It was one of those days when their research had hit a brick wall. Evening had fallen, and the hour for dinner had arrived.
Inside the Butterfly Estate, the family of seven sat gathered around a single dining table. Usually, one might expect the old adage of "silence while eating, silence while sleeping" to be observed, but in truth, the Butterfly Estate had no such restrictive rules.
Tonight, however, the silence was deafening.
The air was thick and heavy, solely because Horitake and Shinobu Kochou were in foul moods. Their frustration was so palpable that no one else dared to even crack a smile, let alone start a conversation.
Neither Shinobu nor Horitake were oblivious to the shift in the atmosphere. They noticed the way their "sisters" walked on eggshells around them, but for the moment, they were powerless to change it. The stagnation of their research was a cold, hard fact, and their resulting irritation was equally real.
Both felt a twinge of guilt for bringing the shadows of their work into the warmth of their home. Yet, the more they felt guilty, the more their moods soured. And the worse they felt, the more terrified the younger girls became to speak up. It was a vicious, self-perpetuating cycle.
If the Butterfly Estate was to return to its usual days of laughter and light, the research had to move forward. If the source of the problem was fixed, everything else would resolve itself. But scientific breakthroughs were rarely that simple; for now, there wasn't a glimmer of hope on the horizon.
At the table, the "Button-Eyed Trio"—Sumi, Kiyo, and Naho—ate in absolute silence. They kept their heads down, lacking the courage to speak and the power to shift the heavy air. Kanao's personality made the situation even more pronounced; she was already naturally taciturn, and in this environment, she did her best to simply fade into the background.
The only one who felt a desperate need to act was Aoi.
Aoi was reaching the end of her rope. She felt that letting this suffocating atmosphere continue was healthy for no one. She wanted to make a change—even a tiny one—just to see if it would stick.
Summoning every ounce of her courage, Aoi looked at the silent group and ventured a tentative comment:
"This... this tofu is quite good tonight, isn't it?"
The moment the words left her mouth, Aoi nearly buried her face in the table.
How humiliating! How utterly pathetic!
She had wanted to lighten the mood, to bring a smile to Shinobu and Horitake's faces, but what came out was a completely nonsensical, off-the-wall remark.
However, her awkward attempt produced an unexpected result.
Seeing Aoi's embarrassed, clumsy display, both Shinobu and Horitake felt a small tug at their lips. They understood her intention, and despite themselves, the weight on their chests lightened.
It was a classic case of a "blessed mistake."
Horitake let out a soft huff of a laugh. He picked up a piece of the grilled tofu with his chopsticks, placed it in his mouth, and chewed slowly. He nodded, making a conscious effort to look approachable and kind.
"Yeah... you're right. This tofu really is excellent."
As soon as he said it, Horitake felt a bit of an odd sensation. It was a simple social grace, a way to support Aoi's attempt at conversation, but in this strange atmosphere, the words felt curiously significant—almost out of place.
He sighed inwardly and went back for another piece. He intended to finish dinner quickly and get back to the lab, hoping that tonight might be the night the breakthrough finally arrived.
But sometimes, life is governed by the most peculiar coincidences.
Some people spend their entire lives working themselves to the bone, yet they can never compete with a single, sudden spark of inspiration in another. It was a tragic reality, but a reality nonetheless. Sometimes, that one "eureka" moment is the difference between success and a lifetime of failure.
As Horitake chewed on that piece of tofu, a bolt of inspiration struck him.
It was as if the heavens had granted him a flash of divine light, a crack of thunder echoing through the corridors of his mind!
Horitake froze. He stared blankly at the plate of grilled tofu, his expression becoming dazed, his very aura turning turbulent and erratic.
Everyone at the table noticed the sudden change. Shinobu, sitting right beside him, looked at him with a mix of confusion and concern.
"Horitake? What is it? What's wrong?"
Horitake didn't look at her. He simply pointed his chopsticks at the plate, his voice distant.
"The tofu..."
Shinobu looked at the dish, her confusion deepening. "Yes, the tofu. We agreed it tastes good. What about it?"
Horitake shook his head stiffly, his tone suddenly becoming incredibly grave.
"Shinobu-nee... what is tofu made from?"
"Beans, of course. Why are you asking something so obvious?"
"And I recall... Japan has a tradition, don't we? During the Setsubun festival, we throw beans to drive away demons, right?"
Shinobu blinked. "Yes, that is the tradition. But what does that have to do with anything?"
"It has everything to do with it..." Horitake felt as though he had stumbled upon a massive blind spot. His pulse began to quicken with excitement. "If throwing beans is said to repel demons, then within our folklore, beans are considered the natural enemy of the Oni. So, what if we take the components of those beans and incorporate them into the poison we're developing? What do you think?"
Upon hearing this, Shinobu rolled her eyes and gave him an exasperated look.
"And here I thought you were about to deliver some grand theory. You're serious? Honestly, Horitake, don't mix things up. The 'demons' in the bean-throwing legends are creatures of myth and folklore. They aren't the same as the real, physical demons we hunt. You can't take something as ethereal as a fairy tale and apply it to our research. What we are doing is science."
Horitake couldn't have disagreed more.
Science? What was "scientific" about a world filled with man-eating monsters who possessed supernatural Blood Demon Arts? What was "scientific" about the Breathing Styles of the Demon Slayer Corps, which allowed humans to tap into extraordinary powers?
The world had long ago ceased to follow the rules of science or logic.
In his mind, the fact that they were trying to create a new poison while strictly adhering only to modern chemistry was, in itself, illogical. Sometimes, you had to supplement science with a bit of "metaphysics" to achieve the impossible.
However, he didn't say that directly. Instead, he took a different route to persuade her.
"Shinobu-nee, I don't think it's that simple. Think about it—what is the image of a demon in folk legends? And what is the image of the demons we actually kill? Are there no similarities?"
Shinobu answered without hesitation. "The demons of legend... they have blue or red skin, fangs, and horns like a devil's. They possess immense strength and a cruel nature. Whereas the demons we kill are... well..."
As she spoke, her voice trailed off. She hit the same realization he had. She found the blind spot.
Shinobu froze, the gears in her brilliant mind grinding to a halt.
The demons of legend and the man-eating demons they spent their lives hunting... they shared almost identical traits.
Could this... really just be a coincidence?
In an instant, a mental storm erupted in Shinobu's head. Countless theories and historical possibilities flashed through her mind, tangling her thoughts into a knot.
Finally, it was Horitake's voice that pulled her back to reality.
"The man-eating demons have existed for roughly a thousand years. Over a millennium, who is to say that the 'demons' of folklore weren't actually the demons of reality? And if that's true, could the tradition of throwing beans to ward them off really be without a shred of scientific merit?"
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