"What on earth is wrong with Shinazugawa-san?" Kazama Aoi asked, her face a mask of utter bewilderment as she watched Sanemi beat a hasty retreat.
Her expression was so sincere, so genuinely perplexed, that it truly seemed as if she had no idea what had just transpired.
"Hehe..."
Shinobu Kocho had appeared by her side at some point. "Aoi-chan—may I call you that?" Shinobu asked in a voice like spun sugar, closing the distance between them with practiced intimacy. "You really are quite adorable."
"Eh? Ah... yes, of course, Kocho-san." Taken aback by the sudden endearment, Aoi instinctively took a half-step back.
"So adorable I could just eat you up."
Mama, I've met a total creep! The Insect Hashira was definitely hara-guro—scheming to her very core. Top-tier, Grade-A manipulative!
Aoi wanted to cry, but no tears came. She glanced around, casting desperate, pleading looks at the other Hashira for help.
Kyojuro Rengoku, the Flame Hashira, wore a boisterous expression that seemed to say, "Good job! Such spirit!" He was completely oblivious to her SOS signals.
Mitsuri Kanroji was practically glowing, her hands clasped over her heart and pink bubbles of excitement practically floating in her eyes. "Wow... how thrilling! How embarrassing! Kocho-san and Aoi-chan are getting along so well!"
Meanwhile, Giyu Tomioka remained a statue of stoic indifference.
Shinobu watched Aoi's rapid "resurrection" and spoke up with feigned surprise. "My, my. Aoi-chan, your healing ability... is truly astonishing."
She reached out, her finger lightly tracing the spot where Sanemi had grabbed Aoi moments ago, her eyes glinting with clinical curiosity.
"At this speed, it's almost like... a demon's, isn't it?"
Her voice was soft, but the words hit Aoi like a percussion grenade, ringing in her ears. Aoi's entire body went rigid.
"Kocho... san..." Aoi's forehead broke out in a fine cold sweat. She forced herself to remain calm, struggling to find an explanation. "I... I've just had a bit of a strange constitution since I was a kid... I just recover a little faster than most..."
"Is that so?" Shinobu smiled, her fingers sliding slowly down Aoi's arm. The icy touch sent a shiver down Aoi's spine. "How very... interesting."
"Aoi-chan, would you mind providing a bit of your blood for my research?" Shinobu's voice remained sweet as she smiled, as if she were merely asking for a minor, harmless favor.
"My blood? Sure, no problem."
The immediate, breezy response caught Shinobu off guard, effectively choking back the entire persuasive speech she had prepared.
"If my blood can be of any help to you, I'd be happy to give it," Aoi said with total sincerity.
For the first time, under the gaze of Aoi's clear, honest eyes, Shinobu Kocho felt a flicker of being caught off balance.
"Anyway, I'd like to go check on Tanjiro and the others now, so I'll head out. Bye-bye!"
"Ah... alright. Get there safely," Shinobu replied reflexively.
She watched Aoi's retreating figure—which looked suspiciously like a frantic escape—and her extended hand froze in mid-air. The warmth of the girl's skin seemed to linger on her fingertips.
This girl... she didn't follow the rules at all.
Shinobu had expected panic, resistance, or frantic excuses—the kind of emotional openings she could use to dig deeper. Aoi had shown none of them. Far from refusing, she had agreed so readily and with such clear eyes that she seemed genuinely happy to be of use.
Ironically, this only deepened Shinobu's suspicion. Is it a perfect disguise, or... is she truly unafraid because she has nothing to hide?
"Shinobu-san?" Mitsuri leaned in curiously. "Is something wrong? Aoi-chan sure ran off in a hurry."
"Hehehe... It's nothing, Mitsuri." Shinobu slowly withdrew her hand, letting her sweet smile slide back into place, though the look in her eyes sharpened. "I've just encountered a... very, very interesting child."
She looked down at her fingertips, as if savoring the lingering touch.
On the other side of the grounds, Aoi was in a dead sprint. She didn't stop until she reached the Butterfly Mansion, where she collapsed against a wall, gasping for air.
Her heart was thudding against her ribs—partially from the run, and partially from the sheer terror induced by Shinobu's casual comment: "almost like a demon."
Close. That was way too close!
She had truly thought her secret was about to be blown. Even though she wasn't a demon, having a System and a freakish healing ability was a massive taboo in this world. Shinobu's eyes, which looked so kind and harmless, were actually sharper than Sanemi's blade; they felt like they could strip a person's soul bare.
Against a top-tier schemer like her, any lie or cover-up would have been dismantled instantly. So, Aoi had opted for the riskiest yet most effective move: the "Straight-Ball" approach. By agreeing to provide blood immediately, she hoped to disarm Shinobu's suspicion. After all, what kind of "demon" would willingly hand over evidence to be studied by a Hashira?
It was a psychological gamble, betting against Shinobu's expectations.
"Phew..." Aoi patted her chest, forcing herself to calm down.
"Kazama-san? What's wrong? Why were you running so fast?" A familiar voice called from the infirmary. It was Tanjiro Kamado.
Aoi looked up to see Tanjiro's concerned face. He remembered vividly that Aoi's back had been sliced open to the bone during the battle with Rui. Yet here she was—pale, but moving with total ease. She didn't look like someone who had just suffered a life-threatening wound at all.
"I'm fine! I'm pretty much recovered," Aoi said with a vague smile, wanting to drop the subject. "More importantly, how are you feeling?"
"I'm okay. Thanks to Kocho-san's medicine, I'm much better."
Suddenly, a piercing scream erupted from the inner room. "Five times! Five times a day! And I have to keep this up for three months?! If I take all this medicine, I won't have room for food! It's too bitter, and I'm miserable!"
Aoi winced at the sudden noise. She peeked into the ward, curious. "Tanjiro, who is that?"
Tanjiro gave a helpless, yet gentle, wry smile. "He's a fellow member from our Final Selection class, Zenitsu Agatsuma."
"Zenitsu, you have to take your medicine if you want to get better," Tanjiro said, stepping forward to try and soothe him.
"No! Get away from me, Tanjiro! You don't understand!" Zenitsu wailed as if he'd been gravely wronged. "It's so bitter! I feel like my throat is on fire! And if I take it, I can't eat! How am I supposed to have the strength to live if I can't eat?!"
At that moment, Aoi stepped forward, gently blocking Zenitsu as he tried to bolt.
"Are you that afraid of bitter things?" Her voice was soft, but it carried a strange, calming weight.
Zenitsu froze, captivated by her clear gaze. He nodded reflexively, tears still streaming down his face. "Yes... I hate them!"
Aoi reached into her pocket and pulled out a bright, sparkling candy wrapped in transparent cellophane.
"Here. This is for you." She held the candy out to him.
"Eh?" Stunned, Zenitsu stared at the candy, which gave off a faint floral scent. He looked from the treat to Aoi's sincere eyes and took it.
He carefully unwrapped the paper and popped the candy into his mouth. A clear, melting sweetness instantly exploded across his palate.
"It's... it's so sweet!" Zenitsu's eyes lit up instantly.
"Now," Aoi said gently. "You can go try your medicine."
Zenitsu stared into Aoi's gentle eyes for a beat, then suddenly shrieked at the top of his lungs:
"PLEASE MARRY ME!"