."
Inside, Sabito, Makomo, and Kotoha peeked out at the siblings—smiles forming.
Sabito: "Never imagined Junior would grow so much. He's completely different from who he was."
Makomo: "Yeah! And his relationship with Retsuki-chan is so sweet. I truly wish them happiness."
Kotoha: "They're such lovely children."
The three watched the siblings, exchanging glances—smiling in unison.
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