"Are you sure you're a human being?" Shinobu asked, her tone skeptical. "Come to think of it, I've never actually seen you bleed. Even last night you didn't shed a single drop. You didn't get a scratch. And now you're drying pants with just body heat. That's not normal in any sense, is it?"
After hiding her wet pants in a safe spot to retrieve later, Shinobu started firing questions at him, completely forgetting the embarrassing things she had just done.
They walked toward the Butterfly Mansion at a leisurely pace, shoulder to shoulder in a newfound sense of familiarity.
A quiet closeness had settled between them, easy to notice at a glance.
Hearing her incredulous tone, Tanjiro glanced at Shinobu with a raised brow.
"Questioning my humanity, huh…"
'From someone else's perspective, I might look like a monster wearing human skin. No, they probably do see me that way. Humans have limits to their growth, after all. Unlike Yoriichi, who was born into this world for the sole purpose of ending Muzan's reign…'
He thought quietly for a moment before answering casually.
"I'm human, Shinobu. You can be sure of that. Just a human who has surpassed his limits."
A brief silence followed.
'Surpassed limits…' Shinobu repeated inwardly.
'I've analyzed the Mark's abilities so far, so it does seem plausible. Increased physical power, heightened senses, drastic changes to the body, and perhaps perception as well. With his acute sense of smell and flawless breathing technique, he outclasses everyone else by a wide margin. But there are downsides too. The biggest one we know is the shortened lifespan.'
Lost in thought, she was snapped back to reality when he gently tugged her cheek.
"Ah, Supreme Commander, do you love my cheeks that much?" she said, her voice soft but teasing.
Hearing her use his new title like that, Tanjiro could only chuckle lightly. He leaned closer and whispered into her ear.
"Oh, it's not just your cheeks. You should know that…"
Shinobu's neck tingled, her body shivered, and a deep blush spread across her face.
"Shameless…!" she muttered, then sprinted forward, avoiding his gaze.
Tanjiro watched her well-endowed rear sway as she ran and bit his lip in anticipation.
'Preparations are mostly done. All that's left is to wait…'
...
Butterfly Mansion.
When they arrived, they spotted two Kakushi members leaving. The moment the pair caught sight of Tanjiro, they bowed deeply at ninety degrees.
"Supreme Commander!" they greeted in unison.
'…Whoa. They already spread the news, huh.' He was caught off guard at first but quickly recovered and gave a soft nod.
"Be at ease," he said, his voice calm but carrying quiet authority.
Both Kakushi members straightened immediately. "Yes, Sir!"
Tanjiro studied them for a second. "Names."
Their bodies stiffened on instinct.
"Goto, Sir!" the more nervous one answered quickly. 'Damnit, this guy is thirteen!? Are you kidding me!? Where does he even look thirteen!? He's way taller than me, and what's with this invisible pressure!? Scary… He's scarier than the other Hashira—!'
The female one's voice cracked from a mix of nerves and something else. "H-Hana, Sir!" Her legs trembled slightly for reasons she didn't want to admit.
'…'
Tanjiro easily sensed their emotions, felt a moment of speechlessness, but gave an acknowledging nod.
"Goto, Hana. If you're done here, you may leave."
They bowed deeply at once. "Have a good day, Sir!" Then they hurried off without looking back.
Tanjiro turned to the dumbfounded Shinobu and showed a faint smile.
"See? That's how you treat your Commander-in-Chief. With respect and discipline… Umu."
Shinobu shook her head lightly. 'He's definitely enjoying this…'
"Should I bow too, mm?" she asked jokingly.
Since their relationship had progressed so much recently, she figured Tanjiro wouldn't mind if she didn't bow, right?
Hearing her words, he smiled brightly.
Leaning forward, he spoke in a low, teasing whisper.
"You can do whatever you want — bow, kneel, walk on all fours… But only when we're alone, hehe."
'…'
Her cheeks flushed bright red, eyes flickering in shame.
"Y-you… You're insufferable!" Her cherry lips parted as her embarrassed voice slipped out.
Her heartbeat quickened. She felt helpless. Since earlier, he had been teasing and playing with her nonstop. And he clearly enjoyed watching her get flustered every time, which made her grit her teeth in frustration.
Anger took over. She pinched his hand hard and dashed toward the laboratory.
Tanjiro sensed the swirl of emotions coming off her — all of it — and grinned as she ran off. He had let her go on purpose.
Tilting his head, he looked at the red mark where she had pinched him and gave it a slow lick.
'She's cute…'
Next, Tanjiro caught the familiar scents of his students drifting from the training ground and headed there.
Using his refined footwork, he controlled his strength precisely. In just a few steps, he appeared on the wooden fence, completely unnoticed by the three below. He was like air, like a ghost. Even without activating Selfless State, his presence had vanished entirely. Such was the level of his control.
'Hmm?'
Observing the training ground, he saw Nayuta and Kanao sparring with wooden swords.
'Interesting…' A small smile tugged at his lips despite himself.
Since Nayuta lacked physical strength and stamina, she relied on Transparent World and her past experience to parry Kanao's attacks. She deflected every strike with perfect timing, rendering them useless and leaving poor Kanao stunned.
'She's cheating… Oh well, I'm in no position to complain,' he thought.
Thanks to her superior mastery of Flower Breathing, Nayuta held the upper hand. Even without Transparent World, she would have defended herself with ease.
"W-whoa—! Nayuta-chan's so good at this. Does she have natural talent?" Mitsuri stared at the spar with wide, disbelieving eyes. She was utterly shocked.
Then a voice came from behind, startling her.
"Correct."
"Kya…!" Her body jumped on reflex.
Her ears flushed red as she recognized the voice and spun around. "Ta-Ta—no, was it commando or something? Ah, I forgot… W-What do I do…"
Laughing softly at her flustered antics, Tanjiro reached out and booped her nose.
"Don't mind it." He flashed a gentle smile.
Her body went stiff. She quickly covered her mouth to stop herself from almost drooling in front of him.
Just seeing his smile was enough to send her heart racing.
With love-filled eyes, she let out a soft hum. "Mm."
At that point, Nayuta and Kanao noticed him too.
'He's back to flirting, mmm…' Nayuta thought as she lowered her wooden sword in defeat. "I'm tired, ha…"
Her breathing was unsteady, stamina completely spent.
There was no way she could continue.
'Two or three months is all I need to train this body…' Deciding that, she looked at Kanao, who had stopped moving.
She noticed Kanao's sullen, downcast mood and spoke honestly.
"Kanao-san, please don't feel bad. I could only last so long because of these special eyes, you see." She pointed to her circular-patterned eyes while explaining.
Kanao wore a confused expression. She tilted her head curiously. "Special?"
Nodding, Nayuta offered a faint smile. "Let's sit down first, and then I'll explain how it works."
Little Kanao agreed with a small nod. 'She reminds me of Kanae-nee so much… Her sword mastery is exceptional too. And the way she talks…'
Both of them approached Tanjiro and Mitsuri.
"Congratulations on your promotion, nii-chan~" Nayuta said with a fake smile, slumping onto the engawa.
'Damn girl exhausted herself…' Tanjiro clicked his tongue inwardly. 'Guess I'll deal with Mitsuri's issue first…'
"Hm." He gave Nayuta a brief look before turning to Kanao gently. "You did great, Kanao. Nayuta was able to perceive your attacks with her eyes, that's why she could parry and evade."
He headpatted her softly and added, "What you're lacking right now is fighting experience and the intent to end the enemy, but that will be solved soon with my help. So don't feel down, okay?"
Kanao's gaze stayed on the ground as she nodded repeatedly, quietly enjoying the affection.
Lying on the engawa, Nayuta noticed Mitsuri's hidden pout and Kanao's shyness. She could only sigh inwardly.
'This guy… He's after everyone…'