Over the next few days, subtle changes appeared in the daily life of the Butterfly Mansion.
The first was in the training ground in the backyard.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
Accompanied by three sharp sounds cutting through the air, three ordinary pebbles picked up from the ground traced eerie arcs in midair. They curved around the obstruction of tree trunks and struck the bullseyes of three hanging wooden targets ten meters away with perfect accuracy.
"Wow! That's amazing!"
"The stones actually curved!"
"Rin-sama is so cool!"
The three little girls, Sumi, Kiyo, and Naho, squatted on the porch with sparkling eyes, clapping excitedly.
Even Aoi, who happened to be passing by with a washbasin, could not help stopping and staring in surprise.
"Heh~ Just some unusual throwing techniques. Basic stuff. No need to make a fuss."
Rin brushed the dust from his hands and lazily stretched.
At that moment, faint footsteps approached from behind him.
"You certainly have plenty of free time, charming little girls into admiring you here in my Butterfly Mansion."
The voice was cold and crisp, carrying a trace of undisguised sarcasm and teasing.
Rin turned around and saw Shinobu Kocho walking over with a tray in her hands. On it was a pot of hot tea and several plates of delicate tea snacks.
Today, Shinobu Kocho was not wearing that unsettling fake smile.
Her eyes were bright and sharp, her eyebrows slightly raised. Her entire presence resembled a short blade freshly drawn from its sheath, carrying a lively and somewhat prickly energy.
Rin looked at her and nodded with satisfaction.
"Heh. Not bad. This style is much more pleasing to the eye. Compared to pretending to be a gentle big sister with 'ara ara' all day, you have more potential as a short-tempered, sharp-tongued loli."
"Who are you calling a short-tempered, sharp-tongued loli?!"
A cross-shaped vein popped on Shinobu Kocho's forehead as she slammed the tray heavily onto the wooden floor of the corridor, splashing a few drops of tea.
"If you weren't a guest, I would definitely add a lethal dose of poison to your tea."
She snorted and sat down beside Rin.
"Drink it. I see you've been bored out of your mind these past few days. I don't want you saying the Butterfly Mansion is a poor host."
Rin unceremoniously picked up the teacup and drained it in one gulp, then grabbed a snack and stuffed it into his mouth.
Seeing how completely defenseless he looked, Shinobu Kocho's gaze softened slightly, though her tone remained sharp.
"You really aren't afraid that I might poison you. Speaking of which, you went to so much trouble secretly investigating my past. Are you feeling proud of yourself now that you've seen me drop the act?"
"Secretly investigate you?" Rin paused mid-chew, confusion written all over his face. "When did I investigate you? I can tell what you're thinking just by looking."
Hearing that, Shinobu Kocho did not believe him. Instead, she became even more convinced of her guess.
"Hmph. Still refusing to admit it. Stubborn as a mule."
She turned her head away, though a faint blush quietly crept onto her fair earlobes.
"But... don't do that again. My past isn't some entertaining story."
Rin looked at Shinobu Kocho's unexpectedly bashful profile.
Although he had no idea how this sharp-tongued butterfly had twisted the logic in her mind, it was obvious that she had taken his earlier words as proof that he secretly cared about her.
Rin did not bother correcting her and simply chuckled softly.
"Alright. As long as you stop putting on that fake smile in front of me, I'll see this matter through to the end."
"Who... who wants you to care! Arrogant jerk!" Shinobu Kocho jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. She even forgot to take the tray and hurried away with a flushed face.
Watching her slightly flustered retreating figure, Rin shook his head helplessly.
Self-inflicted defeat is the most lethal.
[Ding! Detected that the key character 'Shinobu Kocho' has developed extremely strong self-generated feelings toward the host. Favorability has increased significantly!]
[Obtained dimension points: 800!]
"I can even get points for this? System, your evaluation standards are pretty generous." Rin was in a great mood and picked up the teapot, drinking straight from the spout.
...
Leisurely days always pass quickly.
In the blink of an eye, ten days had passed since Rin moved into the Butterfly Mansion.
Tomorrow was the special Hashira Meeting personally convened by Kagaya Ubuyashiki.
Today was also the day Rin's nichirin blade and uniform were to be delivered.
Near noon.
A strange man wearing a ridiculous Hyottoko mask, with wind chimes tied to his head and carrying two long cloth bundles, barged aggressively through the gates of the Butterfly Mansion.
"Where is that brat named Rin?! How dare you make me, Haganezuka, personally come deliver a sword! Get out here and receive your blade!"
Accompanied by an extremely arrogant roar, the infamous hotheaded swordsmith from the Swordsmith Village, Mr. Haganezuka, strode in grandly.
Rin heard the commotion and walked out from the backyard.
Shinobu Kocho and several little girls followed behind curiously.
"You're Rin?"
Haganezuka Hotaru pointed at Rin, his tone extremely arrogant.
"Listen up! This sword is a masterpiece I forged using the top-quality Tamahagane you brought back. I spent ten full days and nights without sleep making it! If you dare break it in battle, I'll come for you with a kitchen knife in the middle of the night!"
"You talk too much."
Rin could not be bothered with the sword fanatic's rant. He stepped forward and tore open the cloth bundle.
Inside was not only a set of black Demon Slayer Corps uniforms, but also a brand-new nichirin blade in its sheath.
Because Rin was used to the feel of the Kusanagi sword, the style of this nichirin blade was not forged with the traditional katana curve. Instead, it had been crafted into an extremely straight blade according to his request.
"Quick, draw it! The nichirin blade is also called the Color-Changing Blade. It changes color according to the user's characteristics!" Haganezuka Hotaru leaned in excitedly, staring intently at the hilt. "Let me see what color yours becomes!"
Even Shinobu nearby looked on with curiosity.
As far as she knew, Rin did not use any known Breathing Style, so what color would his blade turn?
Rin gripped the hilt and flicked his wrist.
Clang!
A crisp sound rang out as the blade was drawn.
The snow-white sword gleamed with a cold light beneath the sun.
Then, the moment Rin's palm made contact with the hilt, the lightning-attribute Chakra within his body instinctively surged through his arm and into the blade.
Hum~~!
An incredible scene occurred!
The originally snow-white blade was instantly dyed a deep pitch black from the base upward.
But unlike Tanjiro's pure black blade, purple lightning patterns appeared across Rin's sword, spreading like veins.
Faint electric currents crackled along the blade, giving off a terrifying aura of violent destructive power.
"Black... black base with purple patterns?!"
Haganezuka Hotaru was completely dumbfounded. Even the Hyottoko mask on his face tilted crookedly.
"And the blade comes with lightning?! How is that possible?! This completely defies common sense!"
Rin casually swung the sword once, testing the excellent conductivity of the nichirin blade, then nodded with satisfaction.
It seems Chakra can also flow through a nichirin blade. Although the material isn't as durable as my Kusanagi sword, it's more than enough to deal with the small fry who aren't worthy of my main weapon.
"So the Hashira Meeting is tomorrow..."
Rin sheathed the striking nichirin blade and looked toward the distant direction of the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters.
"Time to go meet this group of so-called strongest swordsmen."