The man and the girl wandered through the graveyard, finding many flowers, but unfortunately, not a single one was the Blue Spider Lily he sought.
Although he had expected this, Soma still felt a wave of disappointment wash over him.
"Did you find what you were looking for, Uncle?"
The girl was breathing lightly, wiping the sweat from her temple with her small hand. She tilted her head up toward him, her face full of hope.
Soma shook his head.
"The Spider Lily only blooms during the day. We probably won't find it tonight. When morning comes, I'll have to rely on you, Kanao."
Once the sun rose, he, as a demon, would have to scurry into the darkness like a rat. He wouldn't be able to search for a flower that only bloomed under the sun.
"No problem, Uncle. I'll definitely help you find it."
Kanao Tsuyuri clenched her small fists with determination.
"Alright. It's getting late. Let's find somewhere nearby to rest." He gently patted her head.
"Mmm!" Kanao nodded firmly.
Soma was about to crouch down so she could climb onto his back again, but before he could, the girl stepped beside him and grabbed his large hand with both of hers.
"Why aren't you letting me carry you?" he asked.
"I want to walk with Uncle."
"You'll get tired. We've been searching for flowers for a long time already. Besides, I'm a demon—I don't get tired."
"I'm not tired." Kanao continued walking with small steps. "Walking with Uncle isn't tiring."
Soma glanced down at her. There were tiny beads of sweat glistening along her hairline, yet the smile on her face was bright and happy.
After hesitating for a moment, he decided to let her have her way.
"If you get tired, tell me. I'll carry you."
He said it softly as he slowed his pace considerably.
...
Since the area was mountainous, caves were common. Before long, Soma found one where sunlight couldn't reach.
He went inside first to check. It looked like a large animal had once used the cave as its den, but judging by the signs, it hadn't returned in a long time.
Practicing a familiar routine, Soma gathered some dry grass and spread it over the cleaned ground. He laid his cloak on top as a blanket before calling Kanao over to sit.
After walking for so long, the girl was already out of breath. The moment she sat down on the bed of straw, Kanao let out a long sigh of relief.
"I told you to let me know when you got tired. You kept saying nothing. Now look how worn out you are." Soma grumbled. He turned back, his crimson eyes shooting a mock glare at the girl while he began setting up a campfire to cook her dinner.
"I'm not tired."
Kanao gave him a slightly bashful smile.
Seeing the girl stubbornly insisting despite her obvious fatigue left him momentarily speechless. In the end, he could only glare at her again before letting the matter drop.
Kanao sat quietly on the straw pile, resting her chin on her hands as she watched her uncle busily working. Piece by piece, he finished building the campfire and began preparing the food.
Before long, the delicious smell of cooking filled the cave.
Even though she had been traveling everywhere with him, constantly on the move, it didn't feel unstable at all.
Back in the place she once called "home," she had never felt even a hint of warmth.
But during the days she spent with her uncle, she had gradually begun to understand what the feeling of home was like.
A warmth she had never experienced before… she had finally found it here with him.
It was also—
The first time she had ever felt that someone truly cared about her.
No…
Not someone.
A demon.
I have to help Uncle find the Spider Lily, the girl thought, her beautiful eyes lowering as she watched him finish the meal. I definitely will.
...
Butterfly Mansion
The medical facility of the Demon Slayer Corps. Injured swordsmen were brought here to receive treatment, and once their wounds healed, they would also undergo rehabilitation training to restore their physical strength.
At the moment, the place was bustling with activity.
Several small girls—barely reaching an adult's waist—ran back and forth, tending to the wounded, cleaning injuries, and applying medicine.
Wearing the uniform of the Demon Slayer Corps, a petite young woman with a delicate, beautiful face stood among them. A blue butterfly hairpin decorated her hair, and a sword hung at her waist.
With a faint smile on her lips, she finished treating a swordsman's wounds and spoke to him in a gentle voice.
It was Shinobu Kocho.
"Once you get back, remember to change the bandages regularly and get plenty of rest, alright?"
Her voice was gentle—soft enough to soothe anyone. Yet the injured swordsman instinctively took a step back, fear creeping into his voice.
"Miss Shinobu… you really don't have to force yourself to smile like that. Everyone already knows your… personality."
Shinobu Kocho's brow twitched. She shot the swordsman a vicious glare.
"Your wound is treated. Now get out!"
"Yes! Leaving now!"
The swordsman looked as if he'd just been pardoned from death row and scrambled out of the room in a panic.
"…Am I really that scary?"
Watching him flee like his life depended on it, Shinobu felt a spark of irritation. She walked over to the mirror in the room and forced a smile at her reflection.
Her lips curved upward.
But the smile looked painfully artificial.
Even the faint laugh that followed sounded strange and hollow.
"I really can't mimic Sister's gentleness at all," She sighed softly.
Lately, several Demon Slayer swordsmen had complained to the higher-ups about her rough bedside manner. Ironically, her sister—who didn't even participate in medical treatment and knew little about medicine—was praised by everyone as being warm and gentle.
"You don't need to be like me," A voice as warm as sunlight sounded from behind her.
Kanae Kocho stepped forward, tall and graceful. She gently patted her younger sister on the head.
"You're already wonderful, Shinobu. Everyone knows who actually treated their wounds."
"Hmph. I'll never learn to smile like you or treat people with such softness, Sister."
Shinobu lightly tapped the sword at her waist. The gentleness in her eyes slowly hardened into something colder.
Kanae simply looked at her sister with warm, hopeful eyes.
"One day, when Shinobu finds someone she truly likes, she'll learn how to be gentle."
"I will never be gentle to anyone else," Shinobu shook her head.
She had almost said that she'd long accepted dying on the path of hunting demons. But seeing the warmth in her sister's eyes, the words stuck in her throat.
So she changed the subject.
"By the way, why did the Master suddenly summon everyone so urgently this time?"
She was extremely curious about the meeting that only the Hashira could attend. She had even heard that the retired Water Hashira, Sakonji Urokodaki, had been called in as well.
Normally, Kanae wouldn't reveal such information. But seeing the eager look in her sister's eyes, she hesitated before sharing a small piece of it.
"It's because of Muzan Kibutsuji. A few Kinoe-ranked swordsmen accidentally discovered traces of him this time… but they were killed shortly afterward. By the time the Hashira arrived, there was no trace left..."
"Damn it… we missed our chance again."
Shinobu clenched her fists, murderous intent boiling in her eyes.
Kanae lowered her gaze slightly when she saw how deeply hatred had taken root in her sister's heart. Hidden within her eyes was a trace of guilt.
"Oh right, Sister," Shinobu said after a moment. "What happened with Furukawa Hiroshi's squad? Did they find out who killed that demon in the city?"
"I received some news," Kanae nodded. "It appears the demon was slain by another demon using a Nichirin Sword."
"What?" Shinobu's eyes widened in surprise.
Ordinary demons loathed Nichirin swords. She had never heard of a demon wielding one before.
Demons killing each other, on the other hand, was fairly common.
"I was surprised too," Kanae admitted. "But that's the report Furukawa Hiroshi's squad sent back."
"Did they manage to kill that demon?"
Shinobu's expression suddenly lit up with interest. "A demon that uses a Nichirin sword… that would make a fascinating research subject."
"No."
Kanae shook her head.
"The report says they lost track of it. They're still searching, but the chances of finding it again are slim."
Shinobu narrowed her eyes slightly. "In that case… there's still a chance that demon might end up as my research material."
...
Drop some POWERSTONES to push the story forward!
PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin