Kanroji Mitsuri had been looking forward to meeting Kocho Shinobu at the Butterfly Mansion, completely unaware that Shinobu had already arrived at Mount Sagiri and had begun treating Shinazugawa Genya.
Genya's body was covered in wounds—far too many to count. When Shinobu pulled back his clothes and saw the extent of his injuries, even she was momentarily stunned. For a brief moment, she fell silent. Then, without another word, she composed herself and began treating him with meticulous precision.
Her medical skill was extraordinary—even better than the rumors claimed. By the time she finished, the boy's complexion had visibly improved, recovering at a pace noticeable to the naked eye.
"Your physical ability is truly poor," Shinobu said while packing up her medical box after finishing the treatment, her tone calm but mercilessly direct as she looked at Genya lying on the bed. "You are not suited to walk the path of a demon slayer. Stop trying to hunt demons. Your brother wouldn't want you to go down that road either."
The moment the words left her mouth, Shinobu froze.
Those cold, heartless words—words she had once found hateful—had been said to her before by Himejima Gyomei. Back then, after she repeatedly begged to join the Demon Slayer Corps, he had rejected her with much the same reasoning.
And now, without realizing it, she had spoken almost those exact words herself.
"No way."
Genya clenched his teeth almost the instant she finished.
"No matter what, I'll make my brother acknowledge me. No matter what, I'll fight beside him…"
Shinobu said nothing more. She only gave him a long, searching look before slinging her medicine box over her shoulder and walking out, leaving behind the furious boy gnashing his teeth on the bed.
Even after she stepped outside, she could still faintly hear his angry curses, his defiant protests echoing from the room.
And hearing them, Shinobu couldn't help remembering how she had felt when Himejima had rejected her.
Back then, she had been just like this boy—full of anger, unwilling to accept it.
Perhaps… Himejima Gyomei had felt exactly as she did now.
A warning born of kindness, only to be met with resentment.
No wonder Himejima disliked children more than anything.
Even she, back then, had felt nothing but fury at being refused. Even now, a deep trace of grievance still lingered in her heart.
And yet, strangely, at this moment, some part of her felt released.
Because the truth was… Himejima hadn't been wrong.
At the time, she truly had been almost incapable of walking the path of a demon slayer.
Shinobu lifted her hands and looked at them.
They were beautiful, delicate hands—but the joints were lined with calluses.
She had trained harder than anyone, pushed herself further than most ever would, but weakness was weakness. Her small frame meant little physical strength, and even now, severing a demon's neck through sheer force remained difficult for her.
If she hadn't recently extracted a lethal toxin from wisteria flowers and found another path to kill demons, then even dealing with ordinary demons would still have been a struggle.
Perhaps her sister, just as Shinazugawa Sanemi wished to protect his younger brother, had also never wanted her little sister to walk this road.
But she could no longer live the ordinary life her sister had once hoped for.
Too much had happened.
Those tragedies, that suffering—none of it could be erased, none of it could be treated as though it had never occurred. The pain had long since been branded into the deepest part of her soul.
As long as demons still existed in this world, as long as her heart continued to beat, she knew she would never stop thinking of one thing—
To hunt down and kill every last demon.
With these thoughts in her heart, Shinobu walked out of the room. Outside the door, the demon had been waiting for a while.
Seeing Shinobu emerge, Soma smiled. "You must be tired from your journey, Miss Shinobu, and probably hungry as well. Lady Kie has prepared some delicious food. Please join us."
Shinobu raised her head and looked at the tall man standing before her.
And she had not forgotten.
Not for a second.
This was the very man who had called her a "Hobbit" behind her back.
It was truly... infuriating.
"Miss Shinobu isn't still holding a grudge over what happened earlier, is she?" Soma spoke again, his tone carrying that same infuriating casualness. "If you are, then I can apologize to you again."
Shinobu pressed her lips together, teeth clenched as she forced out, "I'm not that petty."
"That's good, then."
With that, Soma simply turned and led the way.
Shinobu followed behind him with her medicine box hanging at her waist, but walking behind that tall figure only stirred an inexplicable irritation inside her. His words from before kept circling in her mind, refusing to leave—
"So it's the Hobbit, Shinobu."
Those words lingered in her mind, making her restless and agitated.
The girl stared at the man's back and thought silently: This person had better not get injured in the future. If he does, I'll definitely disinfect his wounds with salt water a few extra times. I'm sure the pain will make him remember the price of offending Miss Shinobu.
As for other active forms of revenge, Shinobu hadn't considered them. Perhaps she might also poke him a few extra times with her needles during treatment.
Before long, Soma led Shinobu into the house.
The house had been built not long ago, and the rooms were very clean.
In the center of the main room stood a table, already set with food. The aroma of the dishes filled the room.
Several people were waiting in the house—adults and children alike. It looked like a very warm family.
"Let me introduce everyone. This is Shinobu Kocho, a highly skilled physician."
After entering, Soma first introduced Shinobu to everyone, then introduced the members of the Kamado family to Shinobu: Kie, Tanjiro, Nezuko...
After the introductions, he led Shinobu to a seat nearby.
Shinobu knelt at the table, looking at the large spread of food. Though it wasn't lavish, the dishes were abundant: wild vegetable salad, miso soup, grilled fish...
All very homestyle cooking.
"I don't know if this suits your taste, Shinobu," Kamado Kie said apologetically from beside her. "Please forgive us if it's too humble."
"It's already wonderful," Shinobu replied softly, lowering her eyes. "With a table this full… I should be the one thanking everyone for their hospitality."
"Then Miss Shinobu should eat plenty," Soma cut in from the side. "Consider it part of my apology for my earlier rudeness."
Shinobu lifted her eyes and shot him a look.
He had mentioned apologizing several times already on the way here, as though she were some impossibly narrow-minded woman who held onto every slight.
"I said I'm not that petty."
Then, as if to emphasize it, she added, "I already forgot about you speaking badly of me behind my back."
Soma's mouth twitched slightly.
The more a woman repeated she had forgotten something, the more clearly she usually remembered it. As expected… when girls became petty, they might really remember something for a lifetime.
Fortunately, Shinobu had no idea he was thinking such dangerous thoughts.
At that moment, she accepted the bowl of miso soup Kie handed her and quietly began to drink.
"Brother, I want grilled fish," Hanako said softly to Tanjiro beside her.
"I'll get you some."
Tanjiro stood and carefully picked out a piece of fish for his little sister.
"Brother, you have some too." Beside him, Nezuko also placed a piece on Tanjiro's plate, before taking the most tender portion of the fish and giving it to Soma.
It was a very warm, lively family dinner.
As Shinobu sipped her miso soup and watched the scene before her, a sudden melancholy rose in her chest.
Once, long ago, she too had shared meals like this—with her sister, with her gentle mother, with her stern father.
There had been laughter.
Warmth.
Home.
But all of that…
Had already passed.
Long, long ago.
"This is sweet red bean porridge," Kie said, ladling another bowl for Shinobu. "Please try some."
"Thank you, Lady Kie."
Shinobu accepted it politely and took small, quiet sips.
And somehow, in that warm and ordinary room, surrounded by the sounds of family, even the irritation lingering in her heart seemed to soften.
Beside her, Nezuko lifted her head and looked at Shinobu with bright, expectant eyes.
"It's very good," Shinobu said softly, genuine admiration in her voice.
"My daughter Nezuko made it," Kamado Kie said, unable to hide her happiness. "She's been learning to cook red bean porridge lately. Recently she's even started learning sewing and weaving, and she can already make simple things…"
"That's impressive."
Shinobu couldn't help turning to look at Nezuko again.
The girl was not only beautiful, but irresistibly adorable in a way that made people warm to her the moment they met her. There was something naturally lovable about her, something soft and bright.
And for some reason, looking at her made Shinobu think of her sister.
Kanae had been like that too.
Beautiful, talented… extraordinary.
When they were young, Kanae had been known as the most gifted girl in town. She had learned to play the thirteen-string koto at an early age, knew flower arrangement, understood tea ceremony, and had captivated nearly every man in the village.
And the girl before her now…
Nezuko felt almost the same.
"Sir, you should have a bowl too."
Nezuko served a bowl and placed it in front of Soma.
"Thank you."
Soma accepted it, split half with Kanao, and then drank in peace.
"Mother, tomorrow I want to learn sewing clothes like big sister," little Hanako said suddenly.
"Brother, teach me swordsmanship tomorrow too!"
…
As Shinobu quietly sipped her porridge, she watched the family around her.
The children chatted in soft overlapping voices, one speaking after another, while Kamado Kie gently looked after them all with endless patience.
Watching it, Shinobu found herself thinking—strangely—that tonight's meal tasted especially good.
Even the irritation she had felt earlier over being called a "Hobbit" behind her back no longer seemed so important.
This family truly cared for one another.
It was as if even the air in the room had become warm.
And once again, Shinobu found herself thinking back to the days before demons had shattered her own happiness. Those beautiful, peaceful memories now lay in ruins, little more than fragments.
She took a large mouthful of red bean porridge and quietly pressed those memories back into the depths of her heart.
…
After the meal, Soma spoke.
"Tomorrow I'll begin teaching the children Sun Breathing. Learning Sun Breathing may cause strain or even injury to the body, so I hope Miss Shinobu can watch over them."
"No problem."
Shinobu agreed at once.
That was part of why she had come to Mount Sagiri in the first place. And she understood, perhaps better than most, what it would mean for the Demon Slayer Corps if Initial Swordsmen could be cultivated. Even if Soma had not asked, she would have taken it seriously.
Soma nodded, then turned to Kamado Kie and said gently, "I'll trouble Lady Kie to arrange Miss Shinobu's lodging for tonight."
"Sir, Miss Shinobu will stay with me tonight. I'll take good care of her."
"Then I'll leave it in your hands, Lady Kie."
"Please don't say that. It's only what I should do."
Shinobu said nothing, merely listening quietly as they made arrangements for her.
Then she silently watched as Soma led the girl with pinkish-purple eyes back to his room to rest.
And in that moment, she could feel how much this family relied on this man.
He didn't seem quite as terrible as she had first thought.
But still—
He was the man who had called her a Hobbit behind her back.
Even if…
It was technically true.
Still…
You can't just go around giving people nicknames!
Really—
It was infuriating.
Truly, deeply infuriating.
...
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